[Cazador]

Hi Roy,
I had the same problem with two of the blue pickeringii that I ordered. One turned out to have a case of mouth rot (somatitis). Look very closely at the gum line, and see if it looks swolen or if the mouth doesn't close properly. If the gums are swollen too much, the teeth won't be able to grip the food properly, and food can slip out of its mouth. If the gums are swolen, separate your two garters as soon as possible, and clean out the mouth (and any residue) with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Then let let us know about follow-up treatment. If the gums are swollen, wash your hands well with antibiotic soap after you're done so you don't infect yourself, and be sure not to rub your mucous membranes.

If the gums look fine, I'd provide Vitamin B (thiamin) supplement. Vitamin B1 deficiency leads to lack of energy and neurological problems, including poor coordination. Just scrape a bit of Vitamin B powder from any commercial Vitamin B pill onto (or into the mouth of) a dead guppy. Then get an assistant to open the garter's mouth (with a paperclip or similar) while you insert the guppy into the garter's mouth. If the gums are swollen, you might need to use tweezers to get the guppy started down its throat. Let us know if you have problems with this technique. There are other methods.

At best, your baby just hasn't figured things out yet and needs a little help getting used to swallowing food. Sometimes they're kinda dense, like that. If this is the case, I'd just get them started, and they'll catch on eventually. Lack of eating is particularly serious with babies, so I hope others will offer their viewpoints and other/better techniques. Best,
Rick