When I got my first axolotl, I made a huge mistake. I fed it regular fish flakes thinking “water creature equals fish food, right?”

Wrong. My axolotl barely touched it.

After 8 years of keeping these amazing creatures and feeding hundreds of axolotls from babies to adults, I’ve learned exactly what they need at each stage of life.

Here’s everything you need to know about axolotl nutrition to keep your pet healthy, growing strong, and living 10 15 years.

Why Axolotl Nutrition Matters

Axolotls are carnivores – meat eaters only. They need high protein and low fat to thrive.

Feed them wrong and you’ll see:

• Stunted growth
• Weak immune system
• Shorter lifespan
• Health problems
• Poor regeneration ability

Feed them right and they’ll grow fast, stay active, and regenerate injuries like magic.

The key is matching food to their age. A baby axolotl needs completely different nutrition than an adult.

Baby Axolotl Nutrition (0-2 Inches Long)

Baby axolotls are tiny – smaller than your pinky finger when they hatch. Their mouths are microscopic.

Best Food For Baby Axolotls

Live baby brine shrimp – This is the gold standard for newborns. Tiny, nutritious, easy to digest.

Live daphnia (water fleas) – Another excellent choice packed with protein and fat for growth.

Micro worms – Great backup food if you can’t get brine shrimp.

Live blackworms (chopped tiny) – Good but expensive and hard to find.

How Often To Feed Baby Axolotls

Feed babies 2-3 times per day. They’re growing like crazy and need constant fuel.

Their metabolism is super fast at this stage. If you don’t feed enough, they might start eating each other. Yes, really.

Portion Size For Babies

Give them as much as they can eat in 3-5 minutes. Watch closely and remove uneaten food right away.

Leftover food rots quickly and poisons the water. Baby axolotls are sensitive to poor water quality.

Pro tip: Use a turkey baster to spot-feed each baby and suck up any leftovers.

Juvenile Axolotl Nutrition (2-6 Inches Long)

Once your axolotl reaches 2 inches, things get easier. Their mouths are bigger and they can handle more food types.

Best Food For Juvenile Axolotls

Earthworms (chopped small) – The best food for growing axolotls. High protein, full of vitamins and minerals.

Bloodworms (frozen or live) – Great supplement but don’t use as the only food. They lack complete nutrition.

Blackworms – Excellent protein source if you can get them.

Quality axolotl pellets – Look for high protein (40%+), low fat (under 10%). Sinking pellets only.

Brine shrimp – Still good at this stage for variety.

How Often To Feed Juveniles

Feed once daily or every other day depending on size.

2-3 inches: Feed once daily 3-6 inches: Feed every other day

They’re still growing fast but not as frantically as babies.

Portion Size For Juveniles

Offer what they can eat in 5-10 minutes. For earthworms, cut them to mouth-sized pieces – about the width of the space between their eyes.

One juvenile axolotl (4 inches) typically eats:

• 1 small earthworm daily, OR
• 2-3 bloodworm cubes every other day, OR
• 10-15 pellets every other day

Monitor their body condition. They should be thick at the base of the tail but not bloated.

Adult Axolotl Nutrition (6+ Inches Long)

Adult axolotls are easy to feed. They’re fully grown and don’t need daily meals.

Best Food For Adult Axolotls

Earthworms (nightcrawlers) – This should be 80% of their diet. Whole worms or cut in half depending on axolotl size.

Frozen bloodworms – Good variety food, 1-2 times per week.

High-quality pellets – Convenient backup food for busy days.

Ghost shrimp – Occasional treat (make sure they’re parasite-free).

Frozen salmon pellets – Some axolotls love these. Look for 40%+ protein formulas.

How Often To Feed Adults

Adults only need food every 2-3 days. That’s it.

They have slow metabolisms in cold water. Overfeeding causes obesity and water quality problems.

Some owners feed every other day. Some feed 3 times per week. Both work fine.

Portion Size For Adults

A full-grown adult (8-10 inches) needs:

• 1-2 large earthworms per feeding, OR
• 3-4 bloodworm cubes per feeding, OR
• 20-25 pellets per feeding

The general rule: Feed the equivalent of the distance from their eyes to the back of their head.

The BEST Axolotl Food Overall

After years of testing, here’s my ranking:

#1 – Earthworms (European nightcrawlers)

• Perfect protein-to-fat ratio
• Complete nutrition
• Easy to store
• Axolotls love them
• Works for all ages (just cut smaller for babies)

#2 – Blackworms

• Excellent nutrition
• Great for variety
• Expensive and hard to find

#3 – Quality pellets

• Convenient
• Balanced nutrition
• Some axolotls are picky
• Look for Hikari, Rangen, or axolotl-specific brands

#4 – Bloodworms

• Good supplement
• Not complete nutrition alone
• Use as variety, not staple

#5 – Brine shrimp

• Good for babies and variety
• Adults need more substantial food

Foods To AVOID

Never feed your axolotl:

Feeder fish – Carry parasites and diseases. Not worth the risk.

