Feeder goldfish

[JLDomestics]

Did you know that feeder goldfish are farmed outside and that they harbour just as many parasites as wild caught feeders would?

[adamanteus]

Did you know that feeder goldfish are farmed outside and that they harbour just as many parasites as wild caught feeders would?

Goldfish are not recommended as feeder fish anyway, Jeremy, because they contain Thiaminase.

[Lee]

I'm about to embark on a journey to a local bait shop that sells minnows/suckers/shiners/waterdogs etc to try and find something more natural and healthy for my snake. Much better than goldfish and I don't think they are that expensive.

[adamanteus]

I'm about to embark on a journey to a local bait shop that sells minnows/suckers/shiners/waterdogs etc to try and find something more natural and healthy for my snake. Much better than goldfish and I don't think they are that expensive.

Lee, Won't your snake take scented pinks?

[Lee]

My snake eats worms, fish, pinkies, adult mice, rat pups. Everything, however I'm going to switch off with mice/fish to vary the diet and he likes to catch the fish because hes WC. He is probably 28-30" right now, and he eats like a pig ha.

[adamanteus]

Hey, good for you. I'm all for a more varied diet, as some of my previous threads will show!:rolleyes:

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husbandry/511-rodent-diet.html?highlight=Rodent+diet

[Lee]

Oh, I just read in that thread that Vagans is the only one to eat rodents regularly in their diet. What luck I have a Vagans!

[ScimitarX]

I think a varied diet is best, in the wild they could eat what they fancy. ive give mine mainly mice but i do give them the occassional white bait. I prefer garter grub as a main alternative as it has all the nutrients in it.

[adamanteus]

I may be wrong Claire, but I think whitebait contains Thiaminase. I use trout as the staple fish for my snakes, I know trout is safe.

[adamanteus]

I have only had my T. radix for one week, but in that time I have fed them on small pieces of trout, pinky parts, worms, fish-scented chicken heart and captive reared tadpoles. I am a great believer in varied diet.....I love pasta, but I don't want to eat it three times a day!

[ScimitarX]

I'm not sure, i had heard if you thaw it out at a certain temperature it destoys the thiaminase. I never had problems with it. But i dont give it that often anymore unless they wont eat mice or the garter grub.

[adamanteus]

Yeah, that's right, but the temperature to destroy Thiaminase is so high that it partially cooks the fish. I just buy fresh whole trout from the supermarket and cut it into sensibly sized portions before freezing it. It's actually cheaper.

[CrazyHedgehog]

My chequered are active at night and quite scatty...
My SanFarancisco is quite quiet and secretive most of the time,
my oregon red spot is up and nosying about at all times...
My blacknecked usually like to be basking at the top of a branch....
the commons are out all day one day, then all hide the next!! whats that all about?
The Florida blues are only brave when there is food to be had, otherwoise they speedily retreat

James, you mentioned frogs and tadpoles...and you have mentioned this before and I am curious, do you breed in your house, in the pond outside? do you just collect frogspawn???

I too believe in a varied diet and think this is a good idea, but I love frogs.. not sure if I could do this.... (but then again I love mice and you have seen my shed:rolleyes: )

But I would like to give it some serious consideration...(should I start a new frog thread?)

[adamanteus]

Inge, I collect frogspawn when I am working on a building site where it would otherwise be destryed. Then I rear the tadpoles in a child's paddling pool in my back garden.

I have found that even the most stubborn of babies, who won't eat anything else, can't resist tadpoles!

[krystalirelan@southslope.]

we just started feeding tadpoles and they love it. I have noticed that the female will not eat anything pre killed. she is quite the hunter. they also like minnows and i haven't given them worms yet.

[adamanteus]

This year I am going to dig/build a pretty substantial "natural" pond on my allotment, which is already well populated with frogs. This should make my life easier, it will be less "rearing" and more "harvesting".

[CrazyHedgehog]

so, do tadpoles get worms and things? do you need to deworm your snakes periodically? or are they classed as a safe food?

[adamanteus]

Inge, I think the general consensus here is that tadpoles and frogs do carry parasites, and are therefore not a "safe food". I have used both for years and never had a problem, I've never needed to de-worm a snake through feeding these. This may change when I start using tadpoles from my new pond (when I build it) rather than those raised in a more controlled environment.

[KITKAT]

Inge, I think the general consensus here is that tadpoles and frogs do carry parasites, and are therefore not a "safe food". I have used both for years and never had a problem, I've never needed to de-worm a snake through feeding these. This may change when I start using tadpoles from my new pond (when I build it) rather than those raised in a more controlled environment.

Unless they have been frozen for 30 days and then thawed for feeding... IMHO...:rolleyes: But maybe not all members agree with me...

[drache]

I'm ambivalent about the parasite issue
of course I wouldn't want any
at the same time
I know I'm taking changes taking my beardie to the park
I mean pidgeon poop's got to be infested, and squirrels and all the other garbage eating park critters
and if I had a pond with frogs, I'd want to offer them to my snakes
it'd be a little scary
sometimes quality of life requires a little risk taking
after all, many Americans risk e-coli and Hep A nearly every day with the consumption of fast food processed meats and added fillers from countries even less regulated