Varying Axolotl diet?

[Zobug]

Hey there! Recently one of my three axolotls has started sticking his nose up to his regular earthworm diet. Before anyone asks, my tank is cycled and all the parameters are perfect-- he just doesn't want to eat earthworms anymore. Which, I suppose is understandable. If I ate one type of food every day I'd be sick of it too. So, my question is: what other sort of foods are suitable for axolotls that I can feed him? I'm trying pellets right now, and I know he can smell them, but he seems stumped with what to do with them. Is there anything else you can you can feed axolotls that is nutritionally complete for them and that they'll enjoy?

 

[LSuzuki]

I won't venture an opinion on other foods, since I stick to pellets and earthworms, but he continues to not have an appetite, it might be a symptom of illness instead of just being a picky eater.

 

[axolodemia]

Generally in lab colonies, adults are fed earthworms and beef heart exclusively. Mine go crazy for blood worms and tiny snails too though. Also, whenever it rains I go around and grab all the worms that I can find, and I swear to you they'll eat like 14 whole 6" worms each and then be full for like 3 days. If you do that just make sure you don't take them from a busy road or anywhere with a pesticide-treated/fertilized lawn.

 

[axolodemia]

But yeah I was trying to say that you should vary their diet just a little. Mine will also turn their noses up at certain things after a while. Earthworms are a complete diet for them, but like you said, if you ate the same thing everyday you'd get bored of it too.

 

[Zobug]

I was worried about the potential illness, but it seems as though he's just being picky? I have European Nightcrawlers and he will immediately spit those out. Say I grab a worm from a flower bed, though, he sucks it right up without a second thought... I'm just not sure why he'd have a preference for one over the other when the European Nightcrawlers are supposed to taste good to axies. So for now I'll just keep alternating between pellets and worms and dig up the worms if I have to. It just worries me that he won't eat the European Nightcrawlers as readily unless I cut them up into tiny pieces.

 

[axolodemia]

some worms secrete foul-tasting chemicals when stressed, which causes the axolotl to spit them right back out. try soaking your store bought worms in a cup of your axolotl's tank water for a few minutes before offering them as food.

but yeah, i've noticed the same thing with worms i find vs worms i buy. could be that the dirt in the container at the store makes those worms not taste as good as the ones from your garden. try bait shop worms, i've heard good things about those.