little_fish
Moderator
No on the skimmer, but yes, he will easily be able to eat a large yellow tang
Having Trouble Getting my Eel to Eat...
- Thread starter Sir Alex
- Start date
Sharkie
The Damsel Defender
Make sure that anything you feed him doesn't come out of a can ;) i don't think they would eat salmon as it isn't super natural in a reef setting... stick with tuna or mahi mahi (or silversides) when you feed fish :)
He would be able to "eat" a yellow tang actually... More likely bite it and fatally wound it...eels have 2 sets of jaws... one thats external (the one we see) and one internally in their throat, this gives them "double" chewing/eating... they can open their mouths up HUGE so don't underestimate them ;) my arrow crab was HUGE (by means of huge his legs were about 12" each when unfolded!) and kona ate him in one gulp.
He would be able to "eat" a yellow tang actually... More likely bite it and fatally wound it...eels have 2 sets of jaws... one thats external (the one we see) and one internally in their throat, this gives them "double" chewing/eating... they can open their mouths up HUGE so don't underestimate them ;) my arrow crab was HUGE (by means of huge his legs were about 12" each when unfolded!) and kona ate him in one gulp.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Should I still get a skimmer, maybe a lower power one? Any recommendations?
Sharkie said:
:shock:
little_fish
Moderator
If your nitrates are under control just doing water changes then i would say you probably dont need one
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
My nitrates stay at about 30 ppm if I do a 20% water change once every two weeks. There's this mud stuff in my sump that probably has a bunch of :pooh: in it. I'm planning on removing it. I just got some of biff's chaeto so that should help too.
little_fish
Moderator
sounds good. And if you are going to stay a FOWLR tank, then that number is fine.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Well, I got some silversides today, it's been a while since I've seen him so enthusiastic about food... Now every time that I come up to the tank he comes up to me... He's doing better but still not %100.
little_fish
Moderator
Im so glad to hear he is eating again. Just give him a bit of time, he will turn around!
Sharkie
The Damsel Defender
thats great :) try to feed him until he stops showing interest, this might be the only time he'll eat for a while... eels can be silly like that ;)
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Well, he's eating but he's still not super enthusiastic... I can get him to eat about 1 or 2 things a day.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Ugh, he's still not eating very well. I can probably get him to eat a max of 6 shrimps or silversides a week...:cry:
I was reading sharkie's thing on snowflake eels and he said that he feeds his five silversides every otherday???
It's weird, even though he's usually not very interested in food, sometimes he'll get excited then bite the thing then just drop it and jump back in his pipe. It's like he's forgotten how to eat. Is it possible that he got brain damage from the nitrates???
I was reading sharkie's thing on snowflake eels and he said that he feeds his five silversides every otherday???
It's weird, even though he's usually not very interested in food, sometimes he'll get excited then bite the thing then just drop it and jump back in his pipe. It's like he's forgotten how to eat. Is it possible that he got brain damage from the nitrates???
little_fish
Moderator
No, he is just being fickle. Have you tired offering him something other than shrimp or silversides?
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
I tried calamari once or twice and he ate some, but he was just as unenthusiastic... I've also tried some sushi (tuna and salmon) he ate a little tuna but it took a while for him to eat it. He never ate any of the salmon, it's not that he doesn't like salmon. My father used to feed it to him a while back when he would make sushi. I wish I could buy live feeder shrimp locally. I just hate feeding live fish...
little_fish
Moderator
Well, feeding them live gold fish is pretty bad for them anyways.
Have you tried putting garlic on the food? It seems to be a pretty good appetite stimulant for fish.
Have you tried putting garlic on the food? It seems to be a pretty good appetite stimulant for fish.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Why are goldfish bad for them? I haven't tried garlic yet. Can I just put some garlic powder in a glass of water then soak a silverside in it?
little_fish
Moderator
The proteins, fatty acids etc for freshwater fish are different from saltwater fish. You should try and feed saltwater based foods to saltwater fish. Also, im pretty sure that the goldfish feeder fish are just strait up unhealthy for any fish. I dont remember the exact reason though, probably have very little nutrition or the correct nutrition. Something like that.
And i think sprinkling garlic powder strait on the shrimp or whatever you are going to feed might be more effective.
But in the end, i would not be too worried about him not eating a ton. He isnt starving, and i suspect he will come around eventually.
And i think sprinkling garlic powder strait on the shrimp or whatever you are going to feed might be more effective.
But in the end, i would not be too worried about him not eating a ton. He isnt starving, and i suspect he will come around eventually.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Aren't silversides freshwater fish?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Silversides are marine and freshwater fish.
Sir Alex
Dragon the eel (below)
Do you think he look like a good weight?
little_fish
Moderator
Sharkie would be the real expert to ask on this, but he doesnt look bony or malnourished to me.
