Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785
Keep in mind Erycines are sand boas, rosy boas are Lichanura. Rosy keepers may be able to more easily find a thread related to your rosy if it's in the correct forum (so rosies would go in the general boa forum). An admin can probably move the thread for you.
I'm not a rosy keeper, but I should be able to help out with general universal questions.
If you could provide a picture of the tank, that would be helpful. Books are not efficient at keeping snakes in, they're generally not heavy enough and if they are you risk having a squished snake. Clips for tanks with tops that sit on it are the best way to secure them, or if you have a sliding tank you can put something in the hole at the front to lock it in place. If you have something else, then seeing it would help.
You should be fine switching to a substrate after a couple of weeks, some bedding should add some security to the tank, and many snakes enjoy burrowing especially while young. I'm not sure on crushed walnuts particularly, but I'd probably hesitate on using them, I'm not sure how well they hold a burrow or how abrasive it is. Aspen is the most common substrate used, the only downfalls are that it molds incredibly easy and has to be changed often and can suck the humidity out of the air and cause problems with shedding. You can spray it to raise humidity, but that may mean you'll have to change it more often unless you use something that can dry it out like a bulb (any lights must be turned off at night - if we can see it they can too) or CHE.
They don't need UVB, but if you were wanting to offer it, they would definitely benefit from it. I'm not knowledgeable on UV though, so I'm unable to offer any advice on that front.
Keep it on f/t. It's safer for the snake, easier on your wallet, and more convenient. A mouse or rat can outgrow your snake within a couple of days or weeks depending on its age if it were ever to refuse, and you can't keep more than one on hand at a time. Pet stores also charge an absolutely ridiculous price for their feeders, and if you're feeding live you have no choice but to use them. If you want an idea of the savings you'll have feeding f/t and buying in bulk...I had 3 snakes a few years ago. One was eating small rats every week or two, one was eating large rats every week or two, and one was eating pinkie mice every week. Just those 3 had a feeding bill of $500/yr or roughly $41/month. When I had 13 snakes, I paid maybe $300-350 a year, and my retic made up nearly half of that. Without her, I could easily have kept costs below $200. Even with just a single snake, you'll save in the long run. You'll have to pay more up front, and the shipping cost may seem high, but you really will save a lot of money.
A baby rosy will likely grow fast, so I'd get maybe one pack each of 2-3 different sizes. Layne Labs offers smaller quantity packages, but since they don't have a flat rate, shipping can be prohibitive depending on where you live. For a single snake, it should be very affordable, it was when I had 8+ that it started to get out of hand. XD Big Cheese and Perfect Prey are also good companies to use, Big Cheese has a flat rate of $29. All 3 vacuum pack their rodents, and as long as you don't open the package or let them thaw, each package can last 1-3 years. If opened, you can keep rodents on hand for a good 6-8 months.
You won't have to move to feed even if you're feeding f/t.
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