new snake owner has some questions

[Maxxiefoo]

This is going to be a weird question.. but...
i have a lot of abalone shells. Theyre really big. ive got about 14, majority being twelve inches across. Well.. theyre all really pretty and vibrant colored, and I was wondering if they were cleaned properly.. if theyd make ok waterbowls? And I think I have some whom have no holes in the sides, but im not sure. If they are safe, what would be safe to use to fill the holes up? Right now im using a little shallow dish that i got from the dollar tree thats deep enough and perfect size for him. I was just wondering about the shell thing for when he gets bigger. Unless theres no such thing as too big of a waterbowl?

My other question is about his feeding. i got him from petsmart, and they had him on 3 pinkys every 5- 7 days. Ive had my snake for a lil over a week and i fed him as they directed, but i dint really see a lump at all, right away. All i saw was little dark spots since hes a snow. Should I upgrade to peach fuzzies? if so, just one? Cause it occurred to me afterwards, that three pinkys at one sitting seems like it might be bad for him.

Anyway, im excited to be a snake owner again! We had a ball python when i was very tiny. Took me forever to get my parents to agree to another snake, and they love him already. Hes pretty well mannered. downed the food right when it was put in front of him, and seems pretty used to people already. im assuming the petsmart people handled him a lot.

 

[snakewispera snr]

Try feeding like this...
Not my plan I stole it off someone..
-When they're on single pinks (2-3g), I feed every 5-6 days. (Snake = 4-15g)
-Double pinks (3g x 2) every 5-6 days. (Snake = 16-23g)
-Small fuzzies (5-7g) every 6-7 days. (Snake = 24-30g)
-Regular fuzzies (7-9g) every 6-7 days (Snake = 30-50g)
-Hoppers (9-12g) every 6-7 days (Snake = 51-90g)
-Weaned (14-20g) every 7 days (Snake = 91-170g)
-Adult (20-30g) every 7-x days (Snake = 170+) See below.

Note: Adult females are fed more frequently than adult males (especially following brumation). Adult females are fed every 7-12 days; adult males are fed every 11-14 days.

This is by no means scientific, and not all corns will cooperate 100% with the schedule. The weight ranges I gave for the prey and snakes are approximate.
It's the famous Munson Plan... Lots of people use this as a way to gauge how much/often to feed...
A good rule of thumb is to feed things no bigger than 1 1/2 times the fattest part of your snake and the food lump should disappear after 24hrs or so.....

 

[Maxxiefoo]

How much does a scale cost that reads in grams? Cause i dont have one or have access to one at all ^^;
ill have to go see how big the small fuzzies are.. cause the pinks. .he doesnt have a lump even after a few seconds of eating them. If im supposed to see a lump for twenty four hours.. iunno. that probably means its too tiny huh?

 

[snakewispera snr]

Small electronic scales are fairly cheap.. Wallmart would have them... Look in the crack cocaine dealers department for them... LOL

 

[kaypar2011]

Got mine at Walmart, in the kitchen department and it was under 20 bucks. Make sure it weighs in grams and has the Tare feature. I set my scale for the weight of the deli cup and all I have to do to weigh my 2010 is turn it on and weigh him. The Tare feature only shows the weight of the snake and does not include the weight of the deli cup.

 

[AliCat37]

lol yes, if you do not see a lump then the pinkies are too tiny

 

[Maxxiefoo]

Thank you for all the information everyone!

As for the abalone shells.. I'm guessing no one knows?

 

[snakewispera snr]

I'm not sure about the abalone shells....
I can't see any problems with using them... Couldn't you use them without filling the holes?

 

[ScottyK]

You could fill the holes with clear aquarium sealant which will dry 100% inert and non toxic. Shells do leak calcium carbonate into fresh water. I use shell based substrates in hard water aquariums for just this purpose. I don't "think" it's anything that would be an issue in a regularly changed water bowl, but I'm not 100% sure it's a good idea...

If you do go ahead, I would also recommend using the silicone to glue the shell to a flat base. I think you would have tipping/spilling issues otherwise...

 

[Maxxiefoo]

I think right now I could use it without filling the holes. The shells are HUGE.

Out of curiosity, is calcium carbonate good or bad for snakes?
If we cant be sure i guess it would be best if i didnt use them then huh? Id rather be safe than sorry.

 

[bitsy]

Calcium carbonate is just chalk. It's what's found in naturally "hard" water supplies anyway, even the tap supplies. Mine have had hard water all their lives and the 23 year old doesn't appear to have taken any harm from it.

I'd be more worried about salt residue from the abalone's marine environment, leaching into the drinking water.

Why not just coat them in a transparent sealant?

 

[K. Rene]

As long as the shell can't be tipped over it should be fine as long as you clean them really good. Applying some sort of waterproof sealer might be a good idea as Bitsy suggested so long as it's smell isn't strong and it's fairly non-toxic. I also have some shells I use for hiding spots. Our little MBK loves her shell I got from the goodwill. I just cleaned it with a 10% bleach 90% water solution, rinsed it real good and let it air dry till I couldn't smell bleach anymore

 

[ScottyK]

The sealing idea is a good one, and I would not be so quick to dismiss excess calcium carbonate as harmless. Although I do agree that what would be released by a shell water dish is "most likely" harmless. Here is a quote from an article I have about excess calcium carbonate and reptiles.

Chronic Exposure: Excessive oral doses of calcium carbonate may produce alkalosis and hypercalcemia.

Hypercalcemia is an excessive amount of calcium in the blood. This can lead to muscle weakness, psychological issues, nerve damage, spinal column curvature, and other serious issues.

Alkalosis is very much like hypercalcemia but typically results in renal failure or metastatic calcification instead of nerve , muscle, and tissue damage.

Based on this I would personally err on the side of caution...