Banded Snake Eel help

[Slocke]

I want to get a banded snake eel. The issue is I'm finding care guides and proper feeding hard to find and contradictory. The only care guide article I could find says they are scavengers and should be fed dead/frozen krill, silversides and bits of shrimp (https://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/eels/banded.php). However my LFS says they only eat live foods.

Does anyone have some experience that could help?

Also as a sand dwelling eel will it get along with a sand dwelling wrasse and sand dwelling CUC?

 

[lion king]

They don't need live foods. I've written alot of threads with info on feeding predators, they will thrive on foods I've listed, you can click my name and "find all threads". Primarily human grade seafood used within the recommended use by date or fresh frozen in small batches and used in a timely manner. You can get many uncommon items from an Asian market like octopus, squid, and human grade krill. Hikari brand silversides and I do not recommend lfs krill, krill and other brands of silversides contain thiaminese which binds vit B1, silversides is a common name which encompasses many species. Foods to try include a fatty fish, salmon being the best, shrimp, crabs and mussels. If they are difficult to feed at first you can try live food to get them settled in, and they are usually pretty agreeable to eating dead foods from a stick or tongs. Live foods to try include ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs, make sure it's pretty small.

They are normally not fish eaters but a newly introduced one just from the wild may eat small fish. If your wrasse are swallow size compared to the eel, they could be at risk. It's best to acclimate eels in an observation tank and get them eating dead foods and get them on a routine before introducing them into the dt. They will eat shrimp and crabs but will leave snails, urchins, and starfish alone. They may grab a hermit by the foot and shake him out of his shell for a snack.

 

[Slocke]

They don't need live foods. I've written alot of threads with info on feeding predators, they will thrive on foods I've listed, you can click my name and "find all threads". Primarily human grade seafood used within the recommended use by date or fresh frozen in small batches and used in a timely manner. You can get many uncommon items from an Asian market like octopus, squid, and human grade krill. Hikari brand silversides and I do not recommend lfs krill, krill and other brands of silversides contain thiaminese which binds vit B1, silversides is a common name which encompasses many species. Foods to try include a fatty fish, salmon being the best, shrimp, crabs and mussels. If they are difficult to feed at first you can try live food to get them settled in, and they are usually pretty agreeable to eating dead foods from a stick or tongs. Live foods to try include ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs, make sure it's pretty small.

They are normally not fish eaters but a newly introduced one just from the wild may eat small fish. If your wrasse are swallow size compared to the eel, they could be at risk. It's best to acclimate eels in an observation tank and get them eating dead foods and get them on a routine before introducing them into the dt. They will eat shrimp and crabs but will leave snails, urchins, and starfish alone. They may grab a hermit by the foot and shake him out of his shell for a snack.

Thanks that's very useful.

My LFS also has snowflakes and black ribbons but I wanted something a little more unique than the former and though the ribbons are beautiful I hear they're very difficult. I do have an Asian grocery right by my house so I'll use that advice.

I'm setting up an eel specific tank but I'm having an aggression issue from my Melanarus on my Hortulanus wrasse so I'm thinking one will have to move to the eel tank but both are far bigger than the head of the eel I'm planning to get.

 

[lion king]

The ribbon eels are not for the timid, they are high maintenance and for long term success will need live fish to survive. Those wrasses are going to fine with the eel.

 

[Slocke]

Its here! Got some human shrimp and salmon to try it on starting tomorrow. Also got a source for ghost shrimp if needed.

 

[lion king]

Its here! Got some human shrimp and salmon to try it on starting tomorrow. Also got a source for ghost shrimp if needed.

He looks great!

 

[Slocke]

Its not looking great. I dripped it and floated it for 1.5 hours but after release just sank to the bottom. Its breathing seems mostly normal but other than opening its mouth to threaten me but otherwise its just laying there.
I checked my watering it all looks good. No ammonia; salt and temperature good. Its a mix of new water and water from my reef tank.

 

[Soren]

Its not looking great. I dripped it and floated it for 1.5 hours but after release just sank to the bottom. Its breathing seems mostly normal but other than opening its mouth to threaten me but otherwise its just laying there.
I checked my watering it all looks good. No ammonia; salt and temperature good. Its a mix of new water and water from my reef tank.

Hopefully it is just being careful in new surroundings and pulls through! It is a beautiful eel.
Are these more active at night than during the day? Maybe it will settle in over night.

I'm not experienced, just interested in your experiences.

 

[Slocke]

I don't know what to do. If its just stress I'd leave it be but if there's some toxin in there I want to get it out and put it in another tank.

Its looking really bad now

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Can we see a picture of it now? It might just be stressed. On the other hand, it could have injured its head by pushing into a corner of the bag.

 

[Slocke]

 

[Slocke]

Its head looks fine.
Its moving a bit more now but in an odd way. Arching its back up.

 

[Slocke]

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

That doesn't look good. I'm not a disease expert, but hopefully someone will be able to help.

#fishmedic

 

[Slocke]

I see 3 options.
I do nothing and hope its just stress
I do a massive water change
I put in a new tank with different water

 

[MnFish1]

I would say - its acclimating to a relatively new tank (based on the picture) - I would also say without parameters - its impossible to give recommendations - lastly - if you look at my signature - you can click the link that asks various questions, etc - that help to decide - how best to help you - I would suggest you look at that as well.
PS beautiful fish - and hopefully we can give you some quick answers - or the fish will adjust to the surroundings. I would not do massive water changes - without a reason (i.e. bad parameters).

 

[Slocke]

Might have been dumb of me but it was no longer right way up.
I took some water from my healthy reef tank. Put it in a tub with a heater and airstone. Matched temperature and salinity and transferred the eel. It looked a lot more healthy but that could just be from the move.

 

[Slocke]

I would say - its acclimating to a relatively new tank (based on the picture) - I would also say without parameters - its impossible to give recommendations - lastly - if you look at my signature - you can click the link that asks various questions, etc - that help to decide - how best to help you - I would suggest you look at that as well.
PS beautiful fish - and hopefully we can give you some quick answers - or the fish will adjust to the surroundings. I would not do massive water changes - without a reason (i.e. bad parameters).

No ammonia, 77F 1.025
pH 8
Nitrate almost 0

 

[Slocke]

There's snails and GSP in that tank and they all seem fine

 

[lion king]

It's way too early to tell, or panic. He doesn't seem overly stressed from what I can see, The yawning thing is to clean his gills, just notice if a he starts to shake his head. The yawning with a head shake could be an indictor of flukes, which eels do come in with often. Did you happen to test the sg in his transport bag, some suppliers run low sg to suppress disease and parasites, and a high rise in sg can cause as issue. You kind of have to give it a little more time, just make sure the water quality is right. Moving him will just make any stressful situation worse. Is that rock structure set up in a way he can burrow into, if not move the rocks around to give him the opportunity for some cover. I would definitely offer him the live ghost shrimp, that will be a true tell if there's an issue.