Keeping the food alive - namely fish / guppies

[Milamber]

I purchased a red sided garter on Thursday and on Friday I bought him some guppies. The garter seems happy and content. In fact he is currently basking on top of his hide. But the fish are die-ing. How can I keep them alive?

[Qwerty3159]

What are you keeping them in?
They're probably dying from lack of oxygen in the water.

[d_virginiana]

What size container are they in and what are you feeding them? Are you keeping them alive to start a colony or just until you feed them?

[Tommytradix]

its easier and safer to feed nightcrawlers and/or the many f/t options of fish with pinks for added nutrion imo

[d_virginiana]

its easier and safer to feed nightcrawlers and/or the many f/t options of fish with pinks for added nutrion imo

Yeah, they lose interest in guppies once they're much bigger than hatchling size anyway.

[Milamber]

What size container are they in and what are you feeding them? Are you keeping them alive to start a colony or just until you feed them?

Just till he eats them. I have been changing the water daily and of the eight I had originally four are still alive this morning. My snake is a hatchling. He is content it seems. He moves around. Just not eating but I have only had him 4 days

[Albert Clark]

Are these truly guppies or minnows aka rosy reds? Just for clarity sake.

[d_virginiana]

As long as the water is clean, guppies usually do pretty good in still water... Are you treating it with anything like SeaChem Prime (that's what I use)? I treat a couple gallon jugs at a time with that and use them for all my herps. I have frogs that need treated water, so it's just easier for me to do that. It's perfectly safe for snakes and saves you having to walk to the sink to refill water dishes, but it's more of a necessity for fish. That may be your problem.

One bottle of Prime will last you for a year if you're only using it for feeder fish water and one snake, btw, so it's not expensive in the long run.