Axolotl food comes down to two things done consistently: soft sinking pellets as the everyday staple and worms for condition. Everything below is what we feed our own animals, which means anything you buy from us arrives already eating it.
4 products available, from $10 AUD. We ship across Australia, including Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane. Also see axolotls for sale in Australia.
The smaller pellet grade, sized for juveniles under about 12 cm. Soft enough to swallow whole without chewing and dense enough to sink straight to the bottom, which is where an axolotl feeds. This is what our own juveniles are raised on, so anything you buy from us is already eating it. A 230 g jar lasts a single animal several months.
The larger pellet grade for grown animals over about 12 cm. Same soft sinking formulation as the smaller size, just scaled up so an adult gets a proper mouthful rather than having to chase a dozen small pellets. Match the grade to the animal, because a pellet an axolotl cannot swallow gets spat out and fouls the water.
Everyday sinking pellets for axolotls, available in several pack sizes. The staple food for a grown animal fed every two to three days, and the easiest way to keep a consistent diet without handling worms. Pair with earthworm or blackworm when you want to put condition on an animal quickly.
The conditioning food. Live blackworm is what we reach for to get a nervous new arrival eating, to bring an animal back up after a move, or to put weight on a juvenile fast. Almost nothing refuses it. Not a complete diet on its own, so run it alongside pellets rather than instead of them. Available in several portion sizes.
Axolotls hunt by suction and swallow food whole, so anything you offer has to be soft and small enough to go down without chewing. That rules out most standard fish food and it rules out anything with a hard shell.
Soft sinking salmon pellets are the practical everyday food. They sink, which matters because an axolotl feeds off the bottom and will not chase anything floating, and they hold their shape long enough to be found without dissolving into the water column. Match the pellet size to the animal: the smaller grade for juveniles under 12 cm, the larger grade once they are grown.
Live blackworm is the conditioning food. It is what we use to bring an animal back up after a move, to tempt a reluctant feeder, and to put weight on a juvenile quickly. It is not a complete diet on its own but nothing beats it for getting a nervous new arrival eating.
Juveniles under 12 cm eat daily. Adults over 15 cm eat every two to three days. Feed what the animal takes in a few minutes and siphon out anything left, because uneaten food is the fastest way to spike ammonia in an otherwise healthy tank.
Judge the portion by shape rather than by weight. A well fed axolotl is about as wide as its head with a gently rounded belly. Noticeably wider means you are overfeeding.
The full feeding schedule, including what to avoid and what to do when an animal stops eating, is in our what do axolotls eat guide.
Soft sinking salmon pellets for everyday feeding and earthworm or live blackworm for condition. Between them they cover everything an axolotl needs. Avoid standard fish flakes, feeder fish and anything with a hard shell.
The smaller grade for juveniles under 12 cm and the larger grade once they are grown. A pellet an axolotl cannot swallow gets spat out and fouls the water.
Months for a single animal. Feeding an axolotl is by far the smallest ongoing cost of keeping one, well behind the electricity to run a filter and a chiller.
Also in store: axolotl eggs, cycled filters and tank supplies. Everything ships across Australia, to Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and every other mainland address.
Setting a tank up from scratch? Start with the axolotl tank setup guide, then browse axolotls for sale in Australia.
Every animal is bred in our Victoria hatchery, photographed individually and sent with a live arrival guarantee across mainland Australia.