Correct food amount for 6 month old axolotls

[NeilP]

Hello

I have two axolotls and I have had them for 6 months. I feed them frozen blood worms only. I recently went from one frozen bloodworm tablet (?) a day for both to share, to 1 each every 2 days. Then the male started eating bits of the female and I have had to separate them.

This obv led me to wondering if I am under feeding them. I have read so many different bits of advice around feeding them but I'd really like to know if the amount I am feeding them is enough?

Both the axolotls bodies are about the same width as their heads which I read was a good guide for feeding them correctly, the male's might be slightly thiner.

Please can someone come back with any help so I know I am feeding them properly?

Thanks

 

[Dr. Phil]

I think you are doing the best you can - good idea to separate them for now. The body width to head width guide is a good one. You may wish to try varying the diet a little. Try some live small worms, like red-wigglers (Eisenia fetida). If they are hungry, I say feed them until they aren't. If they each eat a small worm or two a day let them have them; they are still young and growing. There is much information to be had on this site so keep reading! Here is one link: What to feed your axolotl – Water Critters and here is another: Food: Live, Frozen, Freeze-Dried, Pellets, etc
Best of luck to you!

 

[JM29]

Red wigglers are not accepted by all individuals because they have repulsive substances (yellow liquid), but if they both accept them, everything is allright.
If they don't accept them, change to earthworms for example.
The worst case is when one accept them and the other refuses. If you don't notice this, the one which accept will grow faster and the other will keep starving.

 

[Dr. Phil]

Red wigglers are not accepted by all individuals because they have repulsive substances (yellow liquid), but if they both accept them, everything is allright.
If they don't accept them, change to earthworms for example.
The worst case is when one accept them and the other refuses. If you don't notice this, the one which accept will grow faster and the other will keep starving.

yeah - that's why their specific epithet is fetida (or foetida), which means fetid, or disgusting. I keep a colony of these worms going and they are the staple diet for my critters. Sometimes they'll just suck them in, no problem. Other times they spit them out and come back to them later - but they always come back for them. Either the noxious stuff goes away or they've gotten used to it.