IN TANK OR IN TUB Feeding

[vangarret2000]

I know I put this in another post with pretty much the same topic, but that post kinda dribbled down to debating and fell off topic, and probably lost a lot of reader, so I just thought I would post it again here to help the people that were actually interested in what is the best way to feed their Ball. Sorry for the repeated posting. I am not tryin to spam, just tryin to inform.

SO trying to go back on to the topic of in tank vs tub feeding:

Some snakes can be aggressive so feeding in a tube is done to try to stop the agressiveness from just general handling. Although you do need to pick it up to put it in the tub, from repitition, it is the tub that lets them know they are going to feed not the hand. But having the sent of food on the hand can make them want to strike it. A downside to tub feeding is handling the snake even just to put it in the tub does have the potential to stess them and put them off food. Also moving them back to the tank after(even with waiting a period of time) can lead them to regurgitate their food. ALso BP's have a natural instinct to feed from their hide. This ability is taken away from them in the tub. You could put a hide in the tub with them but putting a hide in the tub defeats the purpose of moving them to a tub because the hide will still give them the home feeling a little.

Although you can feed a BP in a tub it is always safer and healthier to feed him in his tank. You can easily let him sit for a day in the tank before feeding so he can be relaxed, and you don't have to disturb him after feeding so there is no chance for him to regurgitate his food. Also he will already be in a comfortable temperature in his tank. It is also more natural and instinctual for the snake to feed in his tank.

Like I said before feedin in a tub is to try to stop aggression in snakes during just general handling. But BP's are not aggrassive snakes. There is a very minimal chance a BP will actually bite you (although there is never a zero chance no matter what technique you use). So to worry a BP will have a better chance to bite you because you feed it in the tank is silly. Also it is even easyer for you to feed in his tank because then you don't have to deal with moving him to a tub and putting him back. So it is bennificial for the snake AND you. There is a better chance BP will feed in tank because it is less stressful and more natural for them.

Another way to deal with biting is to develop the Hooking technique. All you do is when you want to handle the snake you give it a little poke with a hook. When you are feeding there is no poke. After time and repitition the snake will learn that poking means NO food is coming and he is just going to be held. THe poking will also give then snake a chance to wake up if he is sleeping. At first the hooking will scare the snake but after time he will learn that it isn't a threat, and it will no longer bother him.


If you want to feed in a tub that, can and generally will, work just fine. It is just safer and better for the snake to be fed in his tank. Both techniques are good and work, but the in tank feeding is just better for the snake. It is your choice which you would prefer to do.

I reccommend in tank feeding with developing the hooking technique. It is just better for you snakes well being. But if you really want to feed in tub, when you first get your snake you should still feed it for a while in the tank. A snake new to a home is under enough stress already. Once he is more used to his home and eatting regularly, then start moving him to a tub if you prefer that way.

If you talk to a lot of snake owner they will most likely use the tub method, because that is what they were told or read to do. If you talk to professinal snake breeders they will most likely use the in tank method, because they know what is better for a snake.

Also your snake is having troubles eating in the tub method, then just try feeding him in tank and that could help. Dangling the mouse in front of the hide with tongs helps too.

Also about substrate:
Having to worry about a snake eatting his substrate is very over exaggerated. As long as you substrate doesn't have too large or sharp peices ingesting a few bits now and then won't be a problem. They will still just pass through their system like everything else. Just think about it, does a snake in the wild have someone to brush off any twigs or rock or dust from their prey? No, they just eat it and poop it all out because the digestive system can do that. Also what is gonna be sharper a small peice of substrate shaving? or a bone, tooth, or claw?
And if you really are worried about the substrate just put a little piece of newspaper down before feeding. BUt really that isn't needed, it would jsut be more to give you a clear head.

And you should always feed your BP Frozen thawed, not live. It is just safer for the snake. It gives zero chance for the prey to harm the snake. Feed live and you could go years without it harming your snake but there is going to be a chance EVERYTIME you feed him that he could get hurt or bit. Body injuries could heal after shedding(but not always), and eye injuries could be very harmful and never heal. A dead prey can never scratch or bite you snake. Why take that chance if you don't have too? Sometimes a snake could refuse to eat unless its live prey but you could and also should ween him off that very easily.

