Axolotls are strange looking amphibians and not many people know what they eat. They look like something caught between a fish and a lizard with their tail and four legs. Even stranger, they spend their whole lives in water! What would you feed this strange creature?
Axolotls are carnivores and need a steady diet thatâs high in protein and low fat. You can easily find axolotl food in pet stores and online. They can eat live food, frozen food, and commercial food that has been specially made for them.
Baby and adult axolotls eat different food depending on their age. You can order brine shrimp, bloodworms, blackworms, daphnia, and earthworms. You can also get small pellets that sink.
Find out what your axolotl should eat based on its age and what it should never be given by reading on.
As an axolotl owner, determining the right diet for your aquatic salamander can be challenging. A common question many owners have is whether axolotls can eat regular fish food that you would feed other fish. In this detailed guide, I will cover everything you need to know about feeding fish food to axolotls, including the pros and cons, what types of fish food are safe, and how to supplement their diet properly.
Axolotls are carnivorous amphibians that originate from Mexico. In the wild, they eat a variety of live prey including worms, small crustaceans, larval insects, and small fish. As pets, they have similar dietary requirements and need a protein-rich, meat-based diet to thrive.
Axolotls are unique because they do not undergo full metamorphosis like other amphibians. This means they retain their juvenile, aquatic form throughout their lives. Their digestive system is optimized for meat and does not tolerate plant matter well.
While axolotls are carnivores, they have different needs than carnivorous fish Axolotls require whole prey items with bones, organs, and tissues to get a complete nutritional profile. Fish foods like flakes, pellets, and wafers are heavily processed and lack many essential nutrients.
Can Axolotls Eat Fish Food?
The short answer is yes axolotls can eat certain types of fish food but fish food should never make up the entirety of their diet. Here are some general guidelines on feeding fish foods to axolotls
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Meat-based pellets or flakes: Axolotls can eat high-quality pellets or flakes made for carnivorous fish like betta fish or Oscar fish. Avoid any plant-based flakes designed for herbivorous fish.
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Freeze-dried foods: Freeze-dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, and krill made for fish can be fed to axolotls. Soak these foods in tank water before feeding to rehydrate them.
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Live/frozen foods: Live blackworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia are excellent axolotl foods that many fish enjoy too. Frozen Bloodworms, krill and brine shrimp are other good options.
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Supplement with whole prey: While the above foods are OK for occasional feeding, axolotls need whole prey like earthworms, red wigglers, or nightcrawlers to meet their nutritional requirements.
The key is to use high-quality fish foods and always supplement with additional whole prey items. Never use exclusively fish food as the sole diet.
The Pros of Feeding Fish Food to Axolotls
There are some benefits to incorporating certain fish foods into your axolotl’s diet:
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Convenience: Fish food is easy to find and requires minimal preparation compared to culturing live foods. Keeping a few high-quality fish foods on hand for a quick meal is convenient.
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Palatability: Many axolotls love the taste of meaty fish foods like bloodworms. These foods can stimulate their appetite.
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Variety: Rotating different fish foods adds more variety to the diet. Variety ensures axolotls get a diverse mix of nutrients.
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Shared tank use: If housing axolotls with fish, it is easy to feed both species the same fish foods. This saves time and money.
Using a couple different fish foods in rotation with other prey helps keep axolotls interested at mealtimes. The convenience of fish food makes it a useful addition, but it cannot replace whole prey.
The Cons of Feeding Only Fish Food
Relying entirely on fish foods has some downsides:
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Nutrient deficiencies: Fish foods lack many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients compared to whole, natural prey. Exclusive fish food feeding leads to deficiencies over time.
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Digestive issues: The high starch content in many fish foods can cause digestive upset in some axolotls. This may lead to loose stool, constipation, or lack of appetite.
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Picky eating: Axolotls fed only fish food may start refusing other foods like earthworms which provide more complete nutrition.
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Boredom: Eating the same processed foods daily lacks stimulation and enrichment for axolotls compared to hunting live foods.
To avoid these issues, fish food should supplement an axolotl’s diet rather than replace whole prey items. Monitor growth and adjust their diet as needed.
Best Practices for Feeding Fish Food
If you do choose to feed your axolotl fish food, follow these tips:
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Select a high-quality pellet, flake, or freeze-dried food designed for carnivorous fish. Avoid plant-based foods.
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Check that food pieces are small enough to swallow easily. Axolotls may need mini or medium sized pellets.
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Soak dry foods in tank water before feeding to increase palatability and prevent bloating.
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Feed only the amount your axolotl will consume in 5-10 minutes 1-2 times per day. Remove uneaten food.
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Supplement with whole prey like earthworms, bloodworms, or red wigglers at least 2-3 times per week.
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Monitor weight, appetite, and stool quality. Adjust diet as needed. Consult a vet if health issues arise.
Following these tips will help ensure fish food is used properly as part of a balanced and nutritious diet.
