Japanese Dragon Eel Feeding
- Thread starter Earl Karl
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Smelt is another name for silversides. I get bags of smelt from the asian market, super cheap compared to the lfs, some bags have larger ones while some have smaller. 3-4" are about the size they come, which I find larger than the ones you get from the llfs. Will he eat squid and octopus, there's also squid rings that are a good addition. The asian market is a good place to get a variety of food for eels, very cheaply too.
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Earl Karl
Well-Known Member
Thanks I was told that smelt had thiaminase, but I found out that it is only one species of smelt that has it. I feed him a whole variety of food, including squid, but he's kinda picky. Mainly goes for fish and shrimp.
The problem with thiaminase is when you feed items that contain thiaminase exclusively. While that smelt I feed may contain thiaminase I also feed shrimp, octopus, squid, silverfish, scallops, and enrich with vits. Thiaminase blocks thiamine(B1), so if you are feeding a variety and they are able to get B1 from other sources it will be no problem. Krill also has thiaminase and the basis to the the over fear of thiaminase is that many predator fish; eels, lions, scorps, anglers, and even puffers; will settle in and only eat krill exclusively. I can't remember the brand name off hand, but one lfs brand may be smelt rather than true silversides. So people that exclusive feed these 2 items may have an issue in the long run.
Earl Karl
Well-Known Member
I soak my foods with selcon, vitachem, and aquavitro fuel. I just want to limit thiaminase intake so I wouldn't have to worry, instead of trying to balance the diet and making it pretty much a tug of war. I especially won't take a risk with my dragon eel.
I mainly feed jumbo shrimp, squid/octopus, and ON silversides (that's only the food he accepts, very picky but I try to feed variety). The rest like scallops, prawns, and such have thiaminase, so I rarely feed them.
I mainly feed jumbo shrimp, squid/octopus, and ON silversides (that's only the food he accepts, very picky but I try to feed variety). The rest like scallops, prawns, and such have thiaminase, so I rarely feed them.
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Some people argue that silversides and smelt are the same thing, that's what I believe. They will say that silversides don't contain thiaminase and that smelt does. I've seen lions, eels, and puffers being fed silversides(from the lfs) exclusively develop what appears to be lockjaw and pass after a year or so. Lockjaw seems to be a disorder presented by a deficiency of vit B1. I've seen the same when krill has been fed exclusively, the point is exclusively.
I have kept all of these species over a decade while including silversides(smelt from the asian market) and krill in their diets, as well as scallops and likely many other things that contain thiaminese. The difference is that they get a varied diet and nothing is being fed exclusively. You can use a variety of methods to achieve a balanced diet so I'm not trying to talk you into feeding anything. It's just this "thiaminase" thing is kind of like "gluten", if you get what I mean.
I have kept all of these species over a decade while including silversides(smelt from the asian market) and krill in their diets, as well as scallops and likely many other things that contain thiaminese. The difference is that they get a varied diet and nothing is being fed exclusively. You can use a variety of methods to achieve a balanced diet so I'm not trying to talk you into feeding anything. It's just this "thiaminase" thing is kind of like "gluten", if you get what I mean.
Earl Karl
Well-Known Member
It really depends on species of what silversides you use. I know that Ocean Nurition silversides are just pond smelts (Hypomesus olidus), which is thiaminase free. Other smelts/silversides, do contain it. He's been eating ON silversides for 1.5 years.
Again, my dragon eel is picky, I can try a variety, but it doesn't mean my eel would accept it. But he would munch down on fish and shrimp endlessly and ocassionally squid, but other things he would kinda ignore, which is why balancing is tricky.
Again, my dragon eel is picky, I can try a variety, but it doesn't mean my eel would accept it. But he would munch down on fish and shrimp endlessly and ocassionally squid, but other things he would kinda ignore, which is why balancing is tricky.
Goodair
Valuable Member
Bought smelt few days ago, snowflake apparently doesn't want to eat it either. He eats silversides tho, which has run out.
It might have to do with where they are caught, not sure if they are the same fish or not, but the Asian market had bigger silversides near smaller smelt.
Could also be the labeling isn't consistant.
It might have to do with where they are caught, not sure if they are the same fish or not, but the Asian market had bigger silversides near smaller smelt.
Could also be the labeling isn't consistant.
rfgonzo
Active Member
(I woulden't know the answer) For years my Japanese dragon moray would only eat live 4 to 5 in coy. It was terrrible and not very nutritious for him. About 2 years ago, I got him to start eatin grocery store shrimp. This is way better then coy but he still won't eat anything else. My Brazilian Dragon will eat squid, octopus and shrimp.
