The standard "off the rack" answer is...
you should feed outside the tank.
The ingestion of substate can and does cause problems sometimes.
Feeding outside "the tank" is probably the best approach for the "average", novice snake keeper Hobbyist,
as it tends to "cover the bases" as far as substrate ingestion is concerned, when eating. (and pavlovian conditioned feeding responses)
What Substrate is in "the tank", at that point, becomes a non issue as related to eating.
It takes the "substrate ingestion problem" issue out of the equation at "dinner" time.
There are many different substrates that are commonly used, some are good, some are better than others, some downright bad.
"Pavlovian conditioned feeding responses" can be a problem with "in-Tank feeding", sometimes, given the right set of circumstances.
"Pavlovian conditioning is the fundamental building block of learning.
It is so basic to how animals adapt to their environment that it is shown by virtually all animals, from simple multicellular organisms such as flatworms (Planaria) to humans.
There is even evidence that single-celled animals such as Paramecia are capable of Pavlovian conditioning...
Pavlovian Conditioning is said to occur when a previously neutral stimulus, such as a tone or light that normally is of little interest to the organism, becomes associated with an already existing reflex to the extent that it will, by itself, evoke a response.
This new reflex is said to be conditional, in that its ability to evoke a response depends upon the stimulus having been associated with a previously existing reflex.
http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~tcreed/pb/pavcon.html
That being said, heres a link to a past post that basically disagrees, for the most part, with the practice of feeding outside of the tank.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2750&highlight=feeding+response

tribal, I see this is your fifth post,
Welcome to the CORNSNAKES.COM Forums
Search Feature;
The "search" TAB at the top of the page works great for finding answers of questions that possibly have been asked before, in many cases.
It's great for looking up the answers to to a possible F.A.Q. type question one might have.
The actual reading of the "old" posts around here will give you a "wealth" of information to ponder.
