Photo: Would this setup be okay for a single axolotl?

[flan123]

Rinsing the worms wouldn't really help too much. I rinse mine to remove the mud and dirt from the outside of the worm. Then, soak them in a tub with tank water in. Leave them about ten mins and the water will go cloudy - this is removing the 'gunk' from inside the worm also!

 

[big a little a]

To be honest, it could be that your axie does not like red worms - they release quite a nasty substance that can be off putting to a lot of axies - if you have a look at the description of red wigglers on this page, you will see what I mean -

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml

My axie loves earthworms (nightcrawlers), but I fed a red wiggler once by mistake and he refused to eat any kind of worms for a few weeks after because he was that put off.

If you are getting worms from your garden, you should be able to find nightcrawlers as well (the white-yellowy kind of earthworm) - perhaps you could try him on these?

Edit: Having just watched your video, it could be worth trying him on a smaller worm or, if you are using that size, chopping the worm in half, as this will make it easier for him to swallow. I would still try using a nightcrawler as opposed to a red wiggler though. I normally select a worm and pop it in a sieve - I then rinse under the tap until all soil is off - I then pop the worm in a cup of tank water - then the worm becomes dinner .

Zoe x