Difficult snakes

[Selkielass]

I can get minnows easily, but will they be any lower a parasite load than guppies?
i have a local bait shop that gets their minnows right out if the lake out back- but that's lake St. claire, and it's not particularly pure.

Ive mixed live minnows with fish slivers, pinky parts and worm pieces, and this guy seems to go for only the moving bits and those only till he's just full- he spooks easily and doesn't seem interested in gorging.

I'm out of worms- I may get some minnows when I go to the bait store and take my chances.

[d_virginiana]

I can get minnows easily, but will they be any lower a parasite load than guppies?

Not necessarily... It would depend. It's hard to get a WORSE parasite load than guppies though, considering how crowded the conditions petstores breed/keep them in are.
I was just thinking you may be able to trick him into eating more with fish that are a size up but still small enough for him to eat, and maybe get him to a weight where it'd be safer to treat him for the parasite issues.

Before I knew better, I had one that ate nothing but baitshop minnows for almost ten years and is still doing fine. But since baitshops get their minnows from different suppliers and may be getting different species, that'd really just be your judgement call. I'd probably only do that as a last resort.