To goldfish or Not to goldfish, that is the question

[ephemerata]

I see in the care sheets that fish like perch, bass, trout, etc. are good fish for garters to eat. I have been giving mine a selection of a couple minnows, goldfish, and worms every other day. The nightcrawlers have a sprinkle of Reptivite once a week or so. He is in perfect health and is probably approaching his first birthday.

However because of the controversial thiamine issue, I am considering switching over or adding in the fish kinds on the care sheet. Do you buy it frozen at the grocery store human-grade? Or does it need to be 'special'? They did not carry those fish frozen at the pet store I visited. How do you get him to eat something not wriggling around? Are easterns more suited to one of these fish(..at least I think he is an eastern..)?

A special consideration is that I am a vegetarian so as little flesh handling on my part is good.

[Stefan-A]

Do you buy it frozen at the grocery store human-grade?
I buy it fresh (if it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for my snakes ;) ), cut it into pieces of suitable size and freeze them.


How do you get him to eat something not wriggling around?
Offer it together with something that is wriggling around, or just keep offering until the snake accepts it.

[TwistidMutations]

I use fresh trout usually theu love it! anyway on the wiggle factor cut into small strips and use tongs and make it wiggle yourself! they usually adapt very fast to this method i've found out.anyway good luck

[ephemerata]

I buy it fresh (if it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for my snakes ;) ), cut it into pieces of suitable size and freeze them.


Offer it together with something that is wriggling around, or just keep offering until the snake accepts it.

cool, thanx

[ephemerata]

I use fresh trout usually theu love it! anyway on the wiggle factor cut into small strips and use tongs and make it wiggle yourself! they usually adapt very fast to this method i've found out.anyway good luck

gotta try, will let you know

[guidofatherof5]

Radixes must be different.
They don't care if it's moving or not. If it smells like food they hit it.

[TwistidMutations]

Radixes must be different.
They don't care if it's moving or not. If it smells like food they hit it.

Because there garbage disposals!

[guidofatherof5]

Because there garbage disposals!

Was that a slam to my delicate little garbage guts:D

[TwistidMutations]

Nope, Mine are the same way.

[guidofatherof5]

They are amazing. Live,dead,rotten, dried out they don't care.
It's one of the things I love most about them.:D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

to goldfish or not to goldfish?

Definitely not to goldfish!!! stick to thiaminase free foods for the health of your snake! :cool:

[ephemerata]

to goldfish or not to goldfish?

Definitely not to goldfish!!! stick to thiaminase free foods for the health of your snake! :cool:


...And can you believe it, at the pet store when i was asking about thiamin free fish he brought out a pet care book, which suggested ADDING thiamin. There are a lot of mixed messages on this out there..
i'm here to learn - thanks:)

[drache]

thiamine (vitamin B1) is the vitamin that thiaminase depletes, or more accurately thiaminase prevents the body from absorbing B1, so adding it doesn't really solve the problem

[Stefan-A]

thiamine (vitamin B1) is the vitamin that thiaminase depletes, or more accurately thiaminase prevents the body from absorbing B1, so adding it doesn't really solve the problem
Actually, it does break down thiamine, it breaks thiamine into two parts. Adding thiamin is of limited use, because thiaminase itself isn't destroyed or disabled in the process.

[ephemerata]

thiamine (vitamin B1) is the vitamin that thiaminase depletes, or more accurately thiaminase prevents the body from absorbing B1, so adding it doesn't really solve the problem
Oh yeah, thanks for that correction.
Next question: how do you get the breading off the frozen fish sticks?:o
just kidding.

[ephemerata]

I use fresh trout usually theu love it! anyway on the wiggle factor cut into small strips and use tongs and make it wiggle yourself! they usually adapt very fast to this method i've found out.anyway good luck
ok, did what you said...got 1/4 lb idaho-farm raised trout from the natural grocery store. They cut it into bits for me which is cool because i don't eat meat. Sugar and i have a routine: he eats on his blue towel on my lap, so put the trout on a lid on the blue towel to 'trick' him. He took a little longer than usual but I knew he was quite hungry and ate two peices. I had started wiggling it with chopsticks, but it was not even necessary. He ate it still.
Yipee! thanks all for your feedback-only in this day and age could a snake in texas eat a fish from idaho and i can talk about it with people around the world..
:p

[drache]

yeah - that is pretty amazing
congrats on the easy take