A couple questions about dekayi care

[Tora]

Okay, so he's not actually a Storeria Dekayi, he's a Storeria Victa, but I just have a couple questions about feeding.

He's fed twice for me so far, both times he ate some cut up nightcrawler pieces. However, I'm wondering how often to feed? I have him on a weekly schedule currently, but I do wonder if it's supposed to be more frequent.

He's in a 10 gallon tank with a 25 watt mini halogen bulb, I'll have him on a uth after my new thermostat gets here, which has a temp of 84. His cool side is at 78, and he has a humid hide on the cool side. He's got various plants as well as eco earth to burrow in, and he has two other hides. He's about 7-8" which leads me to believe he is an adult, as victa are usually smaller than their northern cousins. I'll get a few pictures in a little bit, he's a really pretty red orange/brownish color.

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to seeing the photos. Photos will also help us give advice on feeding.

[Tora]

Snek 1.jpg

This is the best picture I could manage, still have to find my actual camera, but that's him next to an average sized pen. I fed him on sunday night(kinda like his own little xmas feast lol), and he had the slight bulge from the worm pieces that he ate.

[guidofatherof5]

Snek 1.jpg

This is the best picture I could manage, still have to find my actual camera, but that's him next to an average sized pen. I fed him on sunday night(kinda like his own little xmas feast lol), and he had the slight bulge from the worm pieces that he ate.

"Slight bulge" is a good way to judge the amount of food you are giving. Depending on how soon the budge disappears might help to know how many times you feed. Twice to 3 times a week could work very well.
They also love to eat slugs.

[Tora]

I'd love to find some slugs for him after it rains today, if it rains. Its been pretty dry here for the past couple weeks, only enough of a sprinkle to wet the roads a little. I might step it up to twice a week, he's been pacing today, similarly to the corn snakes I took care of for a friend over the summer. I'll see if I can find some slugs in a little bit. The area I usually find them in, no one uses pesticides in about a 1 mile radius, so it's a good spot!

[guidofatherof5]

I'd love to find some slugs for him after it rains today, if it rains. Its been pretty dry here for the past couple weeks, only enough of a sprinkle to wet the roads a little. I might step it up to twice a week, he's been pacing today, similarly to the corn snakes I took care of for a friend over the summer. I'll see if I can find some slugs in a little bit. The area I usually find them in, no one uses pesticides in about a 1 mile radius, so it's a good spot!

Please keep us posted on this situation. Love hearing about Storeria.

[Tora]

I found a couple slugs after the rains on thursday and he ate them pretty readily while he was in my hands. I'll feed him Sunday or Monday, depending on how soon he starts pacing again.

[Tora]

Well, little storeria is definitely pacing looking for food tonight, so I get him set up in his feeding container, I only use it just to make sure he doesn't ingest any substrate, and when I opened up my container of worms, they were all dead. The three walmarts within an hour of me are all out of worms for the next week to week and a half, and the only bait shop in proximity to me only has trout worms which I know are bad. Have any of you had luck with maybe small guppies? I know live fish often have parasites, but I don't want him to go a week without food and even after the rain on Thursday, its now bone dry and I have had no luck finding any slugs or earthworms in my normal slug hunting grounds.

Thanks again!

[guidofatherof5]

Don't think Storeria is a fish eater. Many convenience stores sell worm just like Walmart. Check Craigslist also. Having to wait a week certainly isn't dangerous in my opinion.

[Tora]

Okie, that actually helped to calm my nerves a bit. The convenience stores around here are quite scuzzy feeling lol, so I'll just hope for some rain or an early shipment to walmart. I'll also keep checking the bait shop because the owner said they do get them in, they just sell out quicker than the trout worms. I'm thinking that there are probably quite a few garter/other worm eater keepers around me lol