Can Axolotls Eat Fish Food? (7 Clear Food Facts)

Every axolotl owner wants to give their exotic pet a proper diet. Sometimes beginner owners are confused about what food to provide and decide to give fish food. According to beginner owners, axolotls are not much different from other fish because they are in the same environment.

Can axolotls eat fish food? Yes, axolotls can eat carnivorous fish food. The meat-based fish pellets are suitable foods for the axolotl as a pure carnivore. You can give any food the same as carnivorous fish, such as pellets, frozen foods, or live foods.

Knowing any details about fish foods for the axolotl, let’s read this article to the end.

Can Axolotl Eat Fish Food?

There are several types of fish food, and the one suitable for the axolotl is carnivorous fish food. Axolotl can eat any meat-based food for protein and nutrient needs.

Make sure you look on the fish food packaging for any ingredients related to meat-based food.

Many fish eat plant-based foods or flakes, and the axolotl doesn’t like that food. If your axolotl refuses the fish pellets you are given, try to find another brand with meat-based pellets.

The dry texture of fish pellets sometimes doesn’t make axolotls want to eat, because axolotls prefer live foods.

How Much Fish Food Can You Feed Axolotls?

Ensure you only provide carnivorous fish food, such as invertebrates, insects, and smaller fish. Axolotls can eat meat-based food, such as predatory fish that chase down prey when there is food around them.

Axolotls do not have strong teeth to tear their prey. They will eat enough food to fit in their mouth. The axolotl’s ability to eat is to grasp prey and swallow it.

In the wild, axolotls can eat whatever is in front of them as long as they can swallow. Ensure you feed them the right size and don’t overeat or have digestive problems.

How Often To Feed Fish Food To Axolotls?

Axolotls have a feeding schedule according to their life stage. Young axolotls need to eat between 2x a day to once a day. At each mealtime, give the axolotl a meal until they refuse it.

Allow the axolotls to poop before providing the next meal to ensure their digestive system is processing the food properly.

The bigger the axolotl size, the less they eat. Adult axolotls only eat every 2-3 days. Don’t overfeed, because axolotls can get impaction or digestive system issues.

Do Axolotls Get Impaction From Fish Food?

Carnivorous fish can eat smaller fish. If the axolotl eats a smaller fish with fairly hard bones, the axolotl can get impaction because the bones are difficult to digest.

Wait a few days for the axolotl to expel its food or vomit. If the axolotl is still experiencing impaction, try a fridging method to relieve the pain.

Can axolotls eat fish food? Yes, but axolotls can only eat meat-based fish food. Axolotls will not be interested in plant-based food because axolotls are pure carnivores.

Can Axolotl Eat Dry Fish Food?

Adult axolotls can accept food other than live food because their senses have started to develop compared to young axolotls.

Young axolotls are only interested in live foods and do not want to eat food that is not moving. If you give dry fish food such as dry pellets, you will waste a lot of food.

Even though axolotls don’t have good eyesight, adult axolotls will eat whatever you give them if it fits the size of their mouth. Don’t give dry fish food to axolotls too often because they still prefer live foods.

Can Axolotls Eat Live Fish Food?

Live prey is a safe food for fish and axolotls. It’s the best option to give a sense of movement from nearby creatures. In the wild, the axolotl becomes a predator and eats smaller fish.

When in captivity, the axolotl can have this sense when encountering live prey.

Can axolotls eat fish food? You can give live fish foods such as shrimp, insects, and worms. Don’t forget to cut live foods larger than fish pellets to ensure the axolotl can swallow it without problems.

Meat-based food is the primary food for axolotl health.

Can Axolotl Eat Frozen Fish Food?

Frozen food is a controversial subject and is widely discussed by axolotl owners. Some owners think that providing frozen fish food will be difficult for the axolotl because of the solid form of the food.

The axolotl is difficult to grasp or swallow hard food and can reduce the axolotl’s desire to eat.

But on the other hand, live food may accidentally have parasites or diseases. Freeze food can be considered slightly better than live food, which has a lot of parasites.

If you buy food at a pet store, you can ensure the food will be safe for your exotic pet. Determine when the axolotl can eat freeze fish food, and watch their expressions as they eat.

Can Axolotls Eat Freeze Dried Fish Food?

Freeze-dried fish food is almost the same as pellets. Axolotls can eat pellets if their senses are sharp. Adult axolotls will have no problem eating freeze-dried food, but it will be a problem for young axolotls.

Try giving a few pieces of freeze-dried fish food to the axolotl. If the axolotl enjoys it, then you can provide the food until the axolotl is full.

