NomSafeNovember: The truth about pellets
It's time for part four of myth-busting the most common food mistakes made by the average axolotl owner. Today we'll be discussing Hikari sinking carnivore pellets, why they're not an ideal option for axolotls, and a few alternatives that we feel are more suitable to help keep your baby happy and healthy.
First, let's talk pellets in general. Pellets can be a great way to add variety to your axolotl's diet, but it's important to be selective about the type of pellets you feed your axolotl.
Recently, we posted about our intake and rehabilitation process and touched briefly on one of the most common mistakes we come across amongst our surrenders: axolotls that have been fed a diet solely or predominantly composed of Hikari sinking carnivore pellets. (Read our Intake Process post here)
Don’t let the package fool you; even though Hikari puts pictures of axolotls on their carnivore pellets, these are not appropriate for axolotls. Although they contain a large amount of protein, these particular pellets are also extremely hard. In fact, according to the brand itself, these pellets are designed not to break down or mold in your tank over time if they're not eaten immediately.
Because they are so hard, many axolotls cannot keep sinking carnivore pellets down, and those that are able to keep them down remain at risk of becoming impacted by these hard pellets.
What do we recommend instead?
The key to a good axolotl pellet is its moistness. Axolotls are soft, inside and out; they do best with soft, easily digestible foods (we'll be covering the issues of attempting to feed chitinous insects like mealworms and crickets later this month). When purchasing supplies for our surrenders, there are two brands we usually use:
aquatic foods Axolotl Sinking Soft Moist Pellets by Rangen - available from Amazon and other online retailers
Ken's Ultra Soft & Moist Pellets - available from KensFish.com
Both of these brands offer a moist, salmon-based sinking pellet that is available in a variety of sizes, meaning that you can choose the best size for your individual axolotl. There are other brands of moist salmon pellets available at many pet stores, so if you can't find or get either of the above just make sure the pellets you do get are moist. The drier and harder the pellet, the more difficult it will be for your axolotl to digest.
Is there anything I should be concerned about when feeding pellets?
Pellets are a great part of a varied axolotl diet, but overfeeding pellets can lead to bloating, constipation, and even gas. While these are not fatal, they are all uncomfortable for your axolotl to experience.
If your axolotl regularly regurgitates their pellets, you may want to consider switching to a different brand or offering live foods instead.
If you are pellet feeding, we also recommend using a bowl or small container on the bottom of your tank; drop the pellets into this container and, over time, your axolotls will begin to expect to eat there. Having pellets in a container makes it easier to suction out leftover pellets if you accidentally overfeed—one of the most common causes of poor water quality and health issues!
