What happened to my little garter :(

[XXxxXXxx]

Yes they were frozen / thawed lance fish , I think lance fish are the same as silver sides or at least very close in relation ..

I don't think they were already supplemented though , people use them for feeding to carnivorous fish so i don't think they would put supplements in.

That is what the shops around here sell for feeding to snakes like garters and yes it was a fish only diet , i was going to buy some earth worms the next time i was at the shop but that doesn't look like its going to happen

I know a lot of people say mice are the best but i grew up loving mice and such , so feeding small ones to a snake isn't what i want to be doing ...

I also just thought that it could be a vitamin D3 over consumption that caused a problem , The supplement has D3 in it as well at Vitamin A i believe and with me having a Uv bulb in there it could be too much D3 ?? But i don't know if that could have done anything at all ..

Oh and yes i don't live in the US , Im in the UK ..

[snakehill]

I know how you feel about the mice issue!

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't care what people say, mice are not needed. As long as you mix it up. Fish, worms, supps, etc. It's not a natural diet, so obviously, they're just fine without it. there's less of a risk though.

Don't get me wrong, they're a great diet, i really want to start feeding them, but it's not needed.

As for the supps.. you're only supposed to do it once a month or so. So that could've been a problem.

[ConcinusMan]

Yes they were frozen / thawed lance fish , I think lance fish are the same as silver sides or at least very close in relation ..

I don't think they were already supplemented though , people use them for feeding to carnivorous fish so i don't think they would put supplements in.

They do supplement them. Read the ingredients carefully. I have yet to find any that weren't supplemented. Sally's, Ocean Nutrition, they all do it.

I don't supplement at all, other than what they get from occasional silverside feedings. It's best just to give them as varied a diet as possible. You don't really need to supplement if your snakes get whole fish and rodents. Supplementing is a slippery slope and a balancing act. It's too easy to oversupplement or throw things out of balance. And no, rodents are not absolutely necessary. Just makes it easier for your snake to get a balanced diet.

I'm not saying this killed your snake. Not at all. If it was a very young snake, then I don't know a single person here who has raised litters, that this hasn't happened to. Sudden deaths happen for no apparent reason sometimes.

Did his skin look wrinkled at all? retained sheds happen, especially with babies and it's usually fatal. They always die curled up with mouth open when that happens.

[RedSidedSPR]

I'm not saying it killed him either. Just pointing it out.

other than what they get from occasional silverside feedings.

Are you saying they supp those? I use them kinda alot...

[guidofatherof5]

I beginning to think that a worm, mice diet may be the most balanced and safe.
I'm having less and less confidence in the quality and safety of the fish I have available to me.
I might have to start fishing again. Catch a bunch of bluegill, fillet them and freeze them for 3 months. I know a farmer that has a farm pond full of them. He also uses no chemicals on his farm. He goes by the Natural Farmer. Might be a safer place to get some fish.

[XXxxXXxx]

They do supplement them. Read the ingredients carefully. I have yet to find any that weren't supplemented. Sally's, Ocean Nutrition, they all do it.

I havn't used any like that for a few months , The last ones i bought just came in a plastic zip-lock bag ..

I used to feed them the ocean nutrition ones and never used supplements with them ...

So i don't know maybe they were already supplemented , but would they have the right vitamins in ? Reptiles would need different vitamins to tropical fish ...

Also what do you do with dead reptiles ? I have never had this situation , do you guys just put them in a box and bury them like you would with smaller animals ??

And thanks for all the reply's guys , this forum seems to be very active !!

[ConcinusMan]

I just flush the small ones like you would a goldfish.

[Mix]

I boxed and buried mine. I haven't seen anywhere that that's not ok...

[Sonya610]

I just flush the small ones like you would a goldfish.

Nice sensitive answer there Richard. : )