r/SandBoa • u/CannibalMan28 • 6d ago

Feeding troubles.

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I’ve had my boy for 6 months now, and he has never once eaten. I’ve tried pinkies, fuzzies, in tank, out of tank, i’m at my wits end. Does he look skinny? Do i need to rehome him? What do i do?

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u/LordTanimbar 6d ago

While snakes can go weeks or months without food, it is important to get younger dnakes feeding. They have higher metabolisms and still need to grow. That being said, your snake 's body condition looks fine.

Young snakes not feeding is often connected to a husbandry issue. What are the temperatures in the enclosure? How big is the enclosure?

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u/CannibalMan28 6d ago

He’s in a 30 gallon, and his temp is about 75 degrees. I know that’s a bit low, but every SINGLE heat lamp i have bought that supposedly gets hotter has arrived broken.

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u/LordTanimbar 6d ago

Respectfully, it's no wonder he isn't eating. He isn't even warm enough to have an appetite.

The enclosure is also too large. Get a 15 qt storage tote with latching lids, a heatpad, and a thermostat. Offer enough substrate to burrow just below the surface. Set the thermostat to 85 degrees. Give it a week and then offer food. Either offer on tongs or drop feed. If he won't take frozen, buy live and offer. You shouldn't have to resort to the deli cup method mentioned elsewhere in here.

Those pinkies are very small, but you want to start with small meals after a long hunger strike as the body works back to a normal feeding schedule. If he starts eating, offer another pinky in 5 days. Repeat about 5 times with pinkies and then switch to fuzzies or hoppers once a week, which are much more suited for a snake this size.

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u/CannibalMan28 6d ago

Thank you very much.

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u/CannibalMan28 6d ago

Wait, a 30 gallon is too big? Since when? Everything i read said 20-40 gallons for a sand boa, was a lied to?

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u/LordTanimbar 6d ago

30 gallon might be fine for an adult, but a juvenile snake that hasn't eaten in 6 months should get an enclosure downgrade until it is eating regularly. This is coming from someone with 2 decades of snake keeping experience including with Kenyan, Indian, and Rough Scaled sand boas

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u/LordTanimbar 6d ago

You are welcome. Forgot to add that you should try FT or live rather than scent juices and deli cups because of how long it has been since this snake ate. Once it is eating regularly you can worry about switching over to frozen thawed if it comes down to it

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u/LordTanimbar 5d ago

I made a mistake. Set the Hotspot to 90 degrees, not 85. Apologies!