Reptile & Amphibian Forums

To feed 1 or 2 snakes, would a 1:1 or 1:2 size colony work for me? They are fed once a week. Also, I have never seen these before, would a 10 gal be big enough?

-----
This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.0 chocolate lab (Harley) and basset (Capone)
0.1 leopard gecko (Nacho)
1.0 Normal ball python (Arwen)
1.0 pastel ball python (Merlin)
0.1 Spider ball python (Rogue)
1.0 Normal ball (Arwen)

A couple of things to consider with the ASF's. They are a very slow growing rats and to give you an idea of their look, they look like a multi colored mouse for the most part. They dont get big, they are slow growing, about 3 times longer to raise than a normal rat, they will jump like two feet straight up so you will be chasing them if you dont get your snake enclosure closed up right away, they really like to bite and also your snakes may not want to eat anything other than ASF's if you get them started on them...lol. All the good things about the ASF. They do tend to have a couple of more offspring per litter than normal rats do but as I said they grow so slowly and they will only get to the size of like a large or if you are lucky maybe a jumbo mouse. I have one Ball(my male Pinstripe)that will only eat ASF's so a 1.1 or 1.2 might be good for something like that but right now I have 4 colonies of normal rats going and they are 1.4's and 1.5's(4 males and 17 females). I know when the snakes start to eat more again after breeding season I will still have to supplement my rat production either from the outside or I will have to start 3 or 4 more colonies to keep up with the demand because as nature would have it when the snakes are eating good in the summer the rats dont breed so well and in the winter when the rats breed well the snakes aren't eating so heavily. Dont know how helpful all of this information has been but I hope it will help you some.
-----
JEM from sunny AZ.

3.17 Normals
5.6 Pastels
3.5 Spiders
0.6 100% het for Albino
1.2 100% het for Clowns
1.2 Cinnamons
1.2 100% het for Pied
1.4 Orange/Butterscotch Ghost
0.2 Mojaves
1.1 Beautiful Black Pastels(thanks Gulf Coast Reptiles)
1.1 BumbleBees
1.1 Super Pastels
1.1 Lessers
1.1 Fire's
1.1 Enchi's
0.1 Pastel Ghost
0.1 Calico
0.1 50% het for Albino
1.0 Spider 100% het Ghost
1.0 Pinstripe
1.0 Butter
1.0 Albino
0.1 Brazillian Rainbow Boas
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
0.0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
80 Tarantulas
1 Scorpion
Last but most Important 2.2 Children
Please HELP,I'm being over run by male Pastels

First, ASFs do get bigger than mice. My adults are about twice the size of my breeder female mice.

Second, they aren't the vicious terrors people claim them to be. I have 16 breeders and none of them have ever bit me, even when they have babies. I touch them and their babies regularly and they don't mind that much.

Third, I keep all my 1.3 breeding colonies in 10 gallon tanks with wheels. The wheels give them exercise and something to do. Mine don't even chew the wood blocks I put in when they have access to the wheel.

Fourth, they do jump but not 2 feet high. And when they are scared, they freeze.

I would get a 1.2 trio because they are social. You could go with 1.1 but if you decide to get more, it will be hard to put the new ones with the established colony.
Check out my video below to see my setup. It's changed a little since then. now all my ASF colonies are in 10 gallon tanks and my mice are in the rack. I only keep weanlings in the rack.
http://www.youtube.com/user/hookman5000

Oh, a 10 gallon would be plenty of room for a 1.1 or a 1.2 of the ASF's but on the snake side, just remember Balls are like Lays Potato Chips. You cant stop at just one...lol. Its a terribly addicting hobby. Just ask anyone else on here. Its like a crack or heroin addiction. It starts with just one and before you know it its another one and then another.. Its GREAT. Enjoy them.
-----
JEM from sunny AZ.

2.22 Normals
5.7 Pastels
3.6 Spiders
0.4 100% het for Albino
1.2 100% het for Clowns
1.2 Cinnamons
1.2 100% het for Pied
1.4 Orange/Butterscotch Ghost
0.3 50% het for Albino
0.2 Mojaves
1.1 Beautiful Black Pastels(thanks Gulf Coast Reptiles)
1.1 BumbleBees
1.1 Super Pastels
1.1 Lessers
1.1 Fire's
1.0 Enchi's
0.1 Pastel Ghost
0.1 Super Pastel 100% het Ghost
1.0 Spider 100% het Ghost
1.0 Pinstripe
1.0 Butter
1.0 Albino
1.0 Vanilla Ghost(Thanks again GCR for all the great snakes)
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
17 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children
Please HELP,I'm being over run by male Pastels

Mine are also about twice the size of any breeder mouse I've ever seen and smell WAY less. I raises normal rats too and all of my snakes go back and forth eating both with no problems. No one is "stuck" on ASFs. My friend that also raises ball pythons raises ASFs as well and only has one snake "stuck" but not on ASFs, on mice! They do chew and like was mentioned I got mine a wheel and everything was peachy. It's best to just always buy glass water bottles no matter what rodent type you choose to breed because one will end up chewing it eventually. ASFs are not aggressive leaping terrors. They do grow slow but also eat, drink, and stink less. Try them for yourself. If you don't like them you can always feed them off or resell them.

Aww they are cute.. and by the way, your absolutely right about them being addictive. I have 3, 1 normal, 1 spider and 1 pastel, and I am getting a free lesser male or female (pick of the clutches)when they are born.. I can't wait for that!
-----
This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.0 chocolate lab (Harley) and basset (Capone)
0.1 leopard gecko (Nacho)
1.0 Normal ball python (Arwen)
1.0 pastel ball python (Merlin)
0.1 Spider ball python (Rogue)
1.0 Normal ball (Arwen)

HOW ARE YOU GETTING A FREE LESSER?!?!?!?!

I won a drawing for it.. that's all I can say on the forum..
-----
This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.0 chocolate lab (Harley) and basset (Capone)
0.1 leopard gecko (Nacho)
1.0 Normal ball python (Arwen)
1.0 pastel ball python (Merlin)
0.1 Spider ball python (Rogue)
1.0 Normal ball (Arwen)

I see. I was getting excited. I thought someone was giving out free lessers to just anyone.