Leave F/T food in tank?

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?

It's fine to leave it for a few hours, over night at most. At that point it's starting to rot and bacteria is starting to grow. So after a few hours throw it away.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

It's fine to leave it for a few hours, over night at most. At that point it's starting to rot and bacteria is starting to grow. So after a few hours throw it away.

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That is what i figured. I only left it in there for a couple hours. Did not want to leave it in over night. Have you had an success with a BP taking the food that way?

Yes, I have. My hognose will only eat if I leave the food. And my Borneo STP is hit or miss with striking, sometimes he does, sometimes I have to leave it for him.
My BP and my King take the prey off the tongs every time though.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Yes, I have. My hognose will only eat if I leave the food. And my Borneo STP is hit or miss with striking, sometimes he does, sometimes I have to leave it for him.
My BP and my King take the prey off the tongs every time though.

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Thanks, this is the first time I ever had issues with BP taking from tongs. I know it is probably still a bit stressed from new enclosure, so I will give it another week before trying again. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by BPgirls

Thanks, this is the first time I ever had issues with BP taking from tongs. I know it is probably still a bit stressed from new enclosure, so I will give it another week before trying again. Thanks.

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Sounds good. And yeah, don't offer too often. It can stress the snake further and be counter productive.
Good luck!

I have a BP that will only eat if the F/T is left in the tub. I just drop it and then check in the morning and remove if not eaten or else you will have a really bad smelling tub if left longer than overnight. All the rest of mine eat off tongs.

Sometimes this is just a phase they'll outgrow...when the snake grows & gains more confidence, many will eventually learn to accept food from tongs.

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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?

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I always leave my new snakes to settle in for a week before offering especially the Royals / Balls who can be a bit mardy ...

I'd try one evening , in dim
light . Wait until he's been settled under a hide for a while then warm up the thawed rodent with a hairdryer.... then INSTANTLY dangle it over the hide entrance..

Repeat the procedure exactly a few times


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by BPgirls

That is what i figured. I only left it in there for a couple hours. Did not want to leave it in over night. Have you had an success with a BP taking the food that way?

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This is how I had to feed my ball python for the first month I had him. I had to cover his cage with a blanket, turn off the room lights and leave the room for him to eat since he was so shy. He always ate within 2-3 hours after leaving his f/t in front of his hide, but not close enough to block him in.

It was definitely a settling in phase. Now he's a confident and total beast! Haha. Ever since he switched to rats he went from a timid private eater to a rat-slamming hunter!

Just be patient <3

Thanks for all the Info and I will remain patient!

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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?

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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.