Rainbow not eating right

sulferhead · 02-04-13, 10:29 PM

hey guys i have a brazilian rainbow boa thats not eating right. he is about 28 inches long almost 6 months old. i feed him every two weeks or a little earlier. he is eating frozen fuzzies or whatever the stage above pinkies is. i thaw them out well and he usually takes them within a minute of throwing them in the tank. now i have to dangle them in front of his face and even thats not working this time. he has just been lying there sticking his tongue out at it for about ten minutes. he is right up next to it but not doing anything. the tank runs about 76-79 during the night and 78- 82 during the day.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

Gluttony · 02-04-13, 11:00 PM

Sometimes they just go on hunger strikes, photo period seems to affect them also. If possible raise the temp up to 84-85 since this is the ideal temp for the species, I would also try braining and see if that garners a response. I wouldnt worry unless you start to see it become emaciated or lethargic, just keep trying until it eats.

sulferhead · 02-04-13, 11:20 PM

I'll get a bigger heat pad tomorrow. currently i have two medium zilla heat pads one on top and one on bottom. He is very active and looking good as of now. Is braining exactly what it sounds like???

Valvaren · 02-04-13, 11:26 PM

I would absolutely not get another heat pad,your temps are fine i keep my brbs at no hotter then 82, 85 is very very extreme as far as temperatures for them and bordering on dangerous. I would check the rest of your husbandry and attempt different ways of offering food. We have two very experienced brb breeders on here and i highly reccomend waiting on their input.

sulferhead · 02-04-13, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valvaren

I would absolutely not get another heat pad,your temps are fine i keep my brbs at no hotter then 82, 85 is very very extreme as far as temperatures for them and bordering on dangerous. I would check the rest of your husbandry and attempt different ways of offering food. We have two very experienced brb breeders on here and i highly reccomend waiting on their input.

Thanks for the info. I'll wait and see what they have to say.

Gluttony · 02-04-13, 11:51 PM

What would I know? I have only had my 8 brbs for 7 yrs, but I have kept them at temps of 82-85 without issue, if you google their requirements those are the temps recomended....I dont think you need the extra heat mat, and I only suggested raising the hotter part of the enclosure to 84- 85 which is standard for brbs. Anything higher than that would be extreme and dangerous. Braining is splitting the head or just piercing it to expose brain fluid......Also with raising the temp comment I did not take into consideration the size of the enclosure....forget I said anything, since everyone else seems to know better on this site...good luck

sulferhead · 02-05-13, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gluttony

What would I know? I have only had my 8 brbs for 7 yrs, but I have kept them at temps of 82-85 without issue, if you google their requirements those are the temps recomended....I dont think you need the extra heat mat, and I only suggested raising the hotter part of the enclosure to 84- 85 which is standard for brbs. Anything higher than that would be extreme and dangerous. Braining is splitting the head or just piercing it to expose brain fluid......Also with raising the temp comment I did not take into consideration the size of the enclosure....forget I said anything, since everyone else seems to know better on this site...good luck

Uh I didn't mean to make you mad just wanted to get some other opinions too. How can I raise the temp without getting another heat pad? Just throw a towel over it?

Gluttony · 02-05-13, 08:27 AM

I am not mad, Its good that you want other opinions. Im just annoyed that every keeper thinks there are steadfast rules and that the way they do things is the way it should be....i have posted a few times on here only to be discredited by some know it alls from canada or eourope....No one can just give their 2 cents without trashing someone elses methods....the answer is simple, google the care sheet,& contact a breeder directly(the best imo). Save yourself from people opinions.

Mark Taylor · 02-05-13, 09:58 AM

What is you humidity like?

SnakeyJay · 02-05-13, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gluttony

I am not mad, Its good that you want other opinions. Im just annoyed that every keeper thinks there are steadfast rules and that the way they do things is the way it should be....i have posted a few times on here only to be discredited by some know it alls from canada or eourope....No one can just give their 2 cents without trashing someone elses methods....the answer is simple, google the care sheet,& contact a breeder directly(the best imo). Save yourself from people opinions.

Your right... there are no steadfast rules so if someone thinks your temps are too high then they're entitled to disagree...

85 is advised but anything over 85 can be dangerous to Epicrates, so if the OP is a noob it may not be the best idea for them too bump it up that far incase they mess up n over heat the viv..

To the OP- make sure the rat is nice and hot on the head and I find that BRB's tend to feed better at night or when the rooms dark. They're quite a shy species and some won't feed if they don't feel secure...

What's your humidity at and how are you measuring your temps and humidity? ..... Goodluck.

Gluttony · 02-05-13, 11:00 AM

"Your right... there are no steadfast rules so if someone thinks your temps are too high then they're entitled to disagree... "
I am not the op so why should my husbandry be questioned, thank you captain obvious

SnakeyJay · 02-05-13, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gluttony

"Your right... there are no steadfast rules so if someone thinks your temps are too high then they're entitled to disagree... "
I am not the op so why should my husbandry be questioned, thank you captain obvious

All husbandry should be questioned.. That's how we make improvements on what we do already.. If you post husbandry advice on this forum then we are all entitled to question it. Just because you've kept 8 brb's for seven years doesn't mean your beyond reproach..

If you read my post carefully, I agreed with your temperatures In theory .. But I highlighted the risk of a noob over compensating and raising it above 85 by accident. That's why I asked how the OP was measuring heat/humidity...

Don't turn this thread into a pissing contest when all the op wants is a number of opinions, and that's what your advice is, your opinion.. (As stated by you, there's no steadfast rule)

Gluttony · 02-05-13, 11:31 AM

Idk about you, but when I post on a thread on any site, I make sure that I do not knock or question another persons husbandry, nor do I quote a person and use them as an example of what to do or not do. I simply relay what the standard is, and what I do..
At no point did i say I was beyond reproach, I just do not care for PEOPLES opinions on how I care for my animals. And that seems to be the general approach here.
As for your post, did you really have to quote me? ....I didnt think so
You couldnt just say what you had to say without stepping on toes....
"all husbandry should be questioned" yes when something is going wrong. I am no expert but if I ask for help I want advice not opinions.
Dont be so sensitive....your post did state the obvious!

SnakeyJay · 02-05-13, 11:40 AM

From your replies it's obvious that you got upset over the OP waiting for others to reply and are now turning that on me because i dared to quote/discuss your advice.. No I didn't have to quote you, but I chose to as it was relative to the points I was making. I at no time said you were wrong, just pointed out the issues that could arise.

I'll back out of this thread now because I'm not here to argue with you, but if you don't like the way I reply then your going to have a great time here as I'm one of the polite ones.. Have fun.

Gluttony · 02-05-13, 11:55 AM

Twice in 24 hours my posts have been questioned and scrutinized, and I was just trying to be helpful.I am not upset at the op. what set me off was that it was stated that 85 is very very dangerous. Could have fooled me, I guess I have been keeping them wrong all along. Good luck to you sufurhead