Feeding

[Nikki Fereday]

Can someone please help me? Why has my perfectly lively, healthy-looking, 18 month old axolotl suddenly lost his appetite - he previously had a good appetite, eating both earth worms and meal worms as soon as they were given to him - daily. Rather than eating his food, he now snaps it up and immediately spits it out again. Could it be time of the year? Do they have a habit of doing this? He had started to look a little fat ... do they then stop eating? Thankyou.

 

[John]

1- What temperature is the aquarium and what's the room temperature?
2- Does he have a strong filter?

If the answer to 1 is in the mid-ish 20s Celsius (mid 70s F) then he may be stressing - get the ambient temperature down to a lower (and consistent) level.

If the answer to 2 is yes, or he has a strong flow in the tank, he may be succumbing to stress from it. This can take a long time to finally push them into not eating (year or more sometimes). Reduce the flow somehow, e.g. deflect the flow against the wall, or partially block the water outlet (be careful not to restrict it too much).

The other possibility is he has become picky from having the same foods for so long. I think this is much less likely than the other two.

Good luck.

 

[Nikki Fereday]

Many thanks for your quick, helpful reply.

The tank temperature is constantly monitored with a thermometer and never exceeds 70 degrees fahrenheit - I am aware that the temperature factor is critical.
He lives in a 4ft tank with filter - which is turned into the side of the tank. Is it crucial that he has a filter? His body condition is good, and he is lively and alert. I believe that he has just become 'picky' about his food - having been happy for many months with earthworms, followed by another period when he was happy with mealworms.
How long can he go without food? Do they have periods when they naturally fast for a while? I(I kept a terrapin for 14 years and she used to periodically go off her food).
Any suggestions as to what food I might try next?
Many thanks for your help.

 

[rigsby]

i have had them go off food before but the fact he is still going for it shows he's still interested. What substrate have you if its small gravel he may have swallowed some and be finding it hard to pass it. If you can get hold of some liver and cut a small piece off ,drop it on his snout i bet he eats that ,i find they can't resist it but don't feed liver too often and don't leave uneaten bits in the tank too long and don't worry they can go without food for ages.....ian

 

[Nikki Fereday]

Thanks Ian. I was aware of the problems with gravel so I used small pebbles as a substrate.
I will try him with liver - even though I am a vegetarian! - and see what happens. I assume that they must have a good sense of smell to recognise different foods without even tasting them?! Should axolotls be fed every day (as mine has been) or less frequently? I realise that they are different creatures, but my terrapin often happily went for periods without eating at all.
Thanks for your help.