Re: Leave F/T food in tank?
Thanks for all the Info and I will remain patient!
Re: Leave F/T food in tank?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BPgirls
So the new baby I picked up last Thursday didn't take food last night after settling in for a few days. Temps and humidity are all good 90-91 at hot spot and 80-83 on cool side, humidity is at 65 with two hides. I figure it is still adjusting and I don't want to cause any stress. Was curios if anyone has ever left the F/T food in tank when BP would not take it and possibly find it on its on?
I agree that you should leave your BP alone for a week and then offer. Much higher likelihood of he/she eating.
As Craig said, you can leave a F/T rodent in the tank for 3-4 hours, overnight tops.
What weight is your BP and what age? Has it eaten F/T before? What size prey are you feeding? Are you feeding exactly what he/she ate before you got him/her? In other words, if it ate small mice, are you offering small mice?
Also, how are you defrosting the prey?
Please see below for how to properly defrost a prey item:
This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.
Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.
STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY
1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.
2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.
3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.
4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.
5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).
6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.
7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12
8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.
9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.
10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).
11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.
12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake
13. Open tank and offer ASAP.
