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Why earthworms?

Cap10Squirty

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I have green banana roaches, dubia, and madagascar roaches...how do axololts handle the hard exoskeleton/wings/legs on some of the larger roaches?
 

bugdozer

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Yay, my pair just ate their first earthworm each - gulped them down whole, live and wriggling!
 

VinnyMacC

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Hi, new to caudatas:ufo: but I have been feeding "earth worms" to my fish for years *mainly angelfish*. The big selling point is the nutrition factor , out of all the "worms" available for feed in the aquatic hobby the earthworm seems to be the most nutrient packed with the proper amount of fat vs protein vs water content . there are tons of other advantages with earthworms to as others mentioned ...collection is easier.we can feed one or two earth worms instead of a slew of bloodworms. there is defiantly less mess. id have to side with many of the users on here a varied diet is key! after all axolotls are not specialists ....:D
 

VinnyMacC

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forgot to add: also there are different types of " earthworms" all of wich im sure have a different nutrition factor....ie redwigglers VS nightcrawlers..:rolleyes:
 

Jelle

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Hey,

My axolotl (just over 1 year old) suddenly won't eat any earthworms. He spits them out after ten seconds and won't try to eat them again. It has been the backbone of its food for over half a year and I don't really know what to use now. I have been feeding him parts of frozen fish fillet in the meantime which he eats normally, but I don't think that's very nutricious. He's a little too large to eat bloodworms, that is, he 'puts it in his hollow tooth' (don't know if that's a normal English proverb but in Dutch it means as much as eating a very small meal that doesn't really fill the stomach). Any suggestions?
 

auntiejude

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forgot to add: also there are different types of " earthworms" all of wich im sure have a different nutrition factor....ie redwigglers VS nightcrawlers..:rolleyes:
Most worms are more or less the same, so it doesn't really make any difference.
Hey,

My axolotl (just over 1 year old) suddenly won't eat any earthworms. He spits them out after ten seconds and won't try to eat them again.
Try blanching the worms. But it's more likely that something else is making him lose his appetite - temperature, water quality issues, a female reabsorbing unfertilised eggs, constipation.
 

Jelle

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Try blanching the worms. But it's more likely that something else is making him lose his appetite - temperature, water quality issues, a female reabsorbing unfertilised eggs, constipation.

Well he does eat normally, he just doesn't like the worms. However, he ate one again yesterday because I picked a smaller one. I think he just doesn't like eating large moving live worms anymore (and I fully understand that :rolleyes:)
 

Grandmaah

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Well he does eat normally, he just doesn't like the worms. However, he ate one again yesterday because I picked a smaller one. I think he just doesn't like eating large moving live worms anymore (and I fully understand that :rolleyes:)


It's the same with both my axies, they ate earthworms when they where younger but not anymore, not even small ones, just spit them out :p but they've got a great apetite with everything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

LSuzuki

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Maybe they can give them parasites/infections, but if so, it is probably pretty rare, since so many people feed their axolotls worms with no problem whatsoever.

Having said that, not long ago, my 4 almost adult axolotls (all in the same tank) stopped eating, and 2 developed systemic bacterial infections. The vet diagnosed (based on a stool sample) a cilia (a kind of protozoan) infection. He said he has seen these obtained from worms. I hadn't been feeding my axolotls anything live except an occasional worm, so that was probably the source. I had recently bought worms from a new source and also dug some worms from a different garden. (After a course of medication, they are all fine.)

Despite this bad (and expensive) experience, I am feeding them worms again, but I won't get them from my gardens or from that new source I'd just tried.
 

emmaie892000

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What about feeding axolotls what they would eat in the wild.
Well, I saw a list someone posted, and some other people's opinions on some live animals, so I'll comment on this.
A lot of it is live animals, like tadpoles and small fish. Firstly, if you wanted the exact animals out of an axie's natural habitat, you'd have to ship from Mexico most likely.
Basically, the problems I've seen about live fish and other aquatic animals is disease and parasites. You'd likely be getting them from a pet store, which is a red flag for health problems that could then be passed on to your axolotl.
Feeding a varied diet with safe foods is about as close to their natural diet as most people get.
Frozen bloodworms, axie pellets, earthworms, etc.
 

emmaie892000

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Now here's a question of my own.
I'm planning on getting an axolotl very soon, as soon as I get my tank set up.
I'm using this time to do all the research that I'll need to take great care of one.
For diet, I'm thinking earthworms (carefully gathered or bought from a local fruit stand thing that I trust), frozen bloodworm cubes (from petsmart a couple towns over), and axolotl pellets (probably shipped considering I've never seen an axie for sale here).
This seems like the easiest diet for me to handle, considering I'm not an experienced hobbyist, I don't want to set up my own food colonies (also I don't think my family would be on board with that lol!), and I don't have a whole lot of time for raising food.
Does this sound like a decent choice? I don't want to hurt my lotl in any way.
Thanks in advance :D

EDIT: Last question. I have a TON of sinking shrimp pellets that I use to feed my single African Dwarf Frog (tropical tank).
Could I feed these to an axolotl safely?
This is the exact food: http://www.petco.com/product/2844/Wardley-Shrimp-Pellets-Sinking-Tropical-Food.aspx
Here is the nutritional info I found, it seems to be low in fat?
Crude protein (min.) 38%, crude fat (min.) 2%, crude fiber (max.) 8%, moisture (max) 12%.
And here are the ingredients.
Shrimp meal, wheat flour, soy protein concentrate, hydrolyzed fish protein, corn gluten meal, brewers dried yeast, dried beet pulp, wheat germ meal, plankton, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C).

If I'm horribly wrong don't laugh at me haha. Just exploring the options.
 

Skudo09

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Now here's a question of my own.
I'm planning on getting an axolotl very soon, as soon as I get my tank set up.
I'm using this time to do all the research that I'll need to take great care of one.
For diet, I'm thinking earthworms (carefully gathered or bought from a local fruit stand thing that I trust), frozen bloodworm cubes (from petsmart a couple towns over), and axolotl pellets (probably shipped considering I've never seen an axie for sale here).
This seems like the easiest diet for me to handle, considering I'm not an experienced hobbyist, I don't want to set up my own food colonies (also I don't think my family would be on board with that lol!), and I don't have a whole lot of time for raising food.
Does this sound like a decent choice? I don't want to hurt my lotl in any way.
Thanks in advance :D

EDIT: Last question. I have a TON of sinking shrimp pellets that I use to feed my single African Dwarf Frog (tropical tank).
Could I feed these to an axolotl safely?
This is the exact food: Wardley Shrimp Pellets Sinking Tropical Food at PETCO
Here is the nutritional info I found, it seems to be low in fat?
Crude protein (min.) 38%, crude fat (min.) 2%, crude fiber (max.) 8%, moisture (max) 12%.
And here are the ingredients.
Shrimp meal, wheat flour, soy protein concentrate, hydrolyzed fish protein, corn gluten meal, brewers dried yeast, dried beet pulp, wheat germ meal, plankton, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C).

If I'm horribly wrong don't laugh at me haha. Just exploring the options.

Earthworms, bloodworm and pellets are a good plan. I would mainly stick to earthworms and good quality axolotl/newt pellets and feed bloodworm as a treat as the earthworms and pellets are more nutritious and more appropriate as a staple diet. Variety is not totally necessary but I can understand wanting to offer some variety to their diet.

I would probably not include the sinking shrimp pellets as a staple food but I don't see issue with them as an occasional treat.
 

Isabella

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When buying any kind of axolotl food it is important to ask yourself the two following questions:

1. Is it high in protein, meaning does the item contain 40% protein or more? (If yes, then this is good!)

2. Is it low in fat, meaning does the item contain 5% fat or less? (If yes, this is also good!)


Earthworms are high in protein and low in fat, making them a good source of nutrition in your axolotl's diet. They also contain vitamins and other minerals which are beneficial to your axie's health. Items like beef heart and chicken breast contain quite a bit of fat and therefore aren't the best choice. (And do you see axolotls in the wild hunting cows and chicken? I think not! Even though that would be a pretty epic sight :p)
 

Fimbriae

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O, good! Have been feeding massivore delite and earthworms alternating for the last year now.
 

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JM29

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Hi!
Why earthworms ?

Many varied interesting answers have already been posted. Most of them speak about nutritional concerns.

A point that I've not red about is :
I'v noticed that, during periods when I feed my axies, ribbed newts and other aquatics with earthworms only, the aquarium keeps clean. When I start giving pellets or pieces of fish flesh (because lack of earthworms), the tank become dirty more quickly (algae, trouble water and so on...).

I suppose earthworms are better assimilated by the caudates but I've no solid data about that.

Has anyone noticed something similar?
 
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