Worms

[gregmonsta]

Good link Greg. Thanks.

Their the guys I use when I suspect babies :P

[guidofatherof5]

I've had Glyph since the beginning of last October. He was eating rosy minnows and guppies in October and November.

I switched to worms and pinkies in the same week at the beginning of December. It took him a couple of hours to eat the pinky the first time, but since then I've had no trouble getting him to eat whole pinkies right away with tongs.

Worms took two or three times, I think. Also, I was cutting them up because they kept squirming out of the hemostats. Finally I just decided to try feeding them to him live by hand and he takes them with no trouble at all. I was a little worried about getting bit but they are long enough that my hand is a fair distance from his mouth, I just have to hold them by the other end!

I bought him from the pet store and I think all they fed him were goldfish...which you don't want to do. But that's what they recommended I feed him.

I think it was a good decision to phase the rosies out.

[angrygamer]

I think it was a good decision to phase the rosies out.

When I was first reading up on diet, the first couple places places I read said that they were fine. It wasn't until later on that I found out that they weren't good for Garters.

[JodiLeigh]

Thank you guys

So lob worms are safe?

The care sheet on this website also says not to use goldfish or rosy minnows.
That's bad that the pet shop advised feeding him goldfish!

[guidofatherof5]

Thank you guys

So lob worms are safe?

The care sheet on this website also says not to use goldfish or rosy minnows.
That's bad that the pet shop advised feeding him goldfish!

Very typical for that to happen.
I'm surprised they didn't recommend crickets or mealworms.

[EasternGirl]

Yep...the pet store that I often go to for supplies...substrate and such...told me to feed crickets. Whatever... Sorry, I should have also said Greg could tell you about worms over there .

[JodiLeigh]

Fishing Worms and Bait - Lobworms | Worms Direct

So lob worms are safe to feed garters then?

[JodiLeigh]

So if I buy some frozen fillets of salmon or trout from an everyday supermarket is that safe and adequate for Manny?

I would also feed him pinkies and worms for variety and complete nutrition

Would I need to add a calcium supplement to the worms and frozen fish fillets or will the pinkies provide enough calcium even though I wouldn't feed him pinkies every time?

[guidofatherof5]

I don't buy any pre-frozen fish.
Only fresh fish.
Packaged, pre-frozen fish can cause problems. He's a link to a thread Wayne (Infernalis) started.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husb...ozen-fish.html

[Light of Dae]

Don't buy pre-frozen fish. There are things they put in in for 'human consumption' that is not safe for or reptilian friends, I believe it's called 'trisodium phosphat' something like that, but either way it's bad. Buy only Fresh Fish.

I a while back went to the bait shop n they were out of 'dew worms' and had a container with what were labeled as 'red wigglers' But I opened it n looked, they were mis-labeled, I took one n squeezed it n pinched it with my nails, n there were no secretions so I used them, and they were fine. Just have to be VERY careful to be sure which they were. If in doubt, don't feed em.