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guidofatherof5
08-23-2010, 10:53 AM
I just had an idea and thought I would run it by everyone.
As I looked in on my Checkereds I felt a pain in my wallet as another trip to the Pet Shop was needed.
I don't want to raise fish and it's getting pricey to keep buying a hundred at a time. I also find thawing out fish for scenting purposes to be a mess and a waste. I have also had bad experiences with store bought fish(frozen) of any kind.
I was wondering if anyone has considered scenting food with fish oil(vitamin supp). Fish oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_oil)
What do you think? It would sure be convenient and a lot less messy. It may also be a health benefit to the snakes.
flickerfriend
08-23-2010, 11:28 AM
Though i'm not half experienced on snake health things but it seems to be a good idea.
Stefan-A
08-23-2010, 11:29 AM
As long as it's used in small amounts, I don't think it would be harmful. I wouldn't use more than what is necessary for scenting.
guidofatherof5
08-23-2010, 11:36 AM
As long as it's used in small amounts, I don't think it would be harmful. I wouldn't use more than what is necessary for scenting.


My though exactly.
I know that it is in a concentrated form but concentrated for us. Thanks.
drache
08-23-2010, 02:45 PM
keep us posted on how well it works

I've now got some fish specialists - they will eat trout, but not salmon or silversides
Mommy2many
08-23-2010, 06:40 PM
keep us posted on how well it works

I've now got some fish specialists - they will eat trout, but not salmon or silversides

I as well. They have decided (collectively) to stick up their snakey noses at the freshly bought and offered silversides the other day. Here we go again:D

Spoiled snakes.
guidofatherof5
08-29-2010, 08:42 PM
Well, I gave it a try.
First to get a shot at this fish oil was some troubled baby radixes.
I squeezed the fish oil in a water bottle cap. With my hemostats I dipped the very small worm chunks in the oil.
At first I was met with no interest but then they grabbed the worm and ate it. I did have a couple that refused it though.
My Checkered refused it hands down.
I will continue to use it as an aid to getting some of this troubled eaters going.
Tyrel26
08-29-2010, 08:53 PM
i have to sent fish with night crawlers...go figure lol
guidofatherof5
08-29-2010, 08:55 PM
i have to sent fish with night crawlers...go figure lol

Never heard that one before.:D
Tyrel26
08-29-2010, 08:58 PM
Its the only was most of my babies will eat fish. If I offer them fish they have no interest at all, but rub a piece of fish on a night crawler and offer it to them and the attack it like theres no tomorrow. Maybe they are training me....lol
guidofatherof5
08-29-2010, 09:13 PM
Its the only was most of my babies will eat fish. If I offer them fish they have no interest at all, but rub a piece of fish on a night crawler and offer it to them and the attack it like theres no tomorrow. Maybe they are training me....lol

If I were you I'd make up a plate of goulash(worms and fish) and let them dig in.
ConcinusMan
08-30-2010, 02:54 AM
i have to sent fish with night crawlers...go figure lol

yeah, I haven't heard that one either, and I don't even think it's possible to be honest. If a snake flat refuses to eat fish in the first place, scenting with worms won't help since the fish smell is much stronger.
Tyrel26
08-30-2010, 07:35 AM
Quote"yeah, I haven't heard that one either, and I don't even think it's possible to be honest. If a snake flat refuses to eat fish in the first place, scenting with worms won't help since the fish smell is much stronger."

Just because YOU haven't seen or heard of it doesn't make it impossible. Frankly, I don't know why you are always so negative to everyones posts, yet you complain as soon as someone posts something remotely negative towards a post of yours.

True that the scent of the fish is stronger than the smell of the night crawler but that doesn't mean there is no scent transfer. Its like people that wear aftershave to try to cover up the smell of body odor, it doesn't work but both smells are there.

I have to feed my little guys soon anyway so Ill make a video of it this time.
Snakers
08-30-2010, 10:52 PM
Ugh....Here we go again.... This is Thamnophis.com..... If anyone wants the argue find a politics forum.............:rolleyes:
Stefan-A
08-31-2010, 01:35 AM
Indeed. Go after each other through PM's, if you really have something to settle.
ConcinusMan
08-31-2010, 02:16 AM
I hear you. I have nothing to settle. Just making a point, and thanks for backing me up on that point.

Now, out of respect for Steve, moving on... the fish oil thing is not necessarily a bad idea, it's just that it's fat and not necessarily good for garters and also not necessarily the "smelliest" part of the fish.

If one were to buy some fish fillets for feeding garters, I imagine that the tough skin could be "pureed" and the juices drained and perhaps frozen. A bit of that would make an excellent thing to scent items with fish smell. Very smelly, and I think it would be more effective than fish oil.
drache
08-31-2010, 05:32 AM
as to transfer of scent . . .
in my mind it's not so much covering up the scent of the item, as it is adding enough of a scent that they will recognize as food
it has been my experience with snakes that are switched from live fish to frozen/thawed rodents via the dead-pinky-floating-in-the-fishbowl method, that they will spit out the rodent the first few times, but eventually take it. I believe that it's because they get used to the rodent flavour mixing with the fish flavour, and eventually associate it with food
ConcinusMan
08-31-2010, 01:22 PM
Some of my adult concinnus took rodents(pinkies and fuzzys) right away. Others I had to scent them and even then, they'd grab it, then drop it. I guess it just didn't "feel" right. They came around eventually and they all eat an occasional fuzzy or two in addition to their regular diet of fish and night crawlers.
drache
08-31-2010, 01:29 PM
I do have a garter who will not take things too furry - rat fuzzy fine, weanling mouse not
ConcinusMan
08-31-2010, 01:44 PM
But seriously, a little juice from thawing fish is all that is needed. maybe when you thaw a bunch at feeding time you could just save the juice and freeze it. Then when you need to scent food you can just thaw some juice?
Mommy2many
08-31-2010, 07:17 PM
I guess like people, snakes each have their preference. Mine have all seemed to take the fish, pinky, worm, etc thing pretty much without incident. They will, however, at times stick up their little snakey noses at the offered dinner of the day. At that point, it's wait a few days and try again or try something else. I know they like & eat it, so the question is not "if" but "when" and then "what". To each his own...