Question: How much should I feed my Axolotls?

[kroezen]

Hello :3
I just got my first Axolotls yesterday and have only fed them twice so far, but I'm worried I'm not giving them enough... They're currently about 2 inches long at the moment, though one is a bit smaller than the other.
I'm using Hikari Bio-pure Blood Worms and so far I've only given them about 1/4 of the 1/12 cm long cube. Is that enough? I've been feeding them with a pair of tweezers because they seem to have a hard time finding them in the tubs they're in (the tubs are about a foot long) and it creates less of a mess in the water.
So yeah, how much of the cube should I feed them? I don't want them to go hungry!!!



And also, I noticed that one of them has lost one of its front feet though she appears to be fine. Does anyone know how long it should take to grow back?

 

[jmsstoner]

What I do when they're about that size is thaw out about 1/8 to 1/4 of the bloodworm cube in a bowl of clean water. Then I suck up the thawed bloodworms with a turkey baster and gently squeeze them in to a food dish that is kept in their tank. Sushi bowls work great and can be found at the dollar store. I've found this is a fairly effective way to keep bloodworms from getting everywhere and fouling the water.

Check on them in a couple hours. If the food is all gone, put a little more in there. If there is some left over, suck it out with the turkey baster and put some fresh stuff in. After a while you'll be able to determine how much to feed them.

Growing juveniles pretty much just eat, poop, and grow. So I tend to just let them eat whenever they're hungry, and clean out the excess food and poop frequently.

Was the one with the missing foot like that when you got it? Or did it happen afterwards? It should grow back within a few weeks, but if you are keeping both axies in the same tank, you need to separate them.

 

[kroezen]

Thanks for your help, it's very appreciated! She had a foot missing when I got her, but it hasn't caused any problems so far. I've got them separated in their own plastic tubs because I'd heard about their pesky canibalistic stage.
I'll make sure to try the feeding bowl and hopefully I'll get better, and less time consuming results (although it's cute to feed them by hand).
Thank you again!

 

[jmsstoner]

Pet stores generally do not care for or house axolotls properly. I'm sure you can find plenty of horror stories on this site. At least they're separated now.

You can still hand feed them too if you enjoy doing so. I like to hand feed mine. But you don't need to worry about them not eating if they're not hand fed. If they are hungry, they will find the food.

 

[kroezen]

I actually got both of them from a caudata member, I guess they weren't separated quite quick enough. I don't blame her though, it was the first set of eggs she'd raised so a little nipping was bound to happen.

Anyway, I just fed them again a few minutes ago and left a little food in their tubs for them to snack on over night.

I'm very, very greatful for your help with this as these are the very first axolotls, or even nexts/salamanders I've ever owned.