silversides ok?

[guidofatherof5]

I've never had any so I couldn't say.

[chris-uk]

Infernalis seem to have an aggressive attitude.
My WC female parietalis is a sweet girl, a real character.
I don't keep the other species you mentioned.

[ConcinusMan]

...or bad attitude.

Ha! I have something to say about that...


That normal you sent me launches himself into orbit if I go anywhere near him and if I pick him up I get musked and sometimes bit repeatedly. At the very least he flails around with his mouth open lunging at my face. If that's not a bad attitude I'd hate to see a red sided that actually does have one.

Truth is, silversides in a grocery store could be anything. Usually true smelt. I wouldn't use those, or use sparingly.

I use Sally's from the pet store though, but I wouldn't say as a staple. I use these and tilapia fillet but I be sure to include rodents and occasionally night crawlers too. Main thing is to not try to raise garters on just one food source unless that food source is rodents.

These are OK. Snakes love 'em and they have no thiaminase. Never had any apparent problems using these. And as far as sodium/salt goes, all fish have it. Fish don't drink water so they do have to keep salt balance with the surrounding water. If they didn't, they would either take too much in and their cells would explode (that's what happens when you put a saltwater fish in freshwater) or the saltwater they're in would suck all the water out of their cells (which is what happens when you put a frog or goldfish in the sea). The salt in these silversides isn't enough to hurt your garters (their kidneys can keep up with it and eliminate it) and freshwater fish have significantly less, true.

These are OK. Good garter food, but not exactly cheap.