Salamander Having Difficulty Eating?

[JessesMom]

Hello, I am new to this page and am seeking some answers regarding my salamander...

I have two tiger salamanders. I do not know their exact age as I bought them 4 years ago and they were already fully formed salamanders (I say this because of the possibility of their age possibly effecting their eating abilities). They live in a moist coconut substrate environment with a small water dish they enjoy basking in as well as a cave for them to hide in. In the past they have never had any difficulty eating but in recent months I've noticed that one of them who's name is Squirtle has extreme difficulty eating.
It is making me feel awful. Suddenly he cannot seem to catch the food I put in front of him. I use tweezers to dangle earth worms in front of them. Its not that he is refusing to eat, its simply that when he goes to lunge after the worms it is a weaker lunge and he rarely catches it. His tank mate Wilbur is eating with no problems and is fed in the same manner that the other one is. I will spend 30+ minutes trying to get him to eat but he simply cannot catch the meal in his mouth. Most attempts result in him catching the tip of the worm but unable to hang on long enough to get it in his mouth fully. I'd like to note that once he catches the worm he has no problem consuming, its just that he can't seem to catch them.
I feel so bad every time he cannot catch the meal, I don't want him to go hungry. It is also frustrating for me to stand over the tank that long with little results. My animals are like my children and therefore I constantly worry about him not getting enough food.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas about what is causing this I would be very appreciative to know. Thank you

 

[Asevernnnn]

When I couldn't get my tiger to eat from tweezers I put out a dish with worms on it and it successfully ate from that after like 5 minutes of sitting on them

 

[RPM]

From time to time some of mine exhibit a similar behavior. They tend to play with their food rather than eat it. It’s probably due to them not being that hungry. Since they are opportunistic eaters and we tend to feed them on a regular schedule ( two to three times a week), I think some individuals hit a saturation point and are no longer hungry. Others are just plain finicky eaters. What works for mine most of the time is place the salamander and a worm in an empty isolation cage ( I use a plastic critter keeper with lid) for an hour or so. They will “play” with the worm for a while, but usually end up eating it and you don’t have to wait around dangling the worm in front of them. Sometimes you have to repeat this a few times over a week or so. I’m actually doing this as I write. I was away in China for a month and one of mine was a little slow accepting food even after fasting for the month. Spraying them down also stimulates their appetite.