first garter snakes, advise please

[tif]

I need the name of a good book on garter snakes. I looked up a bunch of info on the web. I have other snakes. This is my first garter. I have 2. A red side and an albino checkered. They are small. I feed them some rosy reds and they ate those. I tried a pinky F/T on tongs and the garter wouldn't take it. I dropped the F/T pinky in the water bowl with some live rosy reds and it ate it and the rosy reds. My questions 1. Do you always have to feed them in the water? How do you feed them if not in water? My other snakes I put in containers and offer F/T mice from tongs Or leave it lay in container and they eat it.
I can usually tell when my other snakes are hungry. These guys always look hungry. I've been feeding every 5 days. It ate about 6 rosy reds and 2 sm F/T pinks. I have only had them for less than a week. I fed when I brought them home and I feed today.
Thanks in Advance for your help.

[Stefan-A]

You don't have to feed them in water, you can feed them the same way as your other snakes. I prefer to feed mine from tongs. You can feed them 1-3 times per week, depending on their age, but rosy reds aren't the best choice of fish. It contains an enzyme called thiaminase, which breaks down thiamin (B1).

[drache]

when they first start taking rodents after being used to fish, they find them more easily in water
try reducing both the fish and the water - like just exough fish for scent and just enough water to keep the fish alive for a minute
then next time you can try a dead fish, or a bit of fish scent, and no water

[count dewclaw]

I like to feed my garters and ribbon snake off a "dish". I put the food items on a plastic coffee can lid. Since I use paper towel for substrate, I don't have to worry about them accidentally ingesting the substrate.

Like Rhea said, it may take a little time to switch them over to f/t food items. I use f/t pinkies (cut up if needed) and f/t tilapia fillets (again cut into pieces the right size for the snake). It sounds like your snakes are very young, you could feed them every 2-3 days at this point.

[tif]

thanks all. new question- Should I take them out of their home tank to feed. I do this with my other snakes so they won't get snippy.

[Stefan-A]

thanks all. new question- Should I take them out of their home tank to feed. I do this with my other snakes so they won't get snippy.

If they'll eat somewhere else, then it might be a good idea.