Axolotl Live Food

Does anyone have any ideas as to what live fish I could feed my axolotls? They have bloodworms and carp pellets and earthworms but apparently they like live fish as it gives them a chance to hunt. Anyone keep these awesome creatures?

I had a pair of Axolotls for over 8 years (great little fellas to have around and everyone who came the house wanted to have a look at them) and they never once got live fish for food. They had a diet of pellets, worms and occasionally tiny, tiny pieces of chicken.. (whether that was good for them I don't know)

I saw the other night on youtube whilst looking at Axolotl clips someone who kept Axolotls and fish in the same tank and one of the axolotls was trying to eat a Siamese Fighter, it hadn't got a chance of eating it and because it had no teeth it wasn't doing a very good job of putting the poor fish out of its misery, it was in a right state but still alive!

Perhaps in the wild they might catch fish, but they're not exactly designed for it are they? Plus I would imagine such a large feed would do no good for its digestion, especially bones.. A hearty worm or maggot would fill a lotl's corner, I'm sure

I have been keeping axolotls for just over a month and devouring everything I can from online about them, especially about feeding as my lot wouldn't touch food for a worryingly long time.

From what I know, earthworms are the most balanced diet for them, and failing that guppies (small adults) are accepted very well. I really don't like feeding my axolotls guppies - I feel really mean doing it, as it's not nature because the guppy stands little to no chance of avoiding being eaten with 3 hungry axies on the prowl. Unfortunately, one of my axolotls would not eat anything besides live guppies for 4 weeks and I was worried for her survival.

So I had to go out and buy a load of gups to breed, and so I now have guppies to feed should the problem arise at any other point. My OH doesn't feel mean though, and occasionally pops a few guppies into their tank as a 'treat'.

On an aside though, it is incredible to watch them stalk their prey - they don't appear to be geared up at all for hunting, but they're incredibly good at it nonetheless!!

And, from what I have read, a guppy is a much better meal for an axolotl than strips of chicken seems to be the general consensus.

Guppies are fine because they're not that big a fish, and they are quite slimline bodied.. unlike that clip I saw with the Siamese fighter, which was far too big for the Axolotl to gulp down.

Ferg1985 said:

Guppies are fine because they're not that big a fish, and they are quite slimline bodied.. unlike that clip I saw with the Siamese fighter, which was far too big for the Axolotl to gulp down.

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Yeah, I can't understand why anyone would want to cause so much suffering to that poor fighter and similarly put the axolotl at risk as well!

I wouldn't try and feed a huge female guppy to my 10 month old axolotls though - that might be a recipe for disaster, but I suppose a fully grown axy could manage one quite well.

Fishywish said:

Does anyone have any ideas as to what live fish I could feed my axolotls? They have bloodworms and carp pellets and earthworms but apparently they like live fish as it gives them a chance to hunt. Anyone keep these awesome creatures?

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Earthworms are a good source of food for them.

Live Mealworms are also a nice treat for them given once or twice per week,

I have 3 in a very large tank. I keep ghost shrimp and guppies in the tank with them. One side of the tank has very heavy artificial vegetation and is nearest the outflow pipes. The other side has habitat holes and little else and is near the intake pipe.
Through this system I have a breeding ecosystem for feeding for the axolotls. With the fish and shrimp mostly inhabiting the left and the axolotls roaming on the right. I supplement their diet with frozen bloodworms once a week. I also feed the fish/shrimp and have had to restock the shrimp periodically as they are the ones most often preyed upon/die.
I started with two 3-set pairing of guppies with both females pregnant. From this set I have seen roughly 6 different generations form. There are now readily about 8 fully grown guppies in the tank at any one time and a strew of smaller guppies of varying ages. None of the original are still around, although one of the first females just died/was eaten earlier this week.
Attached is a photo of my yellow after he ate the female guppie. It was a sad day, but the yellow is my favorite.