Can Axolotls Eat Wax Worms? - Axolotl Nerd (2024)

Axolotls can definitely eat wax worms but they can’t eat it all the time. It is the type of axolotl food that should rather be considered as a treat. The digestive system of these salamanders simply can’t deal with the amount of fat there is in wax worm.

Can Axolotls Eat Wax Worms? - Axolotl Nerd (1)

At least they can’t deal with it if you feed it to them all the time but they are more than happy to eat it every now and then. If you would feed wax worms to them every day, it would cause plenty of damage to their liver, causing serious health problems.

As you might suppose, axolotls have very specific needs when it comes to diet. They are carnivores who need plenty of protein. Not only that, but they also have a specific category of proteins they can digest. Based on their eating habits, let’s see how can wax worms fit into the diet of these salamanders.

Are Wax Worms Toxic to Axolotls?

Wax worms are not toxic, they are just unhealthy for your axolotl in big amounts. When you buy them at the pet shop, make sure to check out the package. Look for details that show where the worms come from. If there is no such description, ask the seller before buying it.

Feeding your salamander wax worms caught out in the wild is a pretty bad idea. They can collect harmful chemicals and pesticides out there, which will get in the digestive system of your pet. There is really nothing toxic in wax worms but they can cause significant nutritional imbalance if fed to axolotls frequently.

If you want to find the ideal food for your salamander, then look for those meat-based foods that contain low fat.

How to Feed Wax Worms to Your Axolotls?

Before you feed your axolotl, you need to check whether the food you give him fits in his mouth conveniently. If not, you will need to chop it up into smaller pieces. This is no different when you feed him wax worms.

By matching the size of the worm to your salamander, you can make sure that he is going to eat it with ease. They have very few teeth and even those are not very sharp nor strong. Therefore, they swallow everything as a whole.

Axolotls can suck in anything that is in front of them in no time. The problem is that they are willing to suck in bigger wax worms as well. Then, they either spit it out or swallow it and struggle with the digestion. Either way, food size is something you should always take into account.

How Often can Axolotls Eat Wax Worms?

In order to feed a healthy amount of wax worms to your axolotl, you should give it to him twice a month. This will make sure that his digestion is not going to be messed up at all. Axolotls enjoy eating junk food just like us and can definitely deal with a couple bites occasionally.

From a single wax worm, they can absorb a relatively small amount of proteins compared to fat. It is going to be the equivalent of us humans eating junk food on a cheat day. Not healthy on the long term but something you can spice up your diet with.

For axolotl babies, it is not only optional but recommended to feed wax worms. Foods with high fat ratio can be incredibly resourceful for a growing salamander. While an adult axolotl can eat it twice a month, a juvenile should eat a full wax worm once a week.

This might not seem much but if you look at the numbers, that is plenty of fat for growth.

Can Baby Axolotls Eat Wax Worms?

Fortunately, wax worms are not unhealthy for all axolotls. If your salamanders are still young and growing, it is actually a good idea to feed them these worms. Thanks to the high protein and fat content, they are going to grow faster and turn into adults before you know it.

Keep in mind that you can only give wax worms for them once a week. After all, it still contains a lot of fat so it would not be a good idea to feed it to them every single day. These worms contain almost 62% fat and only 16% protein. There are many other foods with a much better ratio.

This should not discourage you from surprising your salamanders with wax worms every now and then but it is better to keep it at that.

What are the Best Worms for Axolotls?

The best worms to feed to your axolotl are earthworms, bloodworms and blackworms. These are highly nutritious and come with just the right amount of protein fat ratio. All axolotls can eat full-grown bloodworms and blackworms as a whole.

However, earthworms are a bit too big for juveniles. The rule of thumb is to feed your young salamander with earthworms that are 1cm long or shorter. It is not recommended to feed this type of worm to them if their legs haven’t formed yet.

As they grow and become adults, you can try to feed them earthworms without chopping them up. At this point, you will get comfortable with matching foods to the size of your axolotl.

Wrapping Up

Wax worms, as their name indicates, contain a lot of fat. This is not a problem as long as you only surprise your axolotl with a couple of these worms every month. Offering more would put the digestive system of your salamander in risk.

Unfortunately, their digestive system is not designed to process this much fat. Therefore, this treat can’t be given to your axolotl as often. Nevertheless, these worms are not toxic so that is not something you should be afraid of.

Wax worms are also the ideal source of nutrition for a growing axolotl. While it is not so good to feed them to adults, the ones that are still growing will go way faster by eating it.

