Just got an Axolotl, "new parent" worries(feeding questions)

[ArdyBay]

So I just got Albus yesterday and he's my first Axolotl. He's doing pretty well. He hid in his cave all night and was scampering about on the bottom this morning. I have a few questions though.
We had a difficult time with eating, earlier today. The place I got him from had him on brine shrimp. I got him some bloodworms and some brine shrimpies. He'll only eat when I hand feed him though. It's like he can't see the food even though he's standing right on top of it. Is there any way that he'll figure out how to find food? Maybe when he's more settled in?
This leads me to another question, how long does it usually take an axolotl to settle into a new tank? The place I got him from had him in a 1 gallon tank.
I'm just concerned because I want him to be a happy axolotl. Any help is appreciated!

I forgot to mention that he's 3 inches long. How often should I be feeding him and how much?

 

[lea]

Congrats on buying your first axie, Im sure he is the first of many to come.....they are addictive.
It can take a little while for them to settle into their new tank. I would still be feeding everyday with bloodworms and cut up earthworms(brineshrimp are probably to small for him now). They love them. Im not very good with gallons but that sounds very small. You will need to upgrade your tank as he grows.
Does he have a hide to hide in?
Is the tank cycled?
Is he on gravel?

 

[fishcakey]

You're in the same situation as me! If a drop a lot of food on my baby he'll eat a little, but most of it has to be hand fed. He's also floating a little bit (don't worry people he's not on gravel) but if I put his little dropper near him he'll just go right back down to the bottom of the tank so I'm not too worried about that. I guess it's just a baby axie thing. Try getting some little newt and salamander pellets, my baby seems to like them and eats them on his own mostly (and he eats bloodworms too)

 

[ArdyBay]

I definitely plan on getting a bigger tank, no worries there. He' not on gravel. I have him on sand.
I put a pile of brine shrimp by him and he ate those all by himself. I'll work on getting worms. I did cycle the tank before I got him, yes. And he has a cave, he loves his cave lol.
Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[fishcakey]

Today, I just got back from a 2 day trip, and he had only eaten just a few pellets, and he attacked the pile of blood worms, it was so cute!

 

[Gx3]

I have noticed that small axolotls (2-4") do not notice food unless it is moving. I would NOT leave food sitting in the tank, this will cause excess toxins to build up and make the water murky. I would hand feed him once or twice a day until he gets a little bigger, then he will likely develop a stronger feeding response. From my experience small axolotls love the frozen/thawed brine shimp but they are quite messy. I feed my axolotls using a turkey baster which I grab suction on the frozen "shrimp/blood worm cube" and float it in front of them. They will just nibbble shrimp off as it thaws. Make sure not to swing it around though otherwise your tank will be littered with shrimp! After feeding I use the turkey baster to suck up the uneaten food left in the tank. I hope that helps!

 

[HappySkittles]

Do you feed him in the tank? Since you have such a little tank, you may want to feed him in a different container. You may try to clean some up as best as you can but a lot of the "juice" from the food was still dissolved in your tank, making the water not as clean as you think.

 

[alamao]

You can also feed them mealworms, snails without the shell and slugs and maggots too

 

[HappySkittles]

You can also feed them mealworms, snails without the shell and slugs and maggots too

Meal worms are hard to digest for axies
Snails...well if you wanna pick them out the shell ok haha
Slugs and maggots...I would avoid those...no ideas what they may be carrying