Hestia the hungry hungry hippo

[SweeTeaGurl]

Hi. I was curious when I should be cutting back on feeding my axolotl. My buddy who has been walking me through my axie experience told me Hestia is for sure past the baby/juvenile stage where you feed them really well and frequently.
Hestia is now 8.5-9 inches long. And I feed her about a 1/2 a tablespoon (this is a guestimate since I use a turkey baster to dish out the worms) in the morning and another 1/2 at night. I feed her every day. I was told to cut down, gradually, to feeding her an earthworm or two (depending on the size) every three days and eventually down to once a week.
Shes solid but not overweight (at least that's what I think based off of other pictures I've seen), and incredibly active. Atm, she's hunting the stick on thermometer on the outside of the tank lol. I feel bad because she's always so hungry though, and I've only just started a day ago. I just thought I'd make sure I'm doing this right.

 

[Skudo09]

She looks like a healthy weight to me. I am a little confused by your post. Are you feeding her bloodworm or earthworms? If bloodworms, it would be best to switch to earthworms as these are far more nutritious than bloodworm and more suitable as a staple diet. You want to aim for their belly to be the same width as their head. So if their belly is smaller in width than their head, increase the feeds. If her belly becomes wider than her head, cut back on the feeding. For an adult axolotl, I would generally feed once every three days but I would still use their belly width to help determine whether they are receiving a good amount of food and are a healthy weight

 

[SweeTeaGurl]

Thank you for your response ( ^ u ^ ) I just started with earthworms, before it was live ghost shrimp and live blackworms.
She's grown at least 6 inches in 4 months so I know I've been on the right track. I just wanted to make sure if she's still growing I don't want to stunt that by feeding her like an adult who's already past the vast growth stage.
Plus feeding her is entertaining for me lol. So if feeding her less, but more frequently is an option vs more, but spread out, I'd be interested in finding out if that is something I could do. But only if it would be healthy for her.

 

[Skudo09]

No worries You are definitely on the right track. I personally think smaller meals more often is better than feeding larger meals less often. I think it is easier for digestion and I certainly don't see any reason not to feed smaller meals more often . If she is still growing, I would continue to feed her every day. When she is fully grown, you may be able to cut back on feeding but you can use the belly width as a guide . And yes! I love feeding my axolotls! It is very entertaining to watch them move around and follow my hand and snap and basically inhale their food

 

[SweeTeaGurl]

Great. Thanks so much again,
I really appreciate your help