Question: Soft salmon pellets

[Kashka]

Hi,

Can anyone please tell me where I can purchase these pellets, which sound as though they are a good addition to the axi's diet. I feed mine on beef heart strips, prawns and amphibian pellets from Pollywog, however the pellets seem too hard for them and they don't receive them readily. Also, would like to try them on blood worm and brine shrimp. Should these frozen cubes be defrosted and administered to the axi's pinch by pinch. Can anyone please help me.

Many many thanks.

 

[melfly]

Hello
How big are your axolotls?

The best food by far is earthworm.

They will learn to eat the harder pellets, mine take them absolutely fine when I have no worms.

I have no idea where they sell soft ones i'm afraid.

Frozen food is to be defrosted first and then i use a turkey baster or pipette to feed them to my axies.

Mel

 

[morphyrichards]

Got to agree with Mel! Worms are best nutritionally and they are incredibly easy to get anywhere in the UK. I live in central London and have only a smallish square of concrete with no bare earth and I still manage to find plenty of worms under pots etc.

I've looked around for salmon pellets myself and the closest thing I can find are soft pellets for carnivorous tropical fish. But they are nowhere near as good as a nice worm!

 

[Kashka]

Hi,

Thanks to you both for your prompt replies and guidance. Both my axi's are about nine years old now and so fully grown, but a little overweight. I have just ordered some medium sized worms to try again with them. The last attempt was not successful as they were interested, the took the worms on the first feed, but flatly refused for the second feed, but I will persevere !! I am a little anxious about the shelf life of purchased worms, but Exotic pets have advised feeding the worms on unsalted mashed potatoe, so hopefully they should survive.

I know what you are thinking, why buy worms when you have a garden ! I totally agree, but I am a total Wusssssss when it comes to having to cut up the worms as they seem to be so big from the garden. The last worm I retrieved, bled and wiggled terribly when I cut it and I couldn't forgive myself for any suffering I may have caused the critter, even though they say they don't feel pain, believe me they do !

How many axolotl's do you have and how old are they - Have you given them names ?

What do you feed your axi's on and if on occasion you use frozen cubes, what do you recommend as I have been told daphnia are more nutritionally balanced. How an earth would you give Daphnia, they are miniscule !!

Cheers :blob:

 

[OpalRaven7]

Hi,
I got my salmon pellets from someone who breeds the axolotls here in the states so I can not help you about where to find them near where you live. You can refridgerate worms to make them last longer. I keep mine in a dark bin with damp dirt on the bottom and a bunch of old ripped up news paper on top for them to eat but you might have a differant type of worm then I do, I get nightcrawlers. I would definetaly defrost the frozen cubes, then you could probably try tweezers to feed the axolotls the food, or if you have a clean jar, that is big enough for the axolotlos to get into, you cud put the defrosted food in the jar, and slowly sink in in the tank so that the food doesnt float out, and just lay it on its side on the bottom of the tank. The axies will learn to go in there and eat and it makes it easy for you to clean up uneaten food by just lifting the jar out.

I havent named mine yet because I want to know if they are boy or girl first and my 2 are only about 4 1/2 inches long

Good Luck!!

 

[lisordactyl]

If you have a local fishing tackle shop, they may have them in there. Our local one (which is also a pet shop) has tonnes of different pellets and they have soft sinking salmon pellets in there - they also have about 5 different types of worm!

I don't feed mine salmon pellets though. The bulk of his diet is earthworm (at the moment I use the ones I've bought from the tackle shop, but hope to start my own wormery soon!), but once or twice a week I give him axolotl pellets (bought from:Axolotl Pellets - Sinking food pellets for Axolotls) and sometimes defrosted, frozen bloodworm.

A concern of mine regarding salmon pellets is the shelf life. They come in pretty big bags, and I've read on here that you're suppose to get rid of them after 6 months (I could be wrong). As I essentially use pellets as a treat, I don't think I'd get through a bag in 6 months, so it'd be a bit of a waste. That's the good thing about the pellets from exotic-pets; you can get them in smaller bags!

 

[melfly]

I kept some worms from a bait shop in the fridge and they lasted ages. In fact they lasted until they were all eaten!

I have 3 adults, Finley, Florence and Freddie.
They eat mainly earthworms and pellets.

I feed my Juveniles frozen bloodworm but it would be far too messy to feed it to my adults.

Adults wouldn't bother with daphnia, babies and juveniles eat daphnia, they'd be far too small for adults.

Mel

 

[albert]

I use eartworms from the garden and have never had to cut them up. Both my axies will take the largest eartworms I can find (up to and over six inches long).. if you dangle them in - then once the axy goes for it and gets it in his/her mouth they will wrestle with it until the job is complete. Both of mine seem to enjoy this - and saves me from cutting the worms up - I guess everyone axys my not do this but it works for me and certainly worth a try.

 

[Ezreal]

even though they say they don't feel pain, believe me they do !

Indeed they do. Earthworms, phylum annelida, have a highly sensitive nervous system consisting of a ventral nerve cord that extends all the way from its head to its rear. (on the ventral side) So yes, when you cut an earthworm, it will feel every single bit of the pain. whoever stated that they don't feel any pain from being cut in half is dreadfully wrong and needs to do their readings.