My Axolotls can’t grip worms

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Ellis

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I have bought my 5 axolotls Medium Cleaned Dendrobaena about 2 weeks ago and I’ve been trying to feed them. I hand feed each of my axolotls with tweezers and my 4 oldest ones (almost a year old) can’t seem to grip onto the worms. Although not for lack of trying, they do not seem to be able to keep the worms in their mouths. All the worms a cut up into small chunks and hand feed. However my smallest axolotl who is about 3 or 4 inches long seems to be able to eat the worms, though sometimes in the morning I wake to find she has regurgitated some. I’m very worried about my axolotls, I don’t want to return them fully to their previous temporary diet of waxworms (LFS didn’t sell earthworms and needed something to feed them) because of the lack of nutrients and high fat content. They refuse pellets.
If anyone has any information as to why they don’t seem to grip and any alternative nutritious food sources PLEASE do not hesitate to reply to this. I am very worried.
Many thanks,
Ellis x
 
Hi,

I would suggest cutting the worms in larger pieces. I also noticed that my axolotls had trouble swallowing short pieces of worm at first. They had no trouble when I gave them longer pieces (at least 1" long). Axolotls seem to eat by suction, and once they get a piece of food into their mouth, they require a second gulp of water to swallow. When they make this gulp, pieces of food naturally move outwards a little and if the piece is too small, the axie will loose it entirely. So I advise using longer segments of worm. Good luck!
 
thank you :)!
I shall try it tomorrow and come back to you :) x
 
If that doesn't work, killing the worms in boiling water first might make it easier for them, because they don't have to worry about it wriggling away
 
will try that too tomorrow :) thank you!
 
I don't suggest boiling your worms. That will be detrimental to their nutritional value.

Larger pieces should do the trick. My adults get whole earthworms and don't have any trouble with them.
 
Olivia97 said:
If that doesn't work, killing the worms in boiling water first might make it easier for them, because they don't have to worry about it wriggling away
Click to expand...

I don't think cooking the worms is a good idea - boiling temperatures denature protein & change the way it is digested... Cooked meats are the worst thing to put into any carnivore (including humans ;) a rare steak is processed much easier than a well cooked steak)
I wouldn't recommend putting worms into boiling water as they would cook instantly & then you're entering the unknown for their digestive systems, after all axies in the wild would never cook their dinner ;)



<3 >o_o< <3
 
Trust me they don't die. Have you ever tried killing a worm? It's not an easy task, I have considered nuclear bombs although at the risk of killing everyone and everything... I don't advise it. On a separate note, I have fed my axolotls "cooked" worms when on the odd occasion they did die, my axies were fine but I guess it's a matter of personal preference :)
 
Olivia97 said:
Trust me they don't die. Have you ever tried killing a worm? It's not an easy task, I have considered nuclear bombs although at the risk of killing everyone and everything... I don't advise it. On a separate note, I have fed my axolotls "cooked" worms when on the odd occasion they did die, my axies were fine but I guess it's a matter of personal preference :)
Click to expand...

0.0 I can't torture worms like that!!!

Sorry Olivia, but that is bordering on animal cruelty... I don't see a need to place a live animal in boiling water!!!
I even put my lobsters to "sleep" before I boil them up! Surely there's another way to achieve what you want without torturing live animals... & yes even a worm is a living creature, using it as a feeder animal & having it eaten live is part of the chain of life - but I personally couldn't (& do not see a need for at all) place them in boiling water o_O



<3 >o_o< <3
 
Freezing worms turns them into mush :sick:

I offer my axolotl worms that are approx 2'' in length..if too big cut to size. They will however accept bigger worms, but then it becomes a tug of war if one of the others decides they want it, there is a risk of trimmed gills when this happens too.
 
There's no need to modify the worms at all, other than cutting them to size. This is an unnecessary, nutritionally detrimental step.
 
It was just a suggestion, my axies wouldn't eat them cut or whole so dead was the only option.
 
Hi everyone,
sorry for late replies, been a really busy week and lots of things getting in the way :(.
I have tried feeding my worms longer chunks of worm which didnt work, also boiling didnt work. I at the moment feel as though there is nothing to get them to grip onto the worms which is really sad, they've been fine with other worms with abit of time so in the mean time while im soughting out getting them a diffrent type of worm or maybe from a diffrent place (any suggestions?) im switching back fully to waxworms till everything for the time being.
Thank you very much for all your replies, I hope to hear back soon. also since I still have a lot of worms left I will continue trying to feed them the worms in alternative ways.

Many thanks,
Ellis
 
I'd put them on bloodworm (live or frozen, frozen is slightly easier to come by) until you're able to find some different worms. Wax worms are very fatty and I wouldn't suggest them as any more than a treat or for the purpose of making an axolotl gain vast amounts of weight. Bloodworm is usually readily found in aquatic centers - even pets at home stock it if you have one locally! It's hardly as nutritious as earthworms but a better choice than wax worms as a regular diet. Sorry I can't point you in a further direction towards earthworms, I only have one local supplier myself :(
 
So they were only eating waxworms before? If so, your axolotls are simply spoiled. Stop feeding waxworms and continue feeding earthworms. If they want to go on a hunger strike thats fine. They won't starve. Eventually they will get hungry enough to swallow the worms. I doubt your axolotl cant grip the worms, he likely just doesn't want to eat them.
 
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