Axolotls are little cute amphibians that can be satisfying to keep in your aquarium.
However, newbies don’t understand their feeding plan and how long axolotls can go without food. As a pet owner, you need this information beforehand.
Are your axolotls not eating or planning to go on vacation? Sometimes it may be the long shipping time that worries you.
Since your axolotls won’t be feeding during that period, you should understand how that affects them.
The time it takes between two meals for axolotls depends on age, environmental conditions, and health status.
Younglings eat less but need to eat more often compared to adult axolotls. Read on for a detailed response on how long can axolotls go without food.
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How Long Can Axolotls Go Without Food?
Many people ask this question, especially when they want to go on vacation or on a journey that will take them several days. You have nothing to worry about when you keep axolotls.
These opportunistic eaters can stay up to 2 or three weeks without food in the wild. But how does that differ when you put them in the tank?
Well, many factors come into play. It will depend on the age, size, health conditions, and water temperature in the tank.
Let’s first discuss how long axolotls younglings can go without food. Younglings are very delicate and require regular feeding.
The young cannot survive for a whole day without food. So, if you are planning to go on a trip or a vacation, have someone give them food at least once a day.
Adult axolotls are more resilient and can survive longer without food. They can go for up to 5 days without food if the conditions inside the tank are favorable.
You need clean, aerated water at the right temperature during that period. The temperature should be about 60-64°F/16-18°C.
Also read: Full Requirements & Water Conditions for Axolotl in Captivity
How often Should Axolotls Eat?
The response depends on the age of your axolotls. An adult will need food after every 2-3 days, and that’s if they ate enough previously.
Like all babies, axolotls’ hatchlings require frequent feeding. Newly hatched ones need to eat at least twice a day. It is safe to reduce the food supply to only once a day after a few weeks of hatching.
However, never forget to monitor the behavior of your axolotls when they feed. Some may be stressed by environmental conditions, making them avoid food. Don’t mistake that for satisfaction.
Also read: Understanding Your Pet: 12 Common Axolotl Behaviors
Why Is Your Axolotl Not Eating?
Your axolotls may fail to eat because of many reasons. These are related to the tank, food, health conditions, and tankmates.
As the pet owner, examine all factors that may stress your axolotls and take necessary action.
Axolotls release waste in the tank. Without a filter, the water will become dirty and need replacement. If that doesn’t happen, your axolotls will stop eating.
Tank mates can stop axolotls from eating, especially if they are aggressive. Other conditions such as low water temperature, diseases, and injuries can also cause the same feeding problem.
Axolotls may not eat when they are still full. Their metabolism rate is relatively low, making them have long periods between meals.
Lastly, axolotls won’t eat anything that they cannot swallow. Their teeth are only for holding their food and not breaking it apart or chewing. So, they prefer to eat small chunks of food.
Also read: Why Is My Axolotl Not Eating?
What Do I Do If My Axolotl Won’t Eat?
Your axolotls may fail to eat when they are not hungry. Ensure you follow the feeding schedule. That will make them ready to eat when you give them food.
Other reasons include unfavorable water temperature, diseases, aggression from tankmates, or giving the wrong feed. It is upon you to identify the exact cause, but let’s first talk about food.
Resolve Issues With Food
Feed your axolotls the right food. In the wild, they feed on small fishes, insects, small amphibians, arthropods, spiders, mollusks, etc. But in your tank, you will need to provide a variety of foods.
There are different axolotls foods to consider for babies and adults. Each food type you feed them has its pros and cons. So, you better focus on a balanced feeding plan.
Lastly, do not overfeed your axolotls. They will start rejecting food if they are overfed since axolotls need about 2-3 days to digest what they fed on previously.
Also read: What Can Axolotl Eat?
Check Health
If your axolotl is sick, find a veterinarian. The most common health conditions include constipation. You can also see other signs such as lethargy or visible injuries if they have tankmates.
We can also mention the water conditions here. Axolotls also poop, which will contaminate water over time. They will never eat in such poor conditions. Remember to regularly clean the tank.
