Time to reduce feeding??

[Della]

Hi all,

I've had my axie for about 6 months now and am wondering if its time to reduce feeding from daily to 3 times a week. She is 20cm long and a few of her toes have began to go clear (he is a wild type), so I'm guessing she is reaching sexual maturity. She is of healthy weight (her stomach is a roughly the width of ther head)

I currently feed her once a day, either 2 earthworms or 3-5 pellets, or a combination of the 2 (1 worm + 2 pellets). I sometimes give her fish as treat, maybe once every fortnight.

I have noticed that she has been getting increasingly constipated recently (floating, stiff back legs, but no other signs of stress), which has mad me wonder if its time to scale back the feeding regime.

Thoughts??

Cheers

Paul

 

[blueberlin]

Hi Paul,

You can start slowly by skipping a single day each week for a couple of weeks, then skipping two days of the seven, until you are down to three feedings a week. Keep an eye on his weight - personally, I find the forelegs a good indicator of fatness or thinness.

Could the substrate be something that your axolotl is having trouble passing (gravel is the usual suspect)?

Good luck to you,

-Eva

 

[Della]

Thanks Eva,

I'm thinking it may have been gas or stress (or both) as she has seemed to have stopped the floating now. I used to have gravel, really small stuff that was meant to pass straight through, but she managed to get impacted. A short spell in the fridge and a change to sand managed to remidy that, although I still find the odd pebble in the tank now and then!!!!

I have been gradually reducing her feeding over the last week (i.e maybe 1 less pellet or 1 worm), but I think I'll adopt you method from now on, as I thing she's missing the extra food!!

Thanks

Paul

 

[scrappa]

Hi,

I feed my axolotls 1 blood worm cube between them and 1 worm each every day and they have not regurgitated and have no signs of being overfed or stress but mine are only 4inches long each.