Question: Not sure I'm feeding him right?

[pinstripesc]

Heya,

I've been feeding my Tiger Salamander mealworms, which I heard was ok, but it sounds like he needs more than that? I don't have easy access to earthworms/nightcrawlers as far as I've been able to find.

Also wondering if there's a big preference between using live vs preserved food.

Thanks

 

[thunder7]

Hey there,
Like you I had a hard time finding food for my tiger. I was forced to feed him primarily melee worms. He died a couple years ago and I bet that his diet, dusted and supplemented though it was, reduced his lifespan significantly. He seemed to have a difficult time digesting their shells. If I were you I would try very hard to find an alternative food source. Earthworms are available from even Walmart at least in my area so you might try there and I think they are fine for salamanders. You can also order live food online from bulk reptile feeder stores at decent prices.
One problem with preserved food is that it is often freeze dried which removes most of the nutritional value.
Hope this helps

 

[Otterwoman]

NIghtcrawlers are much much better food, easier to get, and easy to keep in the fridge until you use them all .

 

[VentureBro]

If you have a fishing store anywhere nearby then you can get worms from them.

Like another user suggested, Walmart should have fishing bait.

 

[Mark]

My tiger salamanders eat chunks of Repashy "Grub Pie", a powered formula which you mix with water to make a gel. It's a US product but is available in the UK so I imagine you could obtain it in Canada.


It may take a bit of training and patience but at least you'd have access to a highly nutritious food source that doesn't rely on live food.



https://repashy.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=7

 

[pinstripesc]

Thanks! (3 months later...) He actually started brumating right after I asked haha. I'll look into it!