eel in aquariums
- Thread starter jman
- Start date
Greenman
Reefing newb
you can keep an eel in a normal tank but the biggest thing is you need a TIGHT fitting lid with no holes. 90% of eels are lost because they escape and die on the floor.
noy
Reefing newb
what kind of eel are you thinking of getting? (garden, snowflake, green, dragon)
Humuhumununu
Reefing newb
snowflake would be the easiest and probably least aggressive.
I was looking at the blue ribbon eels, or black. Ive read lots and lots about these eels. I know they are a difficult eel to keep, but im only going with one for now to see how it does and then down the road put another in. I jist want to know what kind of tank set up would be optimal. And what i should be doing with flow and coral. Obviously nothing to coarse for the eels.. Its a 65 gallon tank the eel is going into. Its going to be strictly an eel tank, besides the guppies i am going to acclimate to the tank for feeding purposes only.
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
You really shouldn't feed freshwater (or brackish) fish to a saltwater animals.
Once you do get him, find out what he's eating at the store and keep him on that. Frozen is always preferred.
Once you do get him, find out what he's eating at the store and keep him on that. Frozen is always preferred.
little_fish
Moderator
Those ribbon eels are so amazing, I would love to have one one day. The biggest challenge with them is getting them to eat in captivity. Although its temping to try and feed them live foods, I wouldnt. Like they said, feeding brackish water fish isnt healthy.
The people who I know who have successfully managed to train them to eat frozen foods had another eel in the tank to generate some competitive eating. But if you dont have experience working with difficult fish, I would make sure you get one from a quality LFS who has gotten it eating.
The people who I know who have successfully managed to train them to eat frozen foods had another eel in the tank to generate some competitive eating. But if you dont have experience working with difficult fish, I would make sure you get one from a quality LFS who has gotten it eating.
noy
Reefing newb
never kept a ribbon eel but always found them super cool. It might be a challenge to buy one that eats from a LFS - I would imagine they only get them on special order for a customer. Not too sure about your plan to keep multiple ones in a tank - most of the articles suggest that they don't have competition for food. I've read they have a 95% mortality rate within the two months.
but here are a few articles that might help
FreshMarine.com - Blue Ribbon Eel - Rhinomuraena quaesita - Buy Cheap Ghost Ribbon Eel at Wholesale
5 years with our Blue Ribbon Eel - Reef-Geeks
but here are a few articles that might help
FreshMarine.com - Blue Ribbon Eel - Rhinomuraena quaesita - Buy Cheap Ghost Ribbon Eel at Wholesale
5 years with our Blue Ribbon Eel - Reef-Geeks
Humuhumununu
Reefing newb
If you get an eel, don't add another one afterwards. One person bought a snowflake eel from one of those containers with a few other snowflake eels in there. They liked it and came back a week later, and bought another snowflake from the same container. Sadly the eel that was already in the tank ate the other eel. Its just like other fish in that if its similar in genus or body shape then you should add at the same time. If you want to feed it fish you could buy mullets or something else, but I've never kept an eel.
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Gdbyrd
life's a beach
I know you expressed interests in a ribbon eel; which I do not have experience with..but I did own a snowflake eel for almost a year.
He was mean as hell. ANYTIME I put my hands in the tank he'd come and bite me, often times drawing small bits of blood. It became a two person job to scrape the inside of the tank, rearrange coral,etc. I'd have one person feeding him on opposite side of tank while I worked on the other.
When he'd eat he was really interesting, he'd do figure 8's in my hand. He did jump tank a few times, even with eggcrate. He returned without incident.
I got rid of him because he ate a clownfish I'd had for years in front of my 4/2 year old kids, lol. Other than that he was really neat. Very active fellow and definitely got attention of people passing by.
Mine was in a 47g tall tank with a whole lot of rock to run in and out of. I'd feed him shrimp mostly and would feed him pretty every 1-2 days. Very easy to keep I'd say.
He was mean as hell. ANYTIME I put my hands in the tank he'd come and bite me, often times drawing small bits of blood. It became a two person job to scrape the inside of the tank, rearrange coral,etc. I'd have one person feeding him on opposite side of tank while I worked on the other.
When he'd eat he was really interesting, he'd do figure 8's in my hand. He did jump tank a few times, even with eggcrate. He returned without incident.
I got rid of him because he ate a clownfish I'd had for years in front of my 4/2 year old kids, lol. Other than that he was really neat. Very active fellow and definitely got attention of people passing by.
Mine was in a 47g tall tank with a whole lot of rock to run in and out of. I'd feed him shrimp mostly and would feed him pretty every 1-2 days. Very easy to keep I'd say.
Keira in CO
Bubbles!!!
I can't offer any advice on an eel - but omgosh if its an eel-like fish try an engineer goby. We have a couple that grew from 2" to 12" --- active in the evening and beautiful.