Insects with hard shells – Crickets, mealworms, hornworms cause impaction. Their digestive system can’t break down the exoskeleton.

Tubifex worms – Spread dangerous diseases like whirling disease. Stay away.

Fatty meats – Chicken, beef, pork are too fatty. Causes liver problems.

Cheap fish pellets – Wrong nutritional balance for amphibians.

Anything bigger than their head – Choking hazard.

How To Tell If Your Axolotl Is Well-Fed

A healthy axolotl body should look like this:

From above: The body width matches the head width
From the side: Thick at the base of the tail, gentle taper toward the tip
Belly: Slightly rounded but not bulging

Signs of underfeeding:

• Very thin body
• Tail narrows sharply right after the body
• Ribs or spine visible
• Always hunting for food

Signs of overfeeding:

• Very round, bloated belly
• Constipation
• Floating upside down
• Refusing food

Feeding Tips From 8 Years Of Experience

Use feeding tongs – Makes feeding cleaner and helps you control portions.

Feed at night – Axolotls are more active after sunset. They hunt better in dim light.

Vary the diet – Don’t feed the same thing every day. Mix it up.

Remove uneaten food – Wait 10 minutes max, then remove anything left. Rotting food spikes ammonia.

Match food size to mouth size – Nothing wider than the space between their eyes.

Don’t handle food with bare hands – Use tongs or gloves. Oils and bacteria from your skin can harm them.

Store food properly – Keep earthworms in a worm farm with soil. Freeze bloodworms. Follow pellet storage instructions.

Watch for choking – If they can’t swallow something, they’ll spit it out. Cut food smaller next time.

Common Feeding Mistakes

Mistake #1: Overfeeding adults Adults don’t need daily food. Overfeeding makes them fat and sick.

Mistake #2: Only feeding bloodworms Bloodworms lack complete nutrition. They’re treats, not complete meals.

Mistake #3: Feeding too large food Cut earthworms to appropriate size. Don’t give whole nightcrawlers to small axolotls.

Mistake #4: Using feeder fish Goldfish and minnows spread disease. Just don’t.

Mistake #5: Ignoring water quality Uneaten food rots and poisons the water. Always remove leftovers.

Quick Feeding Schedule Chart

Age/Size	Best Food	How Often	Portion
Hatchling (under 2″)	Baby brine shrimp, daphnia	2-3 times daily	3-5 minutes worth
Juvenile (2-3″)	Chopped worms, bloodworms	Once daily	5-10 minutes worth
Sub-adult (3-6″)	Small earthworms, pellets	Every other day	1 small worm or 10-15 pellets
Adult (6″+)	Nightcrawlers, variety foods	Every 2-3 days	1-2 large worms

The Bottom Line On Axolotl Nutrition

Here’s what matters most:

Protein is king – Axolotls need high-protein, low-fat diets. They’re carnivores.

Earthworms are best – For all ages (just adjust size). This is the one food you can’t go wrong with.

Age matters – Babies need daily feeding. Adults need feeding every 2-3 days.

Variety is important – Mix up food types to provide complete nutrition.

Quality over convenience – Don’t rely only on pellets. Live and frozen foods are better.

After 8 years and hundreds of axolotls, I’ve learned this: Get the nutrition right and everything else becomes easier. Well-fed axolotls grow fast, stay healthy, regenerate injuries quickly, and live long happy lives.

Feed them cheap food or wrong portions, and you’ll fight health problems constantly.

It’s really that simple.

What do you feed your axolotl? Share your feeding routine in the comments!

Quick Answer Summary

Best axolotl nutrition by age:

• Babies (0-2″): Live baby brine shrimp, daphnia – 2-3 times daily
• Juveniles (2-6″): Chopped earthworms, bloodworms – once daily to every other day
• Adults (6″+): Whole earthworms, quality pellets – every 2-3 days

Top food choice: Earthworms (nightcrawlers) for all ages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best food for axolotl nutrition?
Earthworms (European nightcrawlers) are the gold standard. They provide complete nutrition with high protein and appropriate fat levels.

How often should I feed my axolotl?
Babies need 2-3 times daily. Juveniles need once daily. Adults only need every 2-3 days.

Can axolotls eat fish food pellets?
Only high-quality carnivore pellets with 40%+ protein and under 10% fat. Regular fish flakes don’t work.

Are bloodworms good for axolotl nutrition?
Bloodworms are good supplements but lack complete nutrition. Use them for variety, not as the only food.

Can I feed my axolotl feeder fish?
No. Feeder fish carry parasites and diseases that can kill your axolotl. Stick to worms and pellets.

How much should I feed my adult axolotl?
1-2 large earthworms every 2-3 days, or equivalent in other foods. They should eat it within 10 minutes.

What foods are toxic to axolotls?
Avoid insects with hard shells, tubifex worms, fatty meats, and anything with sharp edges that could cause impaction.

Can axolotls be vegetarian?
No. Axolotls are obligate carnivores and need meat protein. They cannot digest plant matter.