I was feeding my Axolotl Undyne for the first time. Most Axolotls eat meat like different types of shrimp, worms, etc. They can also have raw meat such as beef, but it’s not recommended because of preservatives. Occasionally they eat pellets, but they are not recommended as an only food source because they are missing a lot of nutrients they need. They can also eat cat food, but I would never do that to my Axolotl.
Be Careful Where it Come From…
I was only feeding my Axolotl earthworms at first because I was nervous to introduce anything else. I was even careful about where I got my worms from. You can get them right from your backyard… but if you use or know someone that uses fertilizers and pesticides, I wouldn’t use the ones from outside. Wild worms ingest whatever is in the ground, so if someone puts something in the ground, the worms most likely have it in their systems. This could cause your Axolotl to become very sick. You can get worms from bait shops or pet stores. Either will be fine for your Axolotl.
How Axolotls Eat
Another thing to be aware of: Axolotls are extremely slow physically and mentally. So when feeding your Axolotl you will have to put most of their food right in front of their face or they’ll never find it. They also consume their food by sucking it in whole like a whale. They have teeth, but not for shredding their food. The only purpose of their teeth is to grab and hold the food while they swallow. So if your Axolotl manages to catch your hand it won’t hurt, but you may have to pry them off.
The Why
Since Axolotls are slow, they take longer to digest food, which means you can’t feed them every day. They eat every two-three days, but this doesn’t stop them from begging. They’ll watch and follow you, hoping for more food. Much like dogs, they eat until they physically can’t anymore or until they throw up. Even if your little guy is full, they will continue trying to eat. Have you ever seen a dog eat until it pukes? Like dogs, Axolotls don’t always register that they’re full. Usually, it ends with them spitting it back out and you fishing for worms in your tank. When feeding my Axolotl for the first time, I used a turkey baster to shoot the food into her mouth. Having to clean the turkey baster every time I used it started to get annoying (my mom also wasn’t happy I took her turkey baster). Eventually, I switched to prongs, but the ends can’t be sharp, or they could hurt themselves because once again, they are slow creatures.