feeding fish

[eat the mouse mitch!]

hi, i recently heard of people putting a gold fish in their corn snakes water bowl and the snake getting that and eating it. has anyone ever heard of this? if so, can u actually do this?

 

[The Nothing]

never did that for a corn
but
my garters love 'em

 

[Derek54]

Oh man! that would be sooo cool. you could have a snake tank, and a goldfish bowl all in one!

 

[Fenderplayer108]

No, No, No, No, NOOO!

Don't do it, stick to rodents please.

Thanks.

 

[chibitamalove]

I doubt that it's good for a corn. Rodents would be better. And anyway, fish swim around in their own filth. Do you want your corn eating that? *eew*

 

[desertanimal]

I doubt that it's good for a corn. Rodents would be better. And anyway, fish swim around in their own filth. Do you want your corn eating that? *eew*

Mammals just carry their around internally. I fail to see the difference in this case. Now, there may be many other reasons not to feed a cornsnake a goldfish, but waste products can't logically be among them.

 

[chibitamalove]

Feces probably wouldn't affect corns that much. But it's still gross. I woudn't want mine eating goldfish for that resason alone. ^_^

I think that <u>really</u>, rodents are just more nutritious. From what I know, the white lab mice are actually fed mice food that's more nutritious. Makes 'em healthier, which I think that in turn would make your snake healthier. I don't know if it actually works that way, but it's an idea.

 

[Steve'sMom]

I don't remember exactly where the thread was, but someone posting about stupid pet store empolyees, said a corn at a pet store was being force-fed goldfish....the person bought it to save it, but it died anyway. So I'm assuming fish would be really bad. :shrugs:

 

[rushrulz]

My local Petco was attempting to feed a corn minnows. The fish were in the snake's water bowl. One of them had died, and one of the other fish was nibbling on it. There was really nothing good about the whole scenario, IMHO. In nature, corns mostly consume land animals--anoles, mice, etc. So mice would be the safest bet in captivity.

 

[BeckyG]

I doubt a corn snake would eat fish anyway, since their instinct is to eat mammals. You'd just be dirtying your snake's drinking water for nothing.

And for what it's worth, I've read that even garter snakes shouldn't eat goldfish. It causes some sort of deficiency that will eventually kill the snake.

Why, oh why can't people just stick to what works???

 

[Abcat1993]

It has thiaminase (I think that's how it's spelled) and it causes vitamin b1 disorder or something and your snake has seizures and dies.

 

[Derek54]

I think that <u>really</u>, rodents are just more nutritious.

Well thats obvious. we were just wondering if it works
:shrugs:
not actually going to do it this instant

said a corn at a pet store was being force-fed goldfish....

im guessing that its not the goldfishs fault.(maybe it is) but if it has to be force fed, it was probably a non-eater. And if they only know so much as to feed it a goldfish, then they obviously dont know that much about snakes

 

[Derek54]

...Never mind. I didnt read the second page.

Dangit! that would have been really cool if it all worked out.

 

[BeckyG]

It has thiaminase (I think that's how it's spelled) and it causes vitamin b1 disorder or something and your snake has seizures and dies.

Yeah, that's it. I couldn't remember that long T word. I guess I'm getting that Old Timers disease.

 

[Hypancistrus]

It has thiaminase (I think that's how it's spelled) and it causes vitamin b1 disorder or something and your snake has seizures and dies.

Even other, larger fish, who are fed exclusively on feeder goldfish will develop this condition over the long-term. There's something in the goldfish that prohibits the body from metabolizing b vitamins. Which is why, even in the fish trade, we are on a crusade to spare goldfish as feeders and to focus on more nutrient-rich foods instead, such as pelleted foods, gut-loaded shrimp or crickets, frozen foods of varying types and a few other types of feeder fish (though we try to discourage this due to the issues with disease transfer).

I am in total agreement with BeckyG. Why can't folks stick with what is known to work and is so incredibly convenient?? Feeder fish are messy. They smell. Frozen rodents are neither. :shrugs:

 

[chibitamalove]

Frozen rodents are also easier to eat. They don't try to run (swim?) away from you.

 

[Jrgh17]

AND you don't have to worry about taking care of it if it's already dead. Sounds a little crass, I know, but it's true.

 

[LUBU]

You shouldnt feed corns goldfish because they can carrie a lot of disieses, especially the ones from pet stores, because there over populated and under fed. My friend feeds his garter gold fish and has never had any ill affects though, so i dont know what to think.

 

[simple_minded]

You shouldnt feed corns goldfish because they can carrie a lot of disieses, especially the ones from pet stores, because there over populated and under fed. My friend feeds his garter gold fish and has never had any ill affects though, so i dont know what to think.

Well I would think garters, since they're made to eat fish and frogs and such, have better immunity against certain disease common to fish; whereas corns, which are made to eat rodents, do not.

I had a w/c garter that I kept this summer and I fed her a combination of rosy reds, goldfish, and earthworms and she was perfectly fine.

But please stick to feeding your cornsnake rodents and not fish or eggs or chicken or whatever people are coming up with.