Can Axolotls Eat Crickets?

As an axolotl owner, you should be responsible and take note of our friendly salamander’s health. Their foods are the source of their energy, and they could also cause sickness or demise of your pet axolotl. 

Picking the right food for your axolotl could be challenging. You might be wondering what foods are safe for your axolotls and if crickets are one of them.

So, stick until the end to know if your axolotls can eat crickets. You’ll also learn what other insects are suitable for your axolotls.

Can Axolotls Eat Crickets? 

Axolotls can eat small crickets. However, crickets should not be axolotl leading food. Instead, crickets should just be given to them as a treat. Crickets are possibly among the best foods for axolotls because of their availability; they can be bought from pet shops or grown at home.

Which is Best Cricket for Axolotls

When choosing the best cricket for your axolotls, you have two different options: frozen crickets and live crickets. Both options do not pose any harm to your axolotls.

Frozen crickets are available in pet shops, so this is an efficient option, and it’s cheap too. However, it does not have much nutrition to offer for your axolotls.

On the other hand, live crickets could be a source of entertainment and food for your axolotls. You have the option to buy them, or you can breed them and eventually feed them to your axolotls.

Remember that the cricket should be small enough to fit your axolotl’s throat. It would be best if you also got crickets from a trustworthy source.

How to Feed Crickets to Axolotls 

When feeding crickets to your axolotls, the first thing you need to do is check the quality. There could be harmful chemicals or toxins in the cricket, so you need to inspect it before feeding it to your axolotls.

Then, make sure that the cricket is small enough for your axolotls. Axolotls don’t chew their food so problems may arise, or your axolotl will have difficulty eating the cricket.

You can use tongs to put the cricket in the tank and get the attention of your axolotl or hold it near their mouth. If you’re feeding live crickets to your axolotl, invest some time and wait for them to learn to catch the crickets. Afterwards, your axolotls will have fun hunting the cricket.

Remember that crickets should not be your pet’s main diet; they should only be given to them as treats. Try to have some variation in what you feed to your axolotls.

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How often and How Many Crickets Should You Feed to Your Axolotl?

Crickets should not be a primary food source for axolotls because it does not give sufficient nutrients that your axolotls need. When feeding your axolotls crickets, it should still be accompanied by other food with more nutrients.

You should only give your axolotl one cricket per week. However, it would help if you did not give it more than two crickets. Crickets can cause digestive problems or obesity for your axolotls.

Pros and Cons of Feeding Crickets to Axolotls

Your axolotls will be happy if you give them crickets as a treat. However, too many crickets will be harmful to your pet, as they will cause digestive problems.

Crickets are not a primary food source for axolotls. It does not contain as many nutrients to keep your axolotl healthy. 

The crickets could contain parasites or other harmful chemicals, so it’s best to check the quality of the crickets before buying them or getting them from your backyard to feed to your axolotls.

Hunting for their prey would be entertainment for your axolotls, so giving them live crickets would trigger their hunting behavior.

The crickets could be too big for the axolotl’s throat and would give them difficulty eating the cricket. The cricket could also have a hard exoskeleton which will harm your axolotls if they try eating it.

What other Insects Can Axolotls Eat?

Axolotls are carnivores, so they will mostly eat any insect. Aside from crickets, you can feed them worms or larvae, even pellets.

Worms can be an alternative to crickets. You can choose from many types of worms, and some examples are earthworms and bloodworms.

Just like crickets, worms are widely available. You can get them from pet shops in their frozen and live forms. You can also breed them yourself if you’d like.

Remember that you should choose insects that do not have a hard exoskeleton as your axolotls will have difficulty eating them and might cause digestive problems.

Another great option is fly or mosquito larvae because they can easily fit your axolotls’ mouths and throat. Always choose small insects for your axolotl as they tend to swallow their foods whole, and it might be difficult for them if you give an insect that is too big to fit their throats.

Final Verdict

Axolotls can eat crickets, but just small ones. Hunting for cricket could be a source of entertainment for your axolotl.

Crickets are perfect as treats for your axolotls. However, you should keep the number of crickets that you’ll be feeding your axolotl to only two crickets in a week, as exceeding that number will lead to digestive issues. 

Still, you have to ensure the quality of the crickets that you’ll be feeding to your axolotls. But other than that, crickets can be easily obtained from pet stores, or you can also breed them at home.