Also, check if they have parasites. You can do that by collecting stool samples and sending them to the vet. Parasites can potentially affect your axolotl.
Don’t wait until it is too late if you suspect that your axolotls are sick. Seek help at the first opportunity!
Also read: What Does Axolotl Poop Look Like?
Check Adaptability
Your axolotls may fail to eat or eat less when they are still adapting to their new home. If you recently acquired them from a pet store, just give them time to get used to the new environment.
They will soon start eating after adjusting, but if the situation doesn’t improve after a while, call an expert to evaluate tank conditions and examine the axolotls.
Check Water Temperature
Axolotls are subtropical animals that thrive well in a temperature range of 60-64°F/16-18°C. If there are any significant changes in this condition, they may be stressed.
Too high temperature gives them heat stress, while the low temperature will make your axolotl catch a cold.
You will start to see behavioral changes such as sluggishness. They may begin to poop more or less due to the changed metabolic rate caused by water temperature changes.
Always strive to keep optimum water temperature to keep your axolotl happy and eat.
Also read: Axolotl Temperature (Tips to Maintain an Ideal Temperature)
Penn-Plax Water-World Radius Desktop Nano Aquarium Kits
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- CASCADE 300 INTERNAL FILTER: This 7.5 gallon aquarium kit comes with a Cascade 300 Fully Submersible Internal Filter. The filter cycles water at 70 Gallons per Hour, and includes a refillable Carbon Cartridge and an internal Bio-Sponge.
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- CONTAINS ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED: This kit includes the following: 7.5 Gallon Glass Tank, Glass Lid, Clear Mounting Clips, Cascade 300 Internal Filter (70 GPH), Silver LED Light, and Mat.
- MEASUREMENTS: Overall = 15.75” (W) x 10.25” (D) x 11.75” (H) / Tank Water Volume = 7.5 Gallons / Filter Flow Rate = 70 GPH
Last update on 2022-12-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How to Care for Axolotl While on Vacation
If you have a well-aerated tank set up with filtration, your adult axolotls should not stress you when you want to take a break.
They can stay alive for up to one and a half weeks, with some going up to 3 weeks. Regardless, you should find ways to ensure they are comfortable even when away.
The first approach is to ask someone you trust to feed and care for them when you are away. That way, you can have unlimited vacation time. But if that doesn’t work, think of an alternative.
Ensure your axolotls are healthy and well-fed, and tank and water are clean and well aerated before you leave.
Install an aquarium filter to keep the water clean even if they poop after you leave the house.
Without any invader, you should find them alive and kicking two weeks later. However, that is not possible with the younglings that require to be fed at least once a day.
Kulife Aquarium Filters
- PERFORMANCE – Max. Flow 130GPH (500L/H), Max lift 2ft (0.6m), Power 3.5W. For tank size of 10-40 gallons.REMINDER: Choose the right filter for your tank. A filter can’t cover tanks of big differences in capacity (as claimed by some products online)! Follow our recommendations for your tank.
- SAFETY – The pump is fully submersible with epoxy sealed motor. Each product has been submerged in water and tested with super high voltage to ensure the safety.
- 3-STAGE FILTRATION – 3 sponge blocks – coarse sponge, carbonized sponge and fine sponge provide 3-stage filtration. COARSE SPONGE filters out large size impurities such as food residue, fish excrements, plant leaves etc.; CARBONIZED SPONGE removes odor, chlorine and fine particles; FINE SPONGE polishes water before it goes back to tank. PLUS the transparent box makes it easy to observe the filtering material when they get dirty. Search code "B09KXZXCQV" for the replacement sponges.
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- KIND REMINDER – If your tank is very large, choose 2 filters! Place a filter at both the left and right corners at the back side. You will get full filtration and great water circulation in your tank!
Last update on 2022-12-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Final Sentences
The water in the tank needs to be clean and aerated and kept at the optimum temperature.
That should ensure axolotls stay happy and alive for the longest time possible. But never leave your axolotls unfed for more than 5 days. They may starve to death.
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