[rabernet]

And you should always feed your BP Frozen thawed, not live. It is just safer for the snake. It gives zero chance for the prey to harm the snake. Feed live and you could go years without it harming your snake but there is going to be a chance EVERYTIME you feed him that he could get hurt or bit. Body injuries could heal after shedding(but not always), and eye injuries could be very harmful and never heal. A dead prey can never scratch or bite you snake. Why take that chance if you don't have too? Sometimes a snake could refuse to eat unless its live prey but you could and also should ween him off that very easily.

Thanks for your post! I did want to hit on this part of your post though!

Here at BP.net, we advocate that each keeper feed what works best for them. We don't make blanket statements that you should always feed f/t or always feed rats, etc.

I have always fed live, well over 4000 live feedings without a single injury. Yes, there's always a risk that the prey item can bite, but if you calculate just one injury in 4000 feedings, that makes the odds .00025% chance of having an injury.

Having said that, I believe that someone needs to weigh the risks of feeding live before they make the choice for themselves. Feed appropriately sized prey (just because your monster bp can eat a jumbo rat, doesn't mean you should be offering a live jumbo rat - a small or small/medium would the the largest I'd ever offer). Pre-scent the area so that your animals know that food is coming, feed in the enclosure to allow them to hunt from the safety of their hides, etc.

There are also risks associated with feeding f/t - not completely defrosting the animal - thinking that you had, and then it rots in the belly of your snake, making it very sick and/or kill it.

So - great post overall, just can't help myself when I see a blanket statement that someone should "never" feed a certain way, when my experience is completely opposite of the dire warnings!

[frankykeno]

Whether it's where to feed, how to feed, what to feed, how to house, when to breed, whatever - it always comes down to this for me.

Know the pro's and con's, understand the method (not just what somebody told you), know yourself and your limits, know your snake and it's own unique reactions, do what's best for the snake first, yourself second. When I do that, I'm pretty confident that I'm doing okay.

[vangarret2000]

I know that sometimes you need to feed live to snakes. It isn't really your choice what the snake eats it's theres, no matter what you think. But it is still safer to feed them F/T. That is my opinion not a blanket statement. Just as it was in the last post. I was palnning on adding that some sankes will need to eat live regardless in the last post put apparently it slipped my mind. I am a little offended by your statement. After re-reading it I can understand why, but I still don't find it fair that you make a statement like that about me without really knowing what i completly think. I was just advocating what works best for me and waht i think others should do. People are smart enough to know that just beacuse one person say ALWAYS OR NEVER, that it isn't 100% literally true. There are acceptions to everything and everyone knows that. I use words like that to express my firm OPINION, I am not using them as a literal statment. People are smart enough to know that, and saying it's a blanket statment it's liking telling everyone that they are too dumb to think for themselves, and that is wrong of you. I don't mind the fact that you put people some people may need to feed live, and it is good that you put people need to weigh the risks. It is a very true statment. But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental. People need to study all options, angles, and opinions then figure out what will work best for their snake. Mine is just one of those opinions.

[mdjudson]

But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental.

I didn't see anything rude with that????

[fallupinreverse]

Actually, your entire post was made to seem very matter of fact. I see no hint of opinion in your post. As such, it was a very blanket statement. To someone who doesn't know any better, they would read your post as if it were proven fact, when in fact it is your opinion. It is not rude and judgmental to comment on discrepancies in someone's post, he was trying to help the community, not attack you personally.

I think that you have written a very useful and informative post, but I do agree that you are too matter of fact with most of your statements. These are all opinions and they should be represented as such.

[Buttons]

I know that sometimes you need to feed live to snakes. It isn't really your choice what the snake eats it's theres, no matter what you think. But it is still safer to feed them F/T. That is my opinion not a blanket statement. Just as it was in the last post. I was palnning on adding that some sankes will need to eat live regardless in the last post put apparently it slipped my mind. I am a little offended by your statement. After re-reading it I can understand why, but I still don't find it fair that you make a statement like that about me without really knowing what i completly think. I was just advocating what works best for me and waht i think others should do. People are smart enough to know that just beacuse one person say ALWAYS OR NEVER, that it isn't 100% literally true. There are acceptions to everything and everyone knows that. I use words like that to express my firm OPINION, I am not using them as a literal statment. People are smart enough to know that, and saying it's a blanket statment it's liking telling everyone that they are too dumb to think for themselves, and that is wrong of you. I don't mind the fact that you put people some people may need to feed live, and it is good that you put people need to weigh the risks. It is a very true statment. But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental. People need to study all options, angles, and opinions then figure out what will work best for their snake. Mine is just one of those opinions.