To ensure the axolotl’s nutrition and protein are met, only give the axolotl freeze-dried food in moderation.

Can Baby Axolotls Eat Fish Food?

Fish can eat small animals such as insects, tiny crustaceans, and mosquito larvae. If your baby axolotl is in an aquarium with tiny crustaceans or tiny insects, they can eat it without a problem.

Baby axolotls have a higher feeding schedule than adult axolotls. Baby axolotls need 2 meals per day to meet their body’s developmental needs.

Be careful if you put baby axolotls in one tank because young axolotls can eat their siblings if they don’t get enough food. Carnivorous fish can also do the same thing when they lack food and feel not full.

You should separate several baby axolotls in different tanks, using 5-gallon tanks until they are juvenile. If they start to grow in size, it’s time to move them to a bigger tank.

Baby axolotls can eat anything that fits in their mouth. Baby brine shrimp is the primary food that you can get easily at pet stores or breeders.

Do Axolotls Eat Fish Food In The Wild?

Carnivorous fish food contains high protein and is meat-based. In the wild, predatory fish can eat smaller fish, insects, crustaceans, or whatever is in front of them.

Axolotls can do the same thing because axolotls can eat meat-based food. We cannot monitor axolotls in the wild directly because the axolotl population in the wild has decreased drastically.

The reduction in their natural environment due to water pollution and the reduction in the lake area make the axolotl unable to survive.

The wild axolotl and the pet axolotl have started to differ because the pet axolotl is a mixed breed of the tiger salamander.

Can axolotls eat fish food? Axolotl will focus on raw meat and live food because they will not find fish pellets in their natural environment.

What Are The Health Risks Of Eating Fish Food For Axolotls?

Live foods such as worms and daphnia have the potential to carry diseases and parasites and can harm your axolotl. Daphnia is a type of live food that sometimes cause problems for the axolotl’s health.

If you want to provide healthy food for the axolotl, you should get axolotl’s food supplies from home culture or reputable sources.

Another health risk possibility of fish foods is that smaller fish have hard bones. Axolotls can eat small fish but can’t digest bone well. If the bones cannot be crushed in the axolotl’s digestive system, impaction is possible.

Can axolotls eat fish food? Axolotls can eat any meat-based foods. Fish can eat worms such as axolotls. But the difference between carnivorous fish and axolotl is the shape of their teeth.

Some fish types have sharp teeth that can tear their prey, while axolotls don’t. You have to help the axolotl to cut the worms into small pieces so they can be swallowed whole.

How To Prevent Axolotls From Eating Fish Food Excessively?

Axolotl not eating will be a problem for owners because it can indicate the axolotl is stressed, or the water condition in the tank is dirty.

But the problem is different with the axolotl having to reduce the diet so that nutrients and protein are absorbed properly and benefit the axolotl’s body.

Axolotls will not overeat if their owners do not give them access to a lot of food. You should measure how much food you give, so axolotl does not overeat.

The health of the axolotl depends on how you prepare the proper diet and water requirements.

The axolotl will eat whatever its owner gives it. If you don’t set the right time to eat, then the axolotl can get impaction due to overfeeding.

What to Feed Axolotls When Out Of Food?

Axolotl can survive up to 14 days without food, although it is not recommended for you to try it.

Every owner must have experienced running out of food and still can’t buy it at the pet store because it’s a holiday or there are other busy things and have to go out of town.

If you can’t feed the axolotl for less than two weeks, there’s still a good chance the axolotl will survive. But the main problem is the cleanliness of the water in the tank. We don’t know how the last axolotl eats and excretes waste.

Starving axolotls can eat their waste. If axolotls eat dirty food, they are susceptible to disease. Small fish is one way to feed axolotls even though it feels a little cruel. Ensure you never run out of food to keep your axolotl healthy.

Food Alternatives That Axolotls Can Eat

Carnivorous fish food is quite diverse, and you can choose several foods to provide the right nutrition and protein for the axolotl. If you can’t find insects, you can find some alternative foods for axolotls in the table below.

The many choices of food for axolotls allow you to choose the right food according to their life stage. Don’t forget to fulfill the axolotl’s feeding needs according to the schedule.

Final Verdict – Can Axolotls Eat Fish Food

Axolotls are carnivores, and they can only eat meat-based foods. If you choose carnivore fish food, then it will not be a problem for axolotl. Many choices of food to choose from, such as insects, crustaceans, worms, and daphnia.

Make sure you prepare fish food according to the size of the axolotl’s mouth so that your pet doesn’t have trouble eating the food.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet axolotl a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️