Leaving axolotls over Christmas

[Raj]

Hey there!!
Im Raj and Ive just joined this forum.
I have 4 awesome axies which I had for just under a year now.

My question is regarding leaving axolotls for an extended period of time. My parents have just surprised me with a holiday over xmas which is lovely, however, it does mean that I wont be around to feed my little guys. Ive asked a friend to cme in and feed them while Im gone but he can only do it so many times. I was wondering if there is some sort of live food I can leave in their tank and they can eat over a longer period, I have never fed mine guppies before but Im considering getting some of these (was thinking about cherry shrimp too but not sure how long they would last).

If someone would be able to get back to me with some advise as soon as possible I would be very greatful!

Thanks,
Raj

 

[Bellabelloo]

You can leave them unfed, and it is far safer than getting someone in to feed them. Make sure in the lead up to your break that they are a good body weight and they'll be fine.

 

[Olivia97]

How long can they go without food? I have to go away for 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[AxieMama]

Yes, I'm curious also...if for 3 - 4 weeks would they be better off in the fridge?

 

[Thintros]

yeah, I'm also interested to know how long without regular food starts to get dangerous, because I think one of mine might have been starved for a while

 

[Mark]

Caudates are very hardy and will survive a long time without food. How long depends on the health of the animal and the environment it's kept in. A healthy axolotl is more likely to die from poor water quality than starvation during 4 weeks. If the tank is large, well established and not overstocked the risk of poor water is lessened.

What size tank do you keep them in, how long has the tank been established and what is your usual water maintenance schedule?

In an ideal world you'd find someone to pop in halfway through your holiday who could do a water change and feed them a juicy worm each, although the water change would be more important than the worm.