"I believe that you should always feed F/T" = opinion

"You should never feed live" = blanket statement

[JeffJ]

I know that sometimes you need to feed live to snakes. It isn't really your choice what the snake eats it's theres, no matter what you think. But it is still safer to feed them F/T. That is my opinion not a blanket statement. Just as it was in the last post. I was palnning on adding that some sankes will need to eat live regardless in the last post put apparently it slipped my mind. I am a little offended by your statement. After re-reading it I can understand why, but I still don't find it fair that you make a statement like that about me without really knowing what i completly think. I was just advocating what works best for me and waht i think others should do. People are smart enough to know that just beacuse one person say ALWAYS OR NEVER, that it isn't 100% literally true. There are acceptions to everything and everyone knows that. I use words like that to express my firm OPINION, I am not using them as a literal statment. People are smart enough to know that, and saying it's a blanket statment it's liking telling everyone that they are too dumb to think for themselves, and that is wrong of you. I don't mind the fact that you put people some people may need to feed live, and it is good that you put people need to weigh the risks. It is a very true statment. But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental. People need to study all options, angles, and opinions then figure out what will work best for their snake. Mine is just one of those opinions.

I didn't see anything rude with what she said.

"you should always feed F/T" is a blanket statement. many of use here feed live, the way nature intended. and if done correctly there is no issues with it. ive been feeding live with my BP and have with my snakes before it. no issues. if your an irresponsible BP owner live could be an issue. but under the proper conditions its quick, efficient and the snake gets to eat. I always say feed what works. either way is good. if done correctly.

[rabernet]

I know that sometimes you need to feed live to snakes. It isn't really your choice what the snake eats it's theres, no matter what you think. But it is still safer to feed them F/T. That is my opinion not a blanket statement. Just as it was in the last post. I was palnning on adding that some sankes will need to eat live regardless in the last post put apparently it slipped my mind. I am a little offended by your statement. After re-reading it I can understand why, but I still don't find it fair that you make a statement like that about me without really knowing what i completly think. I was just advocating what works best for me and waht i think others should do. People are smart enough to know that just beacuse one person say ALWAYS OR NEVER, that it isn't 100% literally true. There are acceptions to everything and everyone knows that. I use words like that to express my firm OPINION, I am not using them as a literal statment. People are smart enough to know that, and saying it's a blanket statment it's liking telling everyone that they are too dumb to think for themselves, and that is wrong of you. I don't mind the fact that you put people some people may need to feed live, and it is good that you put people need to weigh the risks. It is a very true statment. But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental. People need to study all options, angles, and opinions then figure out what will work best for their snake. Mine is just one of those opinions.

My post was not intended to offend you, but rather to point out that the forum as a whole supports the keeper's right to decide what works best for them. The following quote read as a blanket (bolded parts by me for emphesis)

And you should always feed your BP Frozen thawed, not live.

I respectfully disagree with that, as I only feed f/t to my kingsnake, and live to my balls.

[Slim]

I know I put this in another post with pretty much the same topic, but that post kinda dribbled down to debating and fell off topic, and probably lost a lot of reader, so I just thought I would post it again here to help the people that were actually interested in what is the best way to feed their Ball. Sorry for the repeated posting. I am not tryin to spam, just tryin to inform.

SO trying to go back on to the topic of in tank vs tub feeding:

Why do you think this post would not have steered the other thread back on course? What makes you think readers were lost in the other thread?

Although you can feed a BP in a tub it is always safer and healthier to feed him in his tank.

And what do you base this on? How can it always be safer and healthier to feed in a tank?

but the in tank feeding is just better for the snake.

Better for who's snake? What may be better for yours may not be better for mine.

If you talk to a lot of snake owner they will most likely use the tub method, because that is what they were told or read to do.

Where in name of Sweet Georgia Freakin' Brown did you hear this junk? Not true. Just the oposite actually.

If you talk to professinal snake breeders they will most likely use the in tank method, because they know what is better for a snake.

Actually, if you talk to professional breeders, they use rack and tub systems, not tanks...but I'm sure you knew that.

And you should always feed your BP Frozen thawed, not live.

WTFO? Always again? What's up with you and the always?

Sometimes a snake could refuse to eat unless its live prey but you could and also should ween him off that very easily.

Ween him off very easily? Tell us, oh wise one, how can we do this as easily as you have. Dazzle me with your acumen.

But saying that i am blanketing a statement instead of just placing my firm opinion, is rude and judgemental.

Well, we're gonna' have to send this one to the judges......and after considerable deliberation, No! Not rude at all, just the truth!