Best way to: Switching to Pinkies

[Derek1]

Able to get a good deal on a Cali Red. Feeding on Guppies and Rosy Reds. What is the best way to switch to pinkies or pinkie parts? Much easier for me to buy pinkies than fish.

[SSSSnakes]

If you can't get them to switch, you can feed them cut up strips of silver side fish, trout or salmon.

[drumcrush]

I fed my garter night crawlers(dusted with calcium every other feed) and I had problems getting switched over. I began braiding the pinkies, and slowly she started to accept them. Now she eats mice like crazy! It's funny during feeding days because I normally catch her while she is burrowing and when I hold the mouse over the aspen, she shoots out of the aspen and latches on to it lol

[wrecker45]

I have my female on whole pinkies. My male on half pinkies. I cut it from head to butt still frozen with a utility knife. All my garters where easy to switch over.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

I took the easy way out and got a CB garter from a breeder already on pinkie halves, so I'm afraid I'm not much help except as a cheering section!

Try scenting the pinkie parts, as others mentioned, and go from there. If it'll also take night crawlers, you can try mixing pinkie parts in with the crawler pieces and see if it'll just gobble them up without noticing.

[millertime89]

Have you tried offering yet? I would see if they'll take it to start with and then try the other suggestions.

[toddnbecka]

I can hook you up with some endler's livebearers, essentially guppies but they don't eat their own fry. I've had hundreds of them in a 30 gallon tank, and they just keep making more babies. Toss netfuls into other tanks occasionally just to thin them out.

[Derek1]

Actually it's a Plains Garter with a lot of Red as a Juvi. Switching was easy. Just offered cut pinkie as his only meal and he accepted it no problem. Very aggressive eater. Even more than my King. Cool little fella.

[EL Ziggy]

Ferocious little beasts they are.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

Good to hear!

[Derek1]

I'm going with a varied diet with him. The 3 most popular. Worm, Pinkie Parts, and Silversides. I've got to get SS from Petsmart and have never attempted to feed those yet. But he'll eat anything. Fed him a fat cut worm tonight and he loved it after being on pinkies the last 2-3 feedings. I'll get some pics when he comes back out.

[Derek1]

I got him full last night. Really small pinkie and warm. Nice lump and he hasn't moved much at all.

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv223/Derekmeredith/649F464C-D9C7-4E51-9F45-201A0F41602F_zpss4lawi06.jpg

[EL Ziggy]

Congrats on the feeding progress Derek. That's a really nice looking garter you've got there.