Dusting nightcrawlers?

[Topaz]

I've read that I should be dusting the nightcrawlers for my girl. She's on the worms and feeder guppies, and I may switch her to f/t pinkies one day. What vitamin supplements should she be getting now? She's just over a month old.

[infernalis]

its all personal preference, if you are including feeder guppies, then the snakes are getting calcium. A little dusting here and there with a bit of flukers won't really hurt anything.

I have a bottle of reptile spray vitamins, But hardly ever remember to use it

A balanced diet is more important than "feel good" dust and spray.

[Topaz]

So just night crawlers and fish are fine for a complete diet? Wow, I've heard all kinds of things about a complete diet. I've heard you can only get it with dusting the nightcrawlers if you're feeding that and fish, and I've heard you can only get a balanced diet with rodents.

[dashnu]

i dust. more so for the babies who around here seem to take nothing but worms at first.

[Zephyr]

I never dusted last year on my eastern babies; All of them did fine. Of course, I eventually introduced different food items (Cut up feeder fish, pinky parts, slugs) After a while. My butler's garter snakes eat almost nothing but nightcrawlers and they are growing and have reproduced fine.
**EDIT- However, for all my babies this year, I'm using a mix of two different fishes, calcium carbonate, pinkies/fuzzies, and worms blended together.

[Topaz]

I never dusted last year on my eastern babies; All of them did fine. Of course, I eventually introduced different food items (Cut up feeder fish, pinky parts, slugs) After a while. My butler's garter snakes eat almost nothing but nightcrawlers and they are growing and have reproduced fine.
**EDIT- However, for all my babies this year, I'm using a mix of two different fishes, calcium carbonate, pinkies/fuzzies, and worms blended together.

What two different fish are you using?

[Zephyr]

What two different fish are you using?

Salmon and tilapia; a lot cheaper than feeder fish. Although I may throw anchovies or sardine "fillets" in there occasionally as well.

[Garter_Gertie]

ZEPHER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you DARE waste anchovies on your snakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put them on MY pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I actually thought about anchovies. But decided it prolly wouldn't be good for the snakies due to all the salt. Yeah, you can rinse them but they do have bones - albeit soft ones - but would still be salty as thass yust the way anchovies are. Major reason I LOVE them! I don't know.

Me? I'd not do sardines and anchovies.

[Zephyr]

ZEPHER!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you DARE waste anchovies on your snakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put them on MY pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I actually thought about anchovies. But decided it prolly wouldn't be good for the snakies due to all the salt. Yeah, you can rinse them but they do have bones - albeit soft ones - but would still be salty as thass yust the way anchovies are. Major reason I LOVE them! I don't know.

Me? I'd not do sardines and anchovies.

I'm not using "canned" anchovies and sardines, I'm using ones that the captain of the boat I went tuna fishing on gave me. Also, their external saltiness can be rinsed off; internally, the only major difference between them and a freshwater fish is how they osmoregulate (monitor salt-to-water levels in the body) as opposed to the actual salt levels in their flesh.

[Topaz]

Okay, another question.

If I feed "fillets", then won't the garter not be getting the calcium it needs that it can get from the feeder fish? Or is that just a "sometimes" thing?