New tank, wont eat...

have a male regular, about 4 years old now. always fed him FT rats with a live one every few months. always ate them no problem once a week.

had been in a tank that was getting to be much too small for him and got a bigger one to hit him about 6 months ago. he has hardly eaten even once since then. all the hides and everything are the same. im sure its pretty stressful but what can i do about it??

my method has always been to thaw in warm water then use a blow drier for 30 sec or so next to the cage to get the smell going and his attention. he still pops right out of the hide within seconds and gets into a strike position. but when i present the rat he will just sort of sniff and poke at it then sort of loose interest after a few minutes...

tried the broth thing...

Put him back in his old tank.

What size tank is he in now? Before?

I have an adult male that gets uncomfortable and stops eating in a 32 quart. I have to keep him cooped up in a 16 quart or he will not eat.
Sometimes, something that seems too small for your snake, really is just perfect for them.

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Originally Posted by eternalfrost

have a male regular, about 4 years old now. always fed him FT rats with a live one every few months. always ate them no problem once a week.

had been in a tank that was getting to be much too small for him and got a bigger one to hit him about 6 months ago. he has hardly eaten even once since then. all the hides and everything are the same. im sure its pretty stressful but what can i do about it??

my method has always been to thaw in warm water then use a blow drier for 30 sec or so next to the cage to get the smell going and his attention. he still pops right out of the hide within seconds and gets into a strike position. but when i present the rat he will just sort of sniff and poke at it then sort of loose interest after a few minutes...

tried the broth thing...

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Try switching him back to his old enclosure. Just because you're ready to switch him doesn't mean he's ready to switch.

How big is his old enclosure and his new one? How are you measuring temps, etc.

not at home and dont remember the volumes off the top of my head, but the old one he would take up like +3 sides nearly all 4 when "stretched out". always seen the rule of thumb as should have at least 2 sides of room.

temps and stuff is all the same as the old. normal gear, UTH, 12 hour heat lamp, thermostat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eternalfrost

not at home and dont remember the volumes off the top of my head, but the old one he would take up like +3 sides nearly all 4 when "stretched out". always seen the rule of thumb as should have at least 2 sides of room.

temps and stuff is all the same as the old. normal gear, UTH, 12 hour heat lamp, thermostat.

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and a good rule of thumb it may be, but your animal is obviously trying to tell you something. lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eternalfrost

not at home and dont remember the volumes off the top of my head, but the old one he would take up like +3 sides nearly all 4 when "stretched out". always seen the rule of thumb as should have at least 2 sides of room.

temps and stuff is all the same as the old. normal gear, UTH, 12 hour heat lamp, thermostat.

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That rule doesn't really apply to ball pythons. They like smaller more cramped spaces so moving to a bigger enclosure isn't always what is best.

For reference, a 20g long is perfect for an adult male.