Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was just given a large amount of Convict Cichlids. Are the babies safe to feed to garters? Or should I stick with guppies?
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

Yes when I lived in Florida invasive exotic fishes were a main source of food for my snakes....Now that Im up nort hthe main exotic is the carp and well the yare a bit large for garter chow...

>>Yes when I lived in Florida invasive exotic fishes were a main source of food for my snakes....Now that Im up nort hthe main exotic is the carp and well the yare a bit large for garter chow...

Ok, good. Someone gave me a ton of the cichlids, mostly breeders. Guppies are getting expensive here at $0.15 each!!!

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

I raise garters and I have also kept Convict Cichlids. I'd be concerned with the spines on the Cichlid. I think a breeder would be too large in size but would also have spines that are developed to the point of being unsafe. I am not saying not to try it, but be cautious. Small Cichlids would probably have more flexible spines and be less dangerous unless swallowed tail first. I know in the wild Garters will eat such species as Dace which have some fin spines as well.

Keep us posted,
Randy

>>I raise garters and I have also kept Convict Cichlids. I'd be concerned with the spines on the Cichlid. I think a breeder would be too large in size but would also have spines that are developed to the point of being unsafe. I am not saying not to try it, but be cautious. Small Cichlids would probably have more flexible spines and be less dangerous unless swallowed tail first. I know in the wild Garters will eat such species as Dace which have some fin spines as well.
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>>Keep us posted,
>>Randy

Considering the breeder sized cichilids are large enough to eat a small corn snake, I think I'll stick with feeding the babies off. I'm talking about newly hatched or very young babies.

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

If spines are a concern, just get a knife and trim them off. Shouldn't be that hard to do and would ensure the safety of the snake.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine