BP hasn't been eating since tank upgrade

[soapapilla]

Hey all. Let me start by saying that I know food strikes are common for BPs, especially in a new environment, but my snake's behavior still seems strange enough to me that I'm concerned and not sure what to do. If you think it really does just boil down to a normal food strike due to stress that's okay but I would benefit from some advice or reassurance. I upgraded my BP to a 55 gal tank 2 months ago and he has not been eating since then. The thing is, he has NEVER refused a meal in the two and a half years I've had him (maybe an occasion or two that I didn't realize he was deep in shed), not even the first time I fed him when I got him. I expected it might take a while for him to start eating again after the upgrade but I'm not sure how long to expect to wait. He seems pretty acclimated now, he comes out at night sometimes, and has used a couple different hides, and he pokes his head out when he hears you enter the room. He also seems VERY interested in the food. He will even slowly get into a strike position and heavily sniff at it every time it's offered, like he's about to take it, and then just eventually slither away, but still seems active and interested in the smell.

Side note - he also hissed at me when I tried to handle him last week. He is usually very docile has only ever done this once a long time ago when he was deep in blue so I was very surprised. I have not been handling him since the upgrade except infrequently as necessary when I need access to his hide to clean or something. Maybe I accidentally pinched him or something but maybe this is a sign he's more stressed than he appears.

Some husbandry details:
Humidity: 73% - I primarily pour water in the substrate but I have a fogger running on low, controlled with an inkbird, as a supplement as I live in an extremely dry climate.
Heat: CHEs, 95 degrees F on warm side and 85 degrees F on cool side. I have a 150W for the warm side and a 60W to keep the side with the fogger from getting too cold.
UVB lamp
Cypress mulch/coconut fiber mix with a drainage layer
3 hides including a humid one, clutter and grapevines, fresh water
Offering small rats once a week (will be feeding every 2 weeks if he takes it). F/t, thawing in cool water and then heating up to 90-100 F under the CHE.
He is 3 years old and about 950g.
He shed recently and it was in one piece. He seems healthy to me, breathing normally, pretty chunky and could probably stand to drop a few grams, haha - but not obese.

His previous tank was a 20L and he had the same hides. I used a 100W CHE and a UTH and relied more on the fogger than pouring water, and also had him on just coconut fiber. I chose to use more overhead heat and not use a UTH in the new setup because it is a very tall tank, so I wanted to have a very thick substrate layer to keep the surface closer to the heat source and also improve humidity. The temps are still reading well on all fronts. He is in the same spot as before, but a little higher and more exposed, so he has been getting used to seeing more activity, but we are very quiet people and don't really walk past him excessively. He was eating the same diet before, although I had to heat the rats for much longer under the old lamp to get to the same temperature, so maybe they were better warmed through? I don't know.

I just can't think of why he would show interest and then refuse the meal. I've got everything as close to his old setup as I can, I feel. I've mentioned all the changes I can think of here. What do you think? Is there something I could improve here, or do you think he just needs more time? (how much time, in your experience?) Is it normal to see a snake in a food strike show interest and prepare to strike before abandoning a meal? In the past, if he is preparing to shed, he just cowers from the food and I know he isn't feeling well. Just makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong for him to want it but not take it.

[Homebody]

Sounds like your bp may have hit the mythical 1000g wall.

[Bogertophis]

Snakes don't understand why or how the "world as they knew it" just disappeared when they're moved into an upgraded enclosure- obviously this doesn't happen naturally in the wild, & they're instinctively unsettled by the changes- more so when they're mature, as opposed to young snakes. He sounds somewhat stressed to me- & also he may be reacting to the lack of UTH heat now- even though you're sure he's warm enough, snakes are feeling "belly heat" differently than overhead warmth.

I know how eager you are to have him eat- but assuming he's healthy & has proper weight, I'd try not to worry for a while, & only offer food every 2 weeks or longer- that may help. Our snakes sure can test our patience sometimes- hang in there.

[Zincubus]

If all else fails

One way to help is to put it back in its old viv for a couple of feeds /weeks then in the meantime fill the new viv up with clutter .. branches / hides / pieces of bark then when you switch back to the night viv in a couple of weeks also put everything from the old viv on there as well.

It worked for me twice so I know it works ..


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[GoingPostal]

Quite possibly way too hot if it's 95 on the hot side and 85 on the cool. Try more like 88 on the hot side and 78-80 for the cool. That's a poor tank size for a snake (or most fish tbh) because it's so narrow and so tall, I've heard of people laying them on their side and using UTH but idk how safe that really is either. But I'd consider looking to swap to a pvc cage so you can keep temps and humidity much easier than fighting with heat lamps and wet substrate.

[Albert Clark]

This for sure ^^^^

Consider lowering the temperatures all around. 95F is high but where are you measuring the readings also? Maybe go to a 100w CHE .

[Malum Argenteum]

" But I'd consider looking to swap to a pvc cage so you can keep temps and humidity much easier than fighting with heat lamps and wet substrate."

+1.

I defer to all you folks on all things BP, but I will mention that I currently have a yearling rainbow boa that won't eat unless I keep it in a shoebox (which is way too small). I've tried to bump up the enclosure size (slightly) twice now, and same results. Some snakes have a funny idea of how large their enclosure should be. (Not saying you should keep it in the small tank, just commiserating).