Eel care guide!

[PacsAdmin77]

Hi again,

Does anyone know how long eels can go without food? Reason I ask is that if I need to go away for a week or so and considering that eels need to be target fed, that mine will be OK without food for that long. Thanks in advance.

P.S. Skeletor says “Hi!”

 

[lion king]

Hi again,

Does anyone know how long eels can go without food? Reason I ask is that if I need to go away for a week or so and considering that eels need to be target fed, that mine will be OK without food for that long. Thanks in advance.

P.S. Skeletor says “Hi!”

They'll be fine for a couple/few weeks maybe even longer. One concern is it might throw off him feeding and be hard to start feeding again if tempermental. Providing there is nothing else in the tank that could consider being food, or you may come back to him alone.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

They'll be fine for a couple/few weeks maybe even longer. One concern is it might throw off him feeding and be hard to start feeding again if tempermental. Providing there is nothing else in the tank that could consider being food, or you may come back to him alone.

OK, thanks for that. There’s nothing else smaller than him in the tank so I think the rest should be safe. Too bad there’s no auto feeder for frozen fish foods...

 

[PacsAdmin77]

Hi All,

I need some advice on possible appetite decrease with my Skeletor eel. Up until two days ago, it’s been eating like 4-5 decent size pieces (about 1/2-inch long each) of LRS Chunky. Normal prep includes thawing first and then soaking in Selcon and garlic for about 10 mins. Then I’d feed it with feeding stick while it’s in its favorite feeding area (a separate rock alcove from its burrow). But, two days ago, it would stay in its burrow during normal feeding time and it wouldn’t accept food from the feeding stick. I’d resort to using feeding tongs and even then, it would only eat 2-3 decent size pieces of LRS Chunky. It’s been exhibiting this unusual feeding behavior for the past two days and I’m not sure why. Food type and food prep has been the same and it’s been eating consistently every day before this odd behavior. Maybe it’s not odd to the eel but it seems a bit off to me. What should I be doing differently? Any advice or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lion king]

Hi All,

I need some advice on possible appetite decrease with my Skeletor eel. Up until two days ago, it’s been eating like 4-5 decent size pieces (about 1/2-inch long each) of LRS Chunky. Normal prep includes thawing first and then soaking in Selcon and garlic for about 10 mins. Then I’d feed it with feeding stick while it’s in its favorite feeding area (a separate rock alcove from its burrow). But, two days ago, it would stay in its burrow during normal feeding time and it wouldn’t accept food from the feeding stick. I’d resort to using feeding tongs and even then, it would only eat 2-3 decent size pieces of LRS Chunky. It’s been exhibiting this unusual feeding behavior for the past two days and I’m not sure why. Food type and food prep has been the same and it’s been eating consistently every day before this odd behavior. Maybe it’s not odd to the eel but it seems a bit off to me. What should I be doing differently? Any advice or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

What's your feeding schedule, a couple times a week to every 3 three days until satisfied is optimum. Has there been any changes is the tank; decrease in water quality, new addition, fluctuation in temp, anything at all.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

What's your feeding schedule, a couple times a week to every 3 three days until satisfied is optimum. Has there been any changes is the tank; decrease in water quality, new addition, fluctuation in temp, anything at all.

I feed the eel everyday, considering that it’s only 5-6 inches long, 1/2-inch thick, and still growing. And there have been no changes to the tank. So it might be that it’s full and that I need to decrease the number of times it’s fed?

 

[Fishnut]

When I first got an eel and a lion fish I was shocked how quickly water quality dropped. Ammonia and nitrates jumped up fast. It can take some time for you filtration to be able to handle the extra bio load. I would check that out as a possible cause.
Eels are funny in that they can take a week break from eating with no problem. I don't feed them unless I see them actively out searching the tank for food, which is every 2-3 days.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

My water parameters haven’t changed since the eel was introduced. But you are right. I think I will only feed it every 2 to 3 days.

 

[lion king]

I feed the eel everyday, considering that it’s only 5-6 inches long, 1/2-inch thick, and still growing. And there have been no changes to the tank. So it might be that it’s full and that I need to decrease the number of times it’s fed?

It's probably time to start feeding every 2-3 days, eventually every 3 days best, after carpet surfing overfeeding it the next thing detrimental to their health. I start out feeding my baby predators every day at first also. For future knowledge, high nitrates will also put them off feeding.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

Thanks for the advice of decreasing the number of feedings. It perked up and went back to its eager feeding behavior after I let it go hungry for a full 24-hrs. I think I’ll adopt a M-W-F schedule, eventually transitioning to two feedings a week.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

I’ve enjoyed having Skeletor up until tonight, when it refused to eat during a scheduled feeding (3 times a week). Now, I see it as a spoiled little brat who’s needs to be taught a lesson. Guess who’s going to starve over the weekend??

