First cohabitation tank!

[d_virginiana]

I've had garters for over ten years, but have never housed multiple snakes together before (due to size concerns, and my blind snake who doesn't socialize well). But it's been almost two months since Harley was officially parasite-free, and about two weeks since she shed off. I waited until she slowed down her post-illness eating frenzy to house her with anyone, but she seems to have calmed down after about two large feedings and is eating calmly now.
I'm going out tomorrow to get some decorations to furnish their joint cage, and going to get them in together within a day or two!

[guidofatherof5]

Could you be jumping the gun on housing Harley this soon after the skin issue? Hasn't there only been 1 good shed since the diagnoses/medication?
I would think a few successful sheds would be better before housing with other snakes.
Just my opinion.

[d_virginiana]

Could you be jumping the gun on housing Harley this soon after the skin issue? Hasn't there only been 1 good shed since the diagnoses/medication?
I would think a few successful sheds would be better before housing with other snakes.
Just my opinion.

Thanks, I posted this kind of hoping any issues with the plan would be brought up...
She does seem very healthy, and is a good weight for her age/size. Maybe even a little heavy, since I've been letting her eat whenever she wants since her illness. But she seems to shed every four months or so... That makes it almost next year before she could be housed with any other snakes, if I wait for 2-3 sheds? (it's rather late here right now, so forgive me if my math is off)

The diagnosis was made three months ago, and treatment lasted 1 month. After that, the damaged outer skin was present until this most recent shed, and the new skin looks as if nothing happened (I need to put up some pictures just to show her off!). So, she's been parasite-free for close to two months now with no symptoms of reinfection, and the shed of the damaged skin going well was my primary concern .

The main con to housing her with another snake is that, even though she is a healthy weight, I am always kind of paranoid (hence why they haven't been put together yet..). If there are any health concerns, they should've shown up by now, but her safety is first, My main concern is unforseen complications if she becomes gravid. If the other snake were female, I wouldn't worry at all.


UGH. The hurry to get them in the same tank is mainly because her quarantine tank is so... Bleh. It's a short rubbermaid with holes in it, exactly like those in tub/rack systems I've seen breeders use, but it kills me that she's not able to be in her big open tank for so long. I can tell she's annoyed with it.
At any rate, the male is done with his new-guy quarantine, so I can still go ahead and decorate the tank for when she can join him (I do pretty spartan, easily sanitized decor for quarantine, just in case)

[d_virginiana]

Just adding, this is the sort of thing I realize that I really WANT to do. But I do realize that that may be playing a part in my decision-making. Which is why I typically put something up whenever I start seriously considering it, just in case there are major red flags that I'm kind of blinded to.

[chris-uk]

Just adding, this is the sort of thing I realize that I really WANT to do. But I do realize that that may be playing a part in my decision-making. Which is why I typically put something up whenever I start seriously considering it, just in case there are major red flags that I'm kind of blinded to.

Nothing wrong with a bit of peer review.

I'd give her one more shed.

[guidofatherof5]

A tank being "Bleh" isn't a good enough reason to circumvent good quarantine decisions. If it were me I'd wait at least one more shed cycle before I housed Harley with anyone else. If your math is right that would be a long enough time to see if any problems are there. Better safe then sorry. Just my opinion.

[EasternGirl]

I agree with the others. Also, when you do decide to house the snakes together, make sure you do it when you have plenty of time to supervise them together for the first couple of hours. When I put new snakes together, I always do that to make sure that they are going to get along. Most times, I allow the snakes to have supervised visits with one another a couple of times...just to get to know each other...before actually putting them together.

[d_virginiana]

Yeah, I'm going to wait one more shed...

I've been considering doing a very gradual introduction considering the size difference. She's big for her age, and the male is on the small size; they're both 2 years old. If they didn't get along he'd be in big trouble.