How to go from force feeding>Assit Feeding>normal feeding!!

[BigCountry]

Ok So as some of you may know I got Lord Tyrion Dec 8th and he wouldn't eat no matter what. I tried all different tactics and last Thursday I started Assist feeding which led to a Force feeding(I saw a few video on You tube and made sure I knew what I was doing) It just came to it was almost 5 weeks and he hadn't eaten and he's still young and that's to long. I saw him about the tank today after 6pm and I decided to give him another feeding and he wouldn't take the frozen and again I had to force feed him. Now that he has two meals in him I can let him relax for a week and try again. What I have noticed is that My day bulb and night bulbs both from petco are 100W each. It stays very warm in my house and the radiator is right next to the dresser which his tank is on. THE AC is also behind it so during the Summer I had to get higher wattages to compensate for the AC always being on. Since then I've gotten A Zilla 1000 watt temp Controller and I have the day plugged in and not to go above 95F, If I set it to say 90 it shuts off. I'm also waiting for a Zilla Terrarium Hygrometer Thermometer which is coming tomorrow. I also ordered Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp 75W for the day(down from 100W) and Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp 50W(down from 100W) to help get better temps during the winter months. I will let him be till next sunday and then try again to get him to eat frozen mice. I don't want to have to keep force feeding him. Since he just ate on Sunday how long can he go with out eating two weeks max. Any suggestions as to how to get him to at least assist feeding from force feeding which hopefully lead to normal eating. I took some pics, they may be a bit blurry sorry about that. https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=481327 https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=864161 https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=1202944 https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=1238140

[The Serpent Merchant]

You might want to get 2 smaller identical hides. like these: http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Try covering 3 sides of the tank with something to make the BP more feel secure.

Did you ever try feeding live? Some BP's just won't eat frozen rodents.

[BigCountry]

I haven't tried Live feeding just yet, I have two more Mice left that are frozen I'd like to try that 1st. Last time I was at petco I saw they had live Mice but its hard to know which size is good for him. When I attempt to present his food now in the cage he to be lost for words runs from it, turns his head and goes into a ball. I think maybe I've been trying to much in the 5 weeks or so I have had him and I will give him a full week before I try again.

[The Serpent Merchant]

You should really have tried live before resorting to force feeding. Force feeding almost always causes issues that prolong the snakes unwillingness to eat.

You shouldn't offer more than once per week. Any more and you will probably cause more harm than good.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Force feeding should only be done as a last resort when every option has failed, you have a lot of thing here that are contributing to your feeding issues.

Force feeding and assist feeding can be very stressful and can lead to more issues down the road.

Here is what I would suggest

Get a 6 quarts plastic tub, a 6 inches flowerpot saucer, use some aspen bedding for substrate, provide a hot side of 86-88 degrees, leave your BP alone for a week (NO HANDLING until your BP has ate on it's own at least 3 times), offer a live mouse (in his tub)

Your issues are husbandry related, too big of an enclosure, hide that are not snug enough, temperature that are likely not adequate (dial thermometer are not accurate you need to switch to a digital thermometer or a temp gun) etc.

Optimal husbandry, animal kept warm and secure = feeding BP especially at that age.

[BigCountry]

Ty Y'all for the great advice. Here are a few more pics taken tonight> I will not be handling him for awhile until he gets on a regular eating habit!

[BigCountry]

I went on Petco.com and ordered two of these for his hides. Petco Reptile Cave Hideaway 9" L X 7" W X 3.5" H https://secure.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?SKU=1376756

[rabernet]

I can almost guarantee you that he's not eating because of the set up (husbandry).
I personally would move him to a six quart tub as Deborah advised, and offer him live after a week of acclimating. I'd much rather lose my investment on a few f/t items than stress the animal out further by force feeding him.

Sent from my Samsung Note II using Tapatalk 2

[Inarikins]

That hide (I have seen those in person) is big enough for a 700+ gram snake. You're going to need to go even smaller. My first hides were cereal bowls. Worry about aesthetics later, just get your snake happy and comfortable and feeding. Run out to walmart and pick up some cheap plastic bowls for under a buck apiece.

[jedidiah578]

Those hides are huge! I use them for my Boas & 1 4ft snake only fill half of it. If you have to you could just get some tiny cardboard boxes to use as a hide. Also I noticed in the last couple pics of the snake it looked like the eyes were dimpled in. that usually is caused by a humidity problem. I see you have a humidity guage in there but that type isnt verry acurate & it needs to be down by the thermometer to get reading where the snake actually is. You mentioned all the heat lamps youre using. They dry the air out more than it already is this time of year. You need to spray water inside the enclosure & put a damp towel over the open parts on the screen to raise humidity & hold it in.