Feeder Fish

[SourceAll]

Wondering if there is a completely safe feeder fish that is completely safe and easy to breed.

They seem to love fish so there has to be a safe type for them to eat.

Would love to be able to breed a safe type of fish in a small aquarium.

[infernalis]

Feeder guppies are a popular choice.

[Albert Clark]

THIS ^ ^^^^^^ Also Platys are a safe breedable fish.

[guidofatherof5]

Throwing the word completely makes it easy. No. Safer, would have been a better word. Guppies, Mollies and Gambusia(mosquito fish) are about as safe as you will find.
Fish I wouldn't feed unless it was life or death for the snake would be rosy reds, minnows or goldfish.

[SourceAll]

Feeder guppies are a popular choice.

Thanks and do you feed these to your snakes as a staple?

[SourceAll]

THIS ^ ^^^^^^ Also Platys are a safe breedable fish.

Thanks for the response… Do you feed these as a staple and or an occasional snack?

[SourceAll]

Throwing the word completely makes it easy. No. Safer, would have been a better word. Guppies, Mollies and Gambusia(mosquito fish) are about as safe as you will find.
Fish I wouldn't feed unless it was life or death for the snake would be rosy reds, minnows or goldfish.

Thanks and this is the type of cautious answer I would give

Are you saying they are potentially not safe because they may contain some thiaminase or are you saying they are potentially not safe for other reasons like parasites?

Also, I might as well just say what I would like to do and hopefully you guys could tell me if its possible or more importantly not in the snakes best interest. I have had a few garters when I was kid and caught countless specimens that I later released but I currently don’t have any, just in the research stage.

I would like to build a paludarium / vivarium that is bioactive in the water and out. It would be fully planted and have isopods and springtails as janitors.

I would like to find a fish (I’m leaning towards mollies or platys) that I could stock the water feature with that would serve as the snakes main and staple diet. I would have a separate aquarium where I would breed these fish to keep the paludarium stocked. I would supplement this main staple with other items occasionally but as a day to day food item the fish would be it.

I’ve seen this done before in a crude way and was just fascinated by it but I know now as this was when I was a kid that the people didn’t know what they were doing and the fish they were using were gold fish.

Would the snakes (planning on 2 garters not sure which yet, maybe even a water snake or liophis) thrive in a set up like this?

[guidofatherof5]

The bad fish I mentioned have 3 strikes against them: 1- Low nutritional value 2- Thiaminase 3- Parasites
Fish as a staple diet will be lacking in my opinion. A more varied diet is best, night crawlers, frozen/thawed pinkies and fish all have great nutrition when combined. The problem with stocking the water feature is the snakes will clean it out and not eat the other items more readily. Just my opinion.

[Albert Clark]

Thanks for the response… Do you feed these as a staple and or an occasional snack?

YW. Actually, no. I feed f/t pink rats as a staple to my garters with the switch t o hairless hoppers in the appropriate size. I do intersperse with f/t frog legs and f/t silverides. I will scent cut nightcrawlers and pink mice with fish for picky hatchlings or even picky youngsters. That scenting usually works. On another note, even though you are considering live fish as a staple the safety of thiaminase free doesn't mean you are parasite free. Probably parasite diminished.

[SourceAll]

Sorry I'm confused, I thought that you gave me 3 "somewhat safe" feeder fish in your last post?

Please correct me if I'm wrong as I will defer to your years of experience, I watched some of your videos btw very cool. Everything I've read so far, which is of course from the internet and suspect lol says "low nutritional value" means high in fat.

I also gathered some info that Platy's, Mollies, and Mosquito fish are low in fat and do not have thiamanese? Also, it sounds like Parasites are a given in all feeder fish (unless you raise them, which I plan to do)

Are you saying that the fish you mentioned have all these same problems as goldfish just less?

Regardless, it sounds like my original idea is not the best way to feed garters. I think it would still make an incredible display as garters seem to be the best captive snake IMO. They are fun to watch in their environment, fun to feed and yet have lots of personality and seem to seek interaction with their keepers. Could you ask for more

I just need to figure out a good staple that I can raise or make or at the very least, is readily accessible. I will still look into raising my own parasite free platy's since I really like aquariums anyway. I just wont leave extra fish in the water feature and I'll only feed live fish as part their diet.

Do you have any other advice for a new keeper? Maybe some recommendations for the types of garters with the best personalities or most active, that sort of thing?

The bad fish I mentioned have 3 strikes against them: 1- Low nutritional value 2- Thiaminase 3- Parasites
Fish as a staple diet will be lacking in my opinion. A more varied diet is best, night crawlers, frozen/thawed pinkies and fish all have great nutrition when combined. The problem with stocking the water feature is the snakes will clean it out and not eat the other items more readily. Just my opinion.