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I’ve enjoyed having Skeletor up until tonight, when it refused to eat during a scheduled feeding (3 times a week). Now, I see it as a spoiled little brat who’s needs to be taught a lesson. Guess who’s going to starve over the weekend??

I'd wait until it showed me it was hungry. I only feed my eel twice a week, as much as it will eat. Which isn't much considering it's a 6" golden dwarf.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

Well, Skeletor’s about 6” long too and it’s been adapting pretty well to its feeding schedule. Except tonight, when it wouldn’t even nibble anything I’d offered it. Hopefully, starving for 2 days will knock some sense into it.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Well, Skeletor’s about 6” long too and it’s been adapting pretty well to its feeding schedule. Except tonight, when it wouldn’t even nibble anything I’d offered it. Hopefully, starving for 2 days will knock some sense into it.

Not eating for 2 days isn't going to starve an eel. They regularly go weeks without eating. It is fine, I promise. When feeding the fish in your tank pay attention to the eel. If it looks excited, feed it. If it pays no attention to the fish eating, then don't feed it. Also if it swims around more than normal, feed it. If it stays in it's cave and doesn't move about, don't feed it. Once you learn how to tell if it's hungry or not, feeding them is really easy and fun.

 

[lion king]

I’ve enjoyed having Skeletor up until tonight, when it refused to eat during a scheduled feeding (3 times a week). Now, I see it as a spoiled little brat who’s needs to be taught a lesson. Guess who’s going to starve over the weekend??

You,ve likely seen it stated before, that most of probably overfeed our eels. Many of us do twice a week and that is likely too much. I know some that push it to just a couple/few times a month. The less frequent you feed them the more active they will become, going into hunting mode. If there is nothing in the tank to become victim, you're good; but more frequent feedings are better if tve eel is aggressive or if tere is a potential snack available.

A solid routine is necessary regardless of what you determine is your feeding schedule. Many things can throw off an eel's feeding schedule; any changes in the tank no matter how insignificant you thinkk they are; water quality, new additions, a change in the tank dynamics like someone becoming more acgressive, a fluctuation in temp, rearranging decor, and so on. Missing a meal after 2 days is nothing go be oncerned about.

 

[PacsAdmin77]

Hmmm as I’ve mentioned, I’m using a 3-feeding per week schedule. Skeletor spends all day hiding in its burrow and only comes out slightly at night. If I want it to be more active during the day, should I drop to 2 feedings? I originally wanted others to see Skeletor out and about in the DT but well, that’s not currently the case. Would 2 feedings condition it to be actively hunting during the day, or is that wishful thinking?

 

[lion king]

Hmmm as I’ve mentioned, I’m using a 3-feeding per week schedule. Skeletor spends all day hiding in its burrow and only comes out slightly at night. If I want it to be more active during the day, should I drop to 2 feedings? I originally wanted others to see Skeletor out and about in the DT but well, that’s not currently the case. Would 2 feedings condition it to be actively hunting during the day, or is that wishful thinking?

I really see no need to feed them more than twice a week, and as I stated above, that is likely too much. In the wild they don't eat that often at all, in the aquarium one the main reason we feed more often is so they don't eat their tankmates.

If you feed him less, he will start coming out to hunt when he starts getting hungry. the skelator isn't overly aggressive, so unless you have crabs and shrimp you are attached too, or small fish, I would let him cruise at least a full day before I would feed him again.

So it goes like this; feed him until he is satisfied, then you'll see him poking out, sometimes a little more of his body than usual. Then you will see him full body swimming around, I'd enjoy him for a while, then feed him again. Get him on a routine whether it's every 3 days, every 4 days; each eel is different and each hobbyist enjoy their tanks differently, so in the end it's up to you.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

@lion king

Any experience with a black edge moray, Gymnothorax saxicola? I'm thinking of getting one but was wondering how likely they are to eat everything. I know all eels may go for a snack if they are hungry, but some just want the world to burn. Its between it, or a skeletor which I know is similar to a snowflake.

 

[lion king]

@lion king

Any experience with a black edge moray, Gymnothorax saxicola? I'm thinking of getting one but was wondering how likely they are to eat everything. I know all eels may go for a snack if they are hungry, but some just want the world to burn. Its between it, or a skeletor which I know is similar to a snowflake.

I like the black edged as well, but two instances I know ended very badly. One guy I know personally and has experience, was keeping one in a 180 with a couple of other eels, he killed both. Don't know the set up of the other but some large fish were involved. I shied away from getting one as I have never known anyone keeping one that has a good report.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I like the black edged as well, but two instances I know ended very badly. One guy I know personally and has experience, was keeping one in a 180 with a couple of other eels, he killed both. Don't know the set up of the other but some large fish were involved. I shied away from getting one as I have never known anyone keeping one that has a good report.

I thought so. It looks like the type to want to watch the world burn. Fascinating creature, but I think I'll stick with a skeletor.