What Do Baby Axolotls Eat? Complete Feeding Guide for Larvae

Abdul Wasay Khatri | Administrator

Last updated: 8 January, 2026

Watching 200 baby axolotls starve during my first breeding attempt taught me that feeding larvae requires precision and planning. After five years raising thousands of healthy juveniles, I’ve learned exactly what baby axolotls need at each growth stage to thrive.

First Few Days: No Feeding Required

Newly hatched larvae don’t eat for 48-72 hours after breaking out of their eggs. They survive entirely on their yolk sacs the yellowish bulge attached to their bellies. This nutrient reserve provides everything they need while their mouths and digestive systems finish developing.

Resist the temptation to offer food during this period. Larvae can’t eat yet, and uneaten food will rot, creating deadly ammonia spikes. Watch for the yolk sac to shrink and nearly disappear before starting any feeding.

Week 1-2: Live Baby Brine Shrimp Only

Once larvae become free-swimming and their yolk sacs absorb completely, they need live prey. Baby axolotls won’t recognize frozen or pellet food they hunt by detecting movement in the water.

Live Baby Brine Shrimp (also called Artemia nauplii) are the gold standard first food. These tiny orange crustaceans swim constantly, triggering the larvae’s hunting instinct. I hatch fresh brine shrimp daily using a simple setup with a 2-liter bottle, airline tubing, and saltwater.

Feed 2-3 times daily, offering enough brine shrimp so larvae have constant prey available. Their bellies should look plump and orange-tinted from eating shrimp. Hungry larvae appear thin with sunken bellies and spend time searching desperately at the water surface.

Microworms work as an alternative if you can’t hatch brine shrimp, though they’re less nutritious. Daphnia (water fleas) also work but can be harder to culture consistently.

Week 3-4: Introducing Frozen Foods

Around 2-3 weeks old, larvae grow large enough to accept small pieces of frozen food. Their hunting skills improve, and they’ll strike at non-moving prey if it drifts near them.

Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp: Thaw small amounts in tank water and use a pipette to squirt directly in front of hungry larvae. The current movement mimics live prey enough to trigger feeding.

Frozen Daphnia: These provide excellent nutrition and are easier to feed than live cultures. Crush larger daphnia into smaller pieces for tiny mouths.

Chopped Bloodworms: Cut frozen bloodworms into 2-3mm pieces using sharp scissors. Larvae at this age can’t swallow whole bloodworms yet. I spent hours my second year chopping thousands of bloodworm pieces tedious but necessary.

Continue offering live baby brine shrimp alongside frozen foods during this transition period. Some larvae adapt to frozen food faster than others. Mixed feeding ensures nobody starves while learning.

Week 5-8: Larger Frozen Foods

By one month old, juvenile axolotls measure 1.5-2 inches long and eat significantly larger prey. Their growth rate explodes with proper feeding I’ve watched juveniles double in size within two weeks during this stage.

Whole Frozen Bloodworms: Most juveniles now swallow bloodworms whole. Feed 1-2 times daily with as many worms as they’ll eat in 5 minutes. Remove uneaten worms after 10 minutes to prevent water quality issues.

Frozen Mysis Shrimp: Slightly larger than bloodworms, these provide variety and excellent protein content.

Small Pieces of Earthworm: Cut nightcrawlers into tiny portions. Earthworms are incredibly nutritious but messy. Only feed in small amounts.

Watch for aggressive feeding competition. Larger juveniles sometimes nip smaller tank mates during feeding frenzies. Separate by size if you notice injuries or bullying behavior.

Month 2-3: Transitioning to Pellets

Around 2-3 months and 3-4 inches long, juveniles can learn to eat sinking pellets. This transition takes patience axolotls raised on live and frozen foods often ignore pellets initially.

Softened Pellets: Soak high-quality carnivore pellets (Hikari Sinking Carnivore or Rangen) in tank water for 5 minutes before feeding. Soft pellets smell stronger and sink more naturally.

