Feeding juviniles

[grant]

Well I am going to b picking up my new oxolotl very soon and I was wondering what I should feed it. I am getting it as a juvenile, not exactly sure how big it is tho. Ive heard that frozen brine shrip can be good for them and small guppies once in a while are good. I also heard earthworms are good, but where should I get them, I dont have any around my house and pet stores around here don't have them (my girlfriend works at a pet store). So what kind of foods would you recomend. thank you.
Grant

 

[brian]

Earthworms from a bait shop, forzen bloodworms and/or brine shrimp, any sort of sinking fish pellets that aren't vegetable based. Don't feed them guppies though, they are major disease carriers. Unless you want to breed them yourself from healthy stock.

 

[anne-marie]

LIve black worms are good too, especially if the juvies have fairly small mouths.

 

[joan]

Earthworms are a great staple. I get mine from the gas station. I use butterworms, waxworms, bloodworms, crickets, etc as treats on occasion.

 

[jennifer]

If you tell us what country you are in, that would help, Grant. A lot of foods (like blackworms) are available in some parts of the world but not others. Worms are sold at bait shops.

 

[grant]

I live in California, US. But I know I can get earthworns at a bait and tackle store, but should I feed those to my Axolotl? But what other types of common foods would you guys recomend?

 

[cynthia]

I feed bait worms, they sell several different kinds where I purchase them. Mine like the smaller "garden worms" (24 to a container) better than the larger worms of the same variety that are marked "bait worms".

They also sell "red tiger worms" and I haven't tried any of those. I think I read on the board here that someone's axolotls didn't like "red tiger worms".

I also feed the soft moist salmon pellets (you can purchase them from Indiana university axolotl colony or Michael Shrome). Once a month I feed 1 small (earthworm sized) slice of salmon fillet.

I would not feed guppies (Or any other live feeder fish) because it is too easy to introduce parasites and disease. And live fish in the tank can nip (sometimes off) the axolotls gills.

My juveniles are eating garden worm sections and the small sized salmon pellets. I was feeding them a few bloodworms too until they were big enough to eat the garden worm sections.