Feeding hatchlings for the first time

[cedwards9]

Hey, guys. I'm going to be feeding my hatchlings for the first time; I've got about 30.

I've got them in a 1 gallon, hexagonal 'betta' tank that has gravel and an undergravel filter (turned way down so they don't get stuck to the bottom'

My question is... when I go to feed them the microworms I've been culturing, should I turn off the airflow and still the water, so it's easier for them to catch them, and the microworms don't get sucked through the gravel? Or should I leave the bubbles on during feeding?

Additionally, how much microworms should I put in at once for approximately 30 hatchlings?

 

[carsmiku]

i would do a bare bottom and get a turkey baster to determine the quantity of how much is needed. you will see them grow larger everyday.

 

[Axodragon]

Shutting off the airflow temporarily would probably be a good idea. You might also want to get rid of the gravel ... It will make it harder to tell how much your axolotls are eating. It will also make cleaning the tank more difficult (you'll want to remove uneaten food and waste regularly).

I will add that, from what I've heard, axolotls don't grow very well on a diet of microworms. Once yours get a little bigger, you may want to switch to something like blackworms (that's what I am feeding my month-old axolotls).

Good luck!

 

[cedwards9]

I did figure that out, dragon. I didn't realize that microworms can live quite a while in water. I removed the gravel, and the tank is barebottom. I need to look into a blackworm supplier or renewable source. I ordered a couple microworm cultures and they were DOA from being in a 150 degree mail truck for hell and ever so I had to drive all over the place to find brine shirmp; only place for 100 miles that had any only had one vial of eggs, and those refused to hatch. The baby axolotls ate the eggs and that got them by until my two day shipping emergency order of microworms arrived.