Mixed Feeding Method: Offer pellets alongside bloodworms. Curious juveniles investigating bloodworms sometimes accidentally grab pellets. Once they taste pellets, most accept them readily.

Target Feeding: Use feeding tongs to place pellets directly in front of individual axolotls. This teaches them to associate tongs with food, making future feeding easier.

Feed juvenile axolotls once daily at this stage. Their bellies should look rounded but not bloated. Overfeeding leads to water quality crashes and digestive problems.

Feeding Schedule by Age

Here’s my proven feeding routine that raised 300+ healthy juveniles last year:

• Days 0-3: No feeding (yolk sac nutrition)
• Days 4-14: Live baby brine shrimp 3 times daily
• Days 15-28: Mix of live brine shrimp and frozen foods 2 times daily
• Days 29-60: Frozen bloodworms and daphnia 1-2 times daily
• Days 61+: Frozen foods plus pellets 1 time daily

Adjust quantities based on belly fullness. Underfed larvae show sunken bellies and reduced activity. Overfed larvae create water quality problems from excess waste.

Water Quality During Feeding

Baby axolotls produce tremendous amounts of waste relative to their size. Ammonia spikes from overfeeding or inadequate cleaning kill larvae within hours.

Perform 20% water changes daily during the first month. Test ammonia and nitrite every 2-3 days. Both must stay at 0 ppm constantly. Any reading above zero requires immediate water changes.

Feed smaller amounts more frequently rather than large portions once daily. This distributes waste production throughout the day instead of creating huge spikes after single big meals.

Use a turkey baster to remove uneaten food and waste from the tank bottom daily. This spot-cleaning between water changes prevents ammonia buildup significantly.

Common Feeding Problems

Larvae Refusing Food: Usually means water quality issues. Test parameters immediately. Stressed larvae won’t eat regardless of food quality.

Uneven Growth Rates: Some larvae grow twice as fast as siblings. Separate by size every 2-3 weeks to prevent larger ones from eating smaller tank mates.

Bloated Bellies: Overfeeding or constipation. Skip feeding for 24 hours and reduce portions going forward.

Weight Loss Despite Eating: Parasites or poor food quality. Use high-quality frozen foods from reputable suppliers, not bargain brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can baby axolotls eat fish flakes?
No, fish flakes lack proper nutrition and pollute water rapidly. Baby axolotls are carnivores requiring protein-rich live or frozen foods. Flakes designed for omnivorous fish won’t support their growth.

How much should I feed baby axolotls daily?
Feed enough so their bellies look plump and rounded. For larvae under 1 month, feed 2-3 times daily. For juveniles 1-3 months, feed once daily. Remove uneaten food after 10 minutes to maintain water quality.

When can baby axolotls eat earthworms?
Start offering tiny chopped earthworm pieces around 1-1.5 months old when juveniles reach 2 inches long. Whole nightcrawlers work for juveniles 4+ inches long (3-4 months old).

Do baby axolotls need live food forever?
No, they need live food only during the first 2-3 weeks when hunting instincts require movement. After that, most transition successfully to frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and eventually pellets by 3 months old.

Why won’t my baby axolotl eat pellets?
Young juveniles don’t recognize pellets as food initially. Soak pellets to increase smell, offer alongside familiar frozen foods, and use feeding tongs to target-feed directly. Most accept pellets within 1-2 weeks of consistent exposure.

Can I feed baby axolotls store-bought brine shrimp?
Frozen adult brine shrimp work for larvae 2+ weeks old but lack nutrition compared to freshly hatched live nauplii. Newly hatched larvae need live baby brine shrimp specifically frozen adult shrimp are too large initially.

Abdul Wasay Khatri
Administrator
Abdul Wasay is the founder and lead author of Axolotl Portal, a trusted site for axolotl care. He spent almost nine months learning about axolotls, including their tanks, feeding, water care, and common health problems. His knowledge comes from trusted vets, research, and real experience from long term axolotl owners. All Posts by