Question: Axolotl not eating night crawlers

[Logard]

I've had my axolotl for 6 months now, for the 1st 5 I've fed him blood worms and he seemed to love them. I then decided to see if he'd eat night crawlers yet because I was told they're better for him. Sure enough, he devoured it immediately. I didn't want to over-do it so I only gave him 1 night crawler and 1 blood worm cube per day. This went on for a few days until 1 day he nips at the night crawler and left it. Ever since then he just won't eat the night crawlers. I've prepared them correctly, between soaking them in water for a few minutes then cutting them in half before giving them to him and I'm not forcing it on him, but i test it every few days to see if he'll eat 1 and he just avoids it like they're the worst thing he's ever tasted. Should I keep trying every once in a while? Am i buying bad night crawlers? Or is this normal?

 

[AxolotlChris]

I have the same problem with one of my Axolotls, first two times I fed him Dendrobaena worms he ate them, now, even after blanching them and cutting them in half he will not eat them, he just turns away. I've tried not feeding him for 3-4 days now and the most I get is a snap and then he spits them out.

I have 4" Axolotls that will eat worms cut into small chunks with no problem..

 

[Kilolotlkeeper]

This is pretty normal, both my axolotls love big Canadian night crawlers, but axolotls like humans seem to have a taste preference! Both of them also seem to hate brine shrimp. So in my opinion yes, it's normal


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[jameverywhere]

One blood worm cube a day seems like a lot of food for an axie. My not-quite-year-old Axie only eats two worms every few days and a cube of something (bloodworms or brine shrimp) once a week. Altho' I do have ghost shrimp living in the tank that he helps himself to as he's able to catch them...

My axie wouldn't eat nightcrawlers at first. Live ones would move in a way that he'd snap at them, but he'd always spit them out. I had to blanch them, cut them into pieces, and then freeze them before he ever ate one and kept it down. At first he would ONLY eat blanched and frozen pieces but now he'll eat blanched ones that haven't been frozen. He still won't eat them live.

You might want to try stopping the bloodworms for a spell. Get him hungry enough to eat whatever you offer. Bloodworms are kinda like candy to axies--not super healthy. Feed them as a treat and not as a staple.