Blue ribbon eel

[darian]

Just got this bad boy for 35 usd. 1st day of ttm. Will try feeding it tomorrow. Any tips are welcome

 

[sfin52]

Although this article is mainly aimed at snowflakes, the section on feeding is fairly universal among most moray species so hopefully you will find some useful info here https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190769
Essentially the eel will tell you when he is full as he should return to his hideout. This can be a bit tricky to tell at first as the eel is probably still out a bit and exploring his new environment. But once settled, it should be very obvious when he has eaten a suitable amount as, like I said, he will return to his chosen hideout. At first just feed what you think is suitable, or perhaps a little less. A little less won't hurt right now, but too much can hurt. Especially with ribbons. I've found some of them to be tricky to feed even once reliably taking food.
You should never have to force food on the eel. Let him come to you and let him eat in his own time. Forcing the food towards his face too often can cause damage to his sense of smell as it is overly sensitive and can lead to issues in the future.
He could possibly stop eating if he eats too much as it can be difficult to digest a huge portion and this could stress him out to the point of losing his appetite. They're a very skinny eel and only have small stomachs compared to other species of moray. I've only witnessed this in ribbons, all other eels I've had experience with don't behave that way.
If after a few hours or so you can still see the food bulging from his stomach you've possibly fed too much. Just feed a little less next time an you should be ok.
This is all just my opinion however.
Just remember the hardest part is over and good luck!

That is one gorgeous eel.

 

[lion king]

Beautiful! They are usually very difficult to get eating. If he is already eating then that's great. If not start with something live like ghost shrimp and/or small mollies. It's easy to acclimate a couple mollies and ghosties and just let them live in there with him until he decides to eat them.

 

[sfin52]

Once it's eating a variety of foods is best.

 

[darian]

he just ate his 1st molly ... this is what happened :

he was sticking his head out of his cave with his mouth open. i use a tweezer to grab a molly n put it in his mouth, he snapped it n pull it into the cave ... lets hope this is a good sign

 

[DSC reef]

Definitely a good sign. They are amazing looking for sure. Good luck.

 

[Tam510]

Hello, I have had an adult blue ribbon eel for about 10 months now.. he is about 2 inches in girth, and 26 inches long.. the problem is he is not showing himself ..he stays under the sand and coils under rocks/caves.. with his head sticking out a few inches. How the heck can i get him to show his beautiful trophy self? I have changed landscape but to no avail. Weeks ago he used to be all over the tank even in daylight hours.. even though they are nocturnal.. now he just hides. =(

 

[lion king]

Hello, I have had an adult blue ribbon eel for about 10 months now.. he is about 2 inches in girth, and 26 inches long.. the problem is he is not showing himself ..he stays under the sand and coils under rocks/caves.. with his head sticking out a few inches. How the heck can i get him to show his beautiful trophy self? I have changed landscape but to no avail. Weeks ago he used to be all over the tank even in daylight hours.. even though they are nocturnal.. now he just hides. =(

He needs to be hungry, I'm not sure how often you feed, but most people do feed too often. It's best to feed as much as he wants to eat at one feeding, then wait until he comes out to hunt to feed again. One eel you may feed every 3 days, i wouldn't feed more often than that, some eels may go a week between feedings. Each eel will settle into their own cycle. It's ok to let him hunt for a day before feeding, that way you can enjoy his beauty and grace.

 

[Tam510]

Thanks. many aquarium stores said to get rid of the live rock to see him more visibly.. changing the landscape. What is your take on that.? I feed constantly

 

[lion king]

Thanks. many aquarium stores said to get rid of the live rock to see him more visibly.. changing the landscape. What is your take on that.? I feed constantly

Absolutely not, he needs the rocks to feel comfortable, you want a happy eel, create a natural environment for him. You want to stress him out and kill him, take the rock out, that's a very bad piece of advice. i usually only use live rock to create dens for my eels, but i did even use pvc for a ribbon, they seem to take to the pvc, He will cruise when he is hungry, guaranteed. You should always give an eel at least a few days between feedings, then feed them their full on feeding day. That works best for their natural feeding habits in the wild. In the wild they gorge, then fast.

I am not sure what you are feeding him, but a regular feeding of live mollies is highly recommended for a ribbon eel. Even if eating dead food, they will tend to stop eating after about a year or so. The live food either keeps them stimulated or gives them some nutrients they need to survive long term. i would give him at least 1 live molly a week.

 

[Wolf89]

Thanks. many aquarium stores said to get rid of the live rock to see him more visibly.. changing the landscape. What is your take on that.? I feed constantly

Agree with @lion king . Taking all/most rock out is a very bad idea. It will stress your eel out immeasureably, liking leading to the eels immature death.