Silversides per feeding

[ahhainteresting]

Most garters and ribbons do fine and can live on whole silversides their entire lives if need be. if using whole fish like that, a light supplementation using reptivite or other supplement formulated for reptiles once every few months is plenty. Don't overdo it on the supplements. Ocean Nutrition brand are already supplemented, but San Fransisco Bay Brand "Sally's sliversides" are packed in water and much higher quality. There's no hard and fast rule about how much to feed. Just feed until they have a significant bulge and feed again when it's gone, or about twice a week. It's hard to feed them too much fish. They tend to get obese if you overfeed them on rodents though. If they're getting a variety of whole foods that includes rodents, you can skip the supplements altogether.

Thank you so so much! I'll definitely look into that brand!

[anery]

What kinds of supplements?

[guidofatherof5]

I use Rep-Cal calcium with D3 for my snakes/reptiles.

[anery]

How much should I put on the fish?

[guidofatherof5]

How much should I put on the fish?

Dust the back 2/3rds Some garters refuse the food if the product is on the front. Once it starts into the processing plant they usually swallow it.

[anery]

So you could feed them silversides with occasional supplements for the snakes lifetime? Or will it still need variety?

[guidofatherof5]

So you could feed them silversides with occasional supplements for the snakes lifetime? Or will it still need variety?

Variety is the best for the entire life of the snake. Each food offers nutrients the others don't offer. Variety, variety, variety.

[bets5614]

Hello all. My son received a Eastern Ribbon snake as a birthday present on 12/14/16. I am having trouble getting it to eat. We have tried crickets, he has 3 swimming minnow fish in his water bowl, and thawed silversides. Nada. What can we do to illicit a feeding response in this little guy? I know that ribbon snakes are inherently slender, but this guy arrived looking underweight. IMG_1571.JPG

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum. Ditch the crickets. Beautiful Ribbon,yours looks fine It can take weeks, sometimes longer for them to start eating. Minnows are not a good food source. They usually contain parasites and they do have Thiaminase which is an enzyme that blocks the absorption of vitamin B1. Guppies, Mollies and Gambusia are a much safer fish. Ribbon snakes are shy and flighty, many times they won't eat while you are there. Where did the snake come from? Replace the fish with one of the others, give a large clear water bowl. Ribbons love to swim and the clear bowl(glass is great) will help to stimulate a feeding response if they can see the fish swimming around. Be patient and allow the snake plenty of space. As a rule Ribbons are not a good hands-on garter. I'd suggest you start your own thread about this situation so you can keep track of it better and keep the responses directed at your situation.
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