Garter snake food - fish questions.

[Ameivaboy]

platys,mollies, and swordtails would be a much better route to go than your standard dirty goldfish, but as always variety is key

[AliciaG13]

One thing that I think worked with my snake was remembering that "variety is the spice of life." Unfortunately, he didn't seem to like anything with feet (like crickets) but earthworms and rosy-reds were his favorites. He never got very big, though, so I never had the chance to try him on mice at all. He preferred his food live but would eat just about anything floating in the fish dish.

[KITKAT]

One thing that I think worked with my snake was remembering that "variety is the spice of life." Unfortunately, he didn't seem to like anything with feet (like crickets) but earthworms and rosy-reds were his favorites. He never got very big, though, so I never had the chance to try him on mice at all. He preferred his food live but would eat just about anything floating in the fish dish.

I have had pretty good success with a frozen/thawed pinkie that I float in the dish together with 2 - 3 frozen/thawed minnows.

[Lee]

Well he loves to catch the live fish so after looking at different petstores I found one that sells live pinkie rats/mice. The pinkie rats where just smaller than an adult mouse. Got 2 today to test them out see how he takes to em. Great success thus far. Only got it in 30 mins ago. Went straight for it, kind of gets at ya hearing them squeel but I'll get over it sooner or later.
Any thoughts on if this will improve his life ??

[crayguns]

Hello, I've gotten minnows at the bait station. This works fine and is much cheaper than pet shops. I've dropped them on the floor of the cage or put them in the water bowl. It's interesting to see the snake "harpooning", or trying to get in the bowl with them. Bait stations are usually open year round.

[Lee]

Hello, I've gotten minnows at the bait station. This works fine and is much cheaper than pet shops. I've dropped them on the floor of the cage or put them in the water bowl. It's interesting to see the snake "harpooning", or trying to get in the bowl with them. Bait stations are usually open year round.

No real good bait shops around. I only have fed fish because they are alive, dead food doesnt intrest him much, he ignores it half the time.. I know they have live fish but I thought rodents are a lot healthier for him?

[adamanteus]

Lee, as he's taking live pinks I think you could soon wean him onto dead ones. He won't care, and it's a little less unpleasant for you (and the pinkies!)

[Lee]

Lee, as he's taking live pinks I think you could soon wean him onto dead ones. He won't care, and it's a little less unpleasant for you (and the pinkies!)

Oh he will take dead but its a pain to thaw one and go to the store for one, not to mention it takes like 3 pinkies to fill him up which is more expensive than 1 live rat pup that fills him up. Are there any advantages to feeding dead nutrionally? I don't mind feeding live I'll get used to it..

[drache]

Oh he will take dead but its a pain to thaw one and go to the store for one, not to mention it takes like 3 pinkies to fill him up which is more expensive than 1 live rat pup that fills him up. Are there any advantages to feeding dead nutrionally? I don't mind feeding live I'll get used to it..

not sure I understand this
to me, anything you can keep in a freezer is convenient
don't you have to get the rat pups at the store too?
they don't have them frozen?
the parasite angle is definitely an issue as well
I get my rodents from a breeder
they're flash frozen, they're clean, and they can live in my freezer for about three months, eliminating many trips to the pet shop
not to mention that, even with shipping they cost about half of what the local shop would charge me
so my snakes miss out on the excitement (not that I notice them caring)
I make it up to them by letting them watch our crazy household

[Lee]

not sure I understand this
to me, anything you can keep in a freezer is convenient
don't you have to get the rat pups at the store too?
they don't have them frozen?
the parasite angle is definitely an issue as well
I get my rodents from a breeder
they're flash frozen, they're clean, and they can live in my freezer for about three months, eliminating many trips to the pet shop
not to mention that, even with shipping they cost about half of what the local shop would charge me
so my snakes miss out on the excitement (not that I notice them caring)
I make it up to them by letting them watch our crazy household

I can't keep them in the freezer. For one, I don't want frozen rodents in my freezer, nor does my S/O.
Cazador: This is true and is something to think about, is there a cheap med I can use to make sure they don't have any?