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Updated: August 29, 2022

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FAQs

Can Axolotls Eat Wax Worms? - Axolotl Nerd? ›

Even though your axolotl will eat nearly anything, that doesn't mean they should. Insects with hard exoskeletons like crickets, waxworms, and hornworms should be avoided. Their digestive system struggles with the hard bits, and it may become difficult for an axolotl to defecate.

What worms can axolotls not eat? ›

Earthworms are incredibly nutritious, as are red wigglers, but unlike earthworms, axolotls do not enjoy red wigglers as much. In fact, they'll actively avoid red wigglers because they taste bad due to them excreting a bitter substance when handled as a defence mechanism.

What worms are best for axolotls? ›

Data on the nutritional content of additional food options. Blackworms and tubifex worms are the primary high-protein diet preferred for hatchling axolotls, however, using earthworms and brine shrimp in excess tends to result in healthier axolotls.

Can axolotls have lob worms? ›

We recommend giant lob worms for the following animal types:

Adult Turtles. Pixie frogs. Axolotls.

Will axolotls eat Nightcrawlers? ›

First of all, most axolotls love them and they are the perfect size (about 3" long) for an axolotl to eat. Whereas Canadian Nightcrawlers are usually too HUGE making it hard for the axolotl to eat them and Canadian Nightcrawlers are expensive buying them by the dozen at your local bait store.

Can an axolotl eat wax worms? ›

Even though your axolotl will eat nearly anything, that doesn't mean they should. Insects with hard exoskeletons like crickets, waxworms, and hornworms should be avoided.

How many worms a day for an axolotl? ›

The rule of thumb is to feed them cut up worm pieces that are as wide as their eyes. At 3” you want to be feeding them as much as they will eat in a 15m period twice a day. Around 6” you can change it to once daily. Then 1 year+ is when you can start feeding every 2-3 days.

Can I leave a worm in my axolotl tank? ›

Not all white worms in your tank are bad! Some are very important. Wriggly little creatures like detritus worms, planaria, leaches and some other worms are a natural part of the ecosystem in the aquarium and, in moderate numbers, do not pose a threat to the axolotl.

Why are there tiny worms in my axolotl tank? ›

Detritus worms are thin, pointy, and a white-brown color. You'll see them in the sand or pebbles of your tank. This particular type of worm eats decomposing fish and plant waste and will not harm your fish. In fact, they are very common in aquariums.

Can I dig up worms for my axolotl? ›

To feed worms to your axolotl, simply dig out a worm with your desired tool, rinse the dirt off in water without soap, and prepare the worm according to the axolotl's preference.

What are the fuzzy things on an axolotl? ›

Unlike most frogs and other salamanders, which move to land as adults, the axolotl lives its whole life underwater, retaining many of its juvenile traits. The feathery structures on either side of the axolotl's head are its gills.

Can axolotls get tapeworms? ›

In basic research, you can find tapeworms who thrive in the intestine of their animal hosts – or the limb-generating axolotl, a water amphibian whose very name means “water monster.”

What are the big worms for axolotls? ›

Always feed your Axolotl Dendrobaena worms, NEVER feed Axolotls Lobworms or Tiger Worms as they do not like them (although Lobworms are a very good food supplement for other Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish), these specific worms give off a nasty yukky smelly slime that Axolotls hate and it also spoils the water too.

Can I feed my axolotl dead earthworms? ›

Adult axolotls will eat live or dead food. The movement of live food like a worm is a great stimulus for the your axolotl, in fact newly hatched axolotls will only respond to live food.

Why is my axolotl not eating worms? ›

Toxic compounds in the water will cause loss of appetite in your axolotl. Red wiggler earthworms (Eisenia fetida) secrete a bitter tasting slime as a defense mechanism which your axolotl may not like. Even if your axolotl has been eating red wigglers for a long time, it may suddenly start refusing them because of this.

How to cut up worms for an axolotl? ›

I use the razor blade method, but try to minimize pain for the worm by doing the chopping quickly - the first cut chops the worm into 3-4 pieces. The worm goes from one piece into many pieces in just a couple of seconds.

What can axolotls eat and not eat? ›

Axolotls are carnivores and prefer protein-rich food, like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and earthworms. Some live food should be avoided, feeder fish and mice for example. And you should be cautious about live food, because the live food may carry parasites or disease, which may cause axolotls to get sick.

Can you feed axolotls dead Nightcrawlers? ›

Only freshly killed nightcrawlers can be fed unfortunately. You should see if you can get a replacement sent.

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