My new eels wont eat, expertise please.

[TvanB1]

I’ve heard that about silversides. Why would you say “ditch silversides” but not cooked