Axolotls are known to consume several foods, including cockroaches. The most important thing that should be checked is whether the food they consume has nutritional value. These soft-bodied aquatic salamanders cannot digest the outer covering or skeleton of insects and crustaceans. They possess teeth for grasping their food to swallow and not to chew.
Cockroaches are creatures with chitin which is their outer covering or skeleton. You might want to ask if your axolotls can consume cockroaches.
Yes, axolotls can eat cockroaches if they find them close to them. Cockroaches contain nutrients that your axolotls require. They can be a good source of protein for axolotls.
Cockroaches can be disease carriers, so you must vet them before feeding them to your axolotls. It is easy to access get cockroaches. You can buy them in the pet store nearby or pick them up from your environment, as they are commonly available around many homes.
How Do You Feed Cockroaches to Your Axolotls?
Cockroaches have soft bodies which axolotls can easily digest. Some cockroaches have chitin (skeleton), while others are without skeletons.
If you want to feed cockroaches that have outer covering to your axolotls, ensure you remove their skeleton. The outer covering of cockroaches can cause impaction or damage the digestive tract of axolotls. This is why the removal of the skeleton is necessary.
If the cockroaches are bigger, it will be difficult for your axolotls to swallow them. Preferably, feed small cockroaches that are sizeable to your axolotl’s mouth. It will save the risk of suffocating your axolotls.
Whether dead or live, cockroaches can be fed to your axolotls as long as they are vetted and disease-free. Note the essence of vetting cockroaches is to prevent them from causing harmful diseases to your axolotls. Let’s talk about the number of cockroaches that should be fed to your pet axolotls.
How Many Cockroaches Should You Feed to Your Axolotls?
One to two cockroaches per week won’t be a bad idea. Advisably it is important to feed your axolotls with several types of food.
Your axolotls need access to several nutrients from different types of food. Giving them only one type of food will leave them malnourished. To balance their diet, introduce different types of food to them.
Cockroaches should be in between meals for your axolotls and shouldn’t be more than once or twice per week. Please provide them with the smaller size of cockroaches that will be easier and quicker for them to swallow.
Can I Catch Cockroaches Around My Home to Feed Axolotls?
Well, yes, you can catch cockroaches from around your home to feed your axolotls, but you should be aware that it is risky. Cockroaches from around the home can contract several diseases. Catching them and feeding them to your axolotls will put the life of your axolotls at risk.
I will advise you to buy cockroaches from the local pet store nearby or, better still, order online. If you must feed your axolotls with home-catch cockroaches, do well to vet them properly before axolotls eat them.
What Are Species of Cockroaches Safe to Feed to Your Axolotls?
The species of cockroaches are about 4,500 species. Axolotls could eat any cockroaches they find close to their mouth. Some cockroaches around your home can be poisonous to your axolotls because of the presence of disease in them. This is why studying and knowing the species of cockroaches to feed on your axolotls is important.
We said earlier that some species of cockroaches have soft bodies. Below are some soft-bodied cockroaches you can feed to your axolotls.
1. Greenhouse (Suriname) Cockroaches
Adult cockroaches hunt for these species of cockroaches in the wild. They are also called Pycnoscelus Surinamensis. They are good at burrowing like earthworms. Providing greenhouse cockroaches to your pet axolotls will be a good idea as they are safe for consumption.
2. Green Banana (Cuban) Cockroaches
these species of cockroaches have soft bodies throughout their life cycle. They are usually small and have a bright green color.
They are safe enough to be consumed by axolotls without causing them any health challenges. Cuban cockroaches are known as Panchlora Nivea cockroaches.
3. Red Goblin Cockroaches
Red goblin roaches are also known as the Turkestan or Blatta lateralis. They are also safe for axolotls to consume. They are not commonly found in pet stores. Their soft bodies make easy axolotls to digest.
4. Red Runner or Rusty Red Cockroaches
This is another species of cockroach that is safe for axolotls. You can get them from pet stores around. Adult red runner cockroaches grow up to 1.8 inches.
5. Orange-spotted or Guayana Cockroaches
Guayana cockroaches measure about 1.5 inches when they are fully grown. They are one of the common species of cockroaches that axolotls feed on their pet. They are also known as Blaptica Dubia.
Knowing the best cockroach species to feed your axolotls will keep them happy and healthy.
Are Dubia Cockroaches Good for My Axolotls?
Yes, Dubia cockroaches tend to be the most popular cockroaches fed axolotls. These proteinous rich food are also known as Guayana or orange-spotted cockroaches. Other pet animals, apart from axolotls, feed on them to gain protein.
Dubia roaches can be bought from pet stores as they are well-vetted to avoid diseases. If caught anyone in the natural environment, it is necessary to vet them. You can supplement your axolotl’s diet with dubia cockroaches.
What Other Food Should I Feed to My Axolotls?
Several types of food axolotls gladly consume in the wild, even in captivity. Insects, mollusks, larvae, small fishes, crustaceans, nightcrawlers, worms, and beef and chicken meat, can be fed to axolotls.
Pallet foods are also good supplements you can feed them. Ensure you study the health benefits of any food you want to feed your axolotls. The live food should be free from disease.
What Other Proteinous Food Can I Feed to My Axolotls?
For growth, development, and good health, axolotls need food containing protein, especially younger ones. Foods that are high-quality protein content include krill and egg yolk.
Eggs, yolk, and krill contain protein and other nutrients that help build the immune system of axolotls that need to grow. They have a great taste that makes them a preferred meal for axolotls. But the truth is that feeding this proteinous food to them in excess can cause problems to their health.
High proteinous food should be fed to axolotls moderately. Adult axolotls do not need protein since they are fully grown. Feeding protein food to them will result in obesity.
Conclusion
You can feed live or dead cockroaches to your pet axolotls as they will enjoy it. But it will be good to know the types of species of cockroaches that you should serve to your axolotls, like the Dubia cockroach, red goblin, red runner, green banana, and greenhouse cockroaches.
It would be best if you supplemented cockroaches with other types of food. Don’t limit axolotls to one type of food, as it is an imbalance in their diet. Vet cockroaches to ensure they are free from disease.