Whole Prey Items to Include
To keep your axolotl healthy, make sure to include these essential whole prey items regularly:
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Earthworms: The staple food for adult axolotls. Chop large worms into small pieces to prevent choking.
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Red wigglers: Smaller worms good for juvenile and adult axolotls. Easy to find from bait shops or breed yourself.
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Nightcrawlers: Another larger worm species that can be cut into pieces before feeding out.
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Bloodworms: Nutritious live or frozen worms. A favorite food of many axolotls.
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Brine shrimp: Small live or frozen shrimp provide enrichment. Help juvenile axolotls develop hunting skills.
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Daphnia: Also called water fleas. These tiny freshwater crustaceans offer a tasty, protein-packed snack.
Feeder insects like crickets, mealworms, or waxworms are other good whole prey options. Varying protein sources helps prevent any nutrient deficiencies when supplementing with fish food.
How Often to Feed Axolotls
Axolotls should be fed 1-2 times per day. Here are general feeding frequency guidelines based on age:
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Under 6 months: Feed 2-3 times daily. Offer 3-5 prey items per feeding.
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6-12 months: Feed 2 times daily. Offer 4-6 prey items per feeding.
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12+ months: Feed once daily. Offer 4-7 prey items per feeding.
As long as their body shape appears rounded from above and not thin, 1-2 daily feedings are sufficient for adults. Monitor weight and adjust as needed. Remove any uneaten food within an hour.
Signs Your Axolotl Needs More Whole Prey
If an axolotl relies too heavily on fish foods, you may notice:
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Weight loss or thinning of the body
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Lethargy and lack of appetite
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Constipation or elongated stool
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Increased shedding or dull skin/gills
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Failure to grow or mature properly
These are signs to increase whole prey feedings. Every axolotl has unique nutritional needs. Pay attention to your pet’s condition and adjust their diet accordingly for optimal health.
While fish food can be used to supplement an axolotl’s diet, it should never completely replace a variety of whole prey items. Feeder insects, worms, shrimp, and other meat-based foods are vital to provide complete nutrition. By following the feeding best practices outlined here and monitoring your pet’s health, fish foods can be used successfully as part of a balanced axolotl diet. Pay attention to your pet’s unique needs, and adjust feedings as necessary to support their growth and health.
How Do I Feed My Axolotl?
Axolotl owners need to have a feeding kit with long-handled tweezers and a feeding pipette, which looks like a small turkey baster.
When you feed your axolotl live worms, grab them with tweezers and move them around in front of it to get its attention. To feed your axolotl daphnia, Moina, or frozen (but not frozen) bloodworms, take some water from the tank and put it in the feeding pipette. Then, add the food and gently squirt it out in front of its face.
If you give your axolotl food that was frozen, make sure it’s completely defrosted in water from the tank first. Feeding partially frozen food to your axolotl can cause their internal temperature to drop drastically.
Food you choose should sink to the bottom of the tank and not float. Pellets should sink the most. Axolotlâs do not like coming up to the surface to feed as fish do. They prefer staying on the floor of the tank where they feel safe. Food that floats will rarely be eaten.
One interesting fact about axolotls is that they are neotenic, like the olm blind cave salamander. This means that they reach sexual maturity without going through a final metamorphosis like other amphibians do. As adults, they still have gills, webbed toes, and tails because of this. They also never leave the water!
FAQs About Axolotl Food
Itâs not necessarily about âhow many should I feedâ but rather, âhow long should I feed?â
Axolotls need to be observed while they eat. Because of where they live, any food that isn’t eaten can cause chemical imbalances in the water and a toxic environment that can make them sick or even kill them.
When you feed your axolotl, start a five-minute timer. Allow them to eat as much as they want for five minutes, then take out everything that is still in the tank right away. This ensures their tummies are full, they canât overeat, and their tank stays free from rotting food.
What Do Axolotls Eat ?
What do axolotls eat?
Axolotls are purely carnivorous animals as well, so they won’t like any plant-based foods or flakes. They will eat meat-based fish pellets or just about anything you feed to your carnivorous fish – live foods, frozen foods, or pellets. There are some things that you should avoid, though, and we’ll go more into detail in this article.
Are carrots recommended for a low oxalate diet?
The carrot has a medium oxalate content, its consumption is not recommended in low-oxalate diets. Depending on each case, the nutritionist or dietician can consider carrots in the food plan.
Do axolotls eat frozen food?
Your axolotls will love the frozen alternative as much as the fresh option. Frozen food might have less nutrition than fresh, but it still offers a good amount of protein and fatty acids. Salamanders consume small fish and shrimp in the wild. Thus, your pet will be instinctively attracted to these foods.
Can axolotls eat goldfish?
For example, goldfish can carry several parasites that can threaten the life of an axolotl. The best way to feed them live fish is to breed the fish at home. If you can afford to, you should get a separate tank where you will breed the smaller fish. What Fish Can Axolotls Eat? Axolotls should only be fed the fish that will feed in their mouths.