Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was curious if goldfish would be a good starter food for a young FWC?

of course ill try pinkies first.

thank you

I have kept this species for several years and mine still goes the craziest for fish, though he'll never turn down a nice juicy mouse. If you go with a strictly feeder fish diet (rosy reds or comets) you will also need to use a thiamine (Vitamin B1) supplement since the goldfish contain a chemical that breaks down thiamine in the snakes and can cause seizures and other health problems. You can use a powder supplement once every 2 weeks that you just sprinkle onto the fish before you feed them to the snake. I used ReptoCal by TetraFauna which is available at most pet stores, though now all my fish eaters are on rodent diets so that takes care of problem. In the wild this species will feed mostly on fish and amphibians, though will also eat birds and rodents. Hope that helps answer your question.