Question: Juvie not eaten for 3 days?

[Lottalotl]

Hi, i recently got a 3.5 inch axanthic axolotl. I had him tubbed, whilst i got him a tank, and he was eating fine until i moved him to a 10g grow out tank. Sponge filter, already cycled from my angel growout. After i put him in his new tank, he promptly threw up his worm and has refused to eat ever since. Hes always been barebottom, so no impaction issues. He has pooped plenty too. He has 2 hides, and a few large (bigger than him) rocks. When should i start worrying, and what can i do? He was previously eating a red wiggler (cut up) daily, and bloodworms.

 

[Lottalotl]

Id like some help on this please, its 5 days since he ate anything!

 

[mystiknitelite]

From my experience - I hope this will help your little guy...

#1. Frozen bloodworms are not nutritional enough. If you look at the nutritional chart on the back, each cube has less then 10% protein.

#2. Red Wigglers have a defense mechanism where they secrete a bitter liquid. And a lot of axolotls dont like this... (some do tolerate it)

So, even though your axolotl has been fine before, maybe its an issue now with the bitter fluid...

If you have the ability to acquire European Night Crawlers, i've never had an axolotl have an issue with eating these - they dont have that bitter fluid....

Even if you can't get them, and there is still an issue getting your axolotl to eat worms - try mincing some garlic and rubbing the worm with that garlic. You can cut up the worms and maybe it just needs a smaller portion of worm.

Another option, if you have the ability to obtain live black worms - you can get some...


Most breeders in the states still feed their 3 inch babies black worms.. (i know i am!!!)

 

[Lottalotl]

Thankfully he finally started eating worms again last night, 3 of them in a sitting. I ended up tubbing him, with the tub floating in his tank, using tank water for changes 50tank50fresh. I did get him to eat a small amount of bloodworm the night before. I guess he has forgiven me.. thanks for replying. I did not get notified of reply and had pretty much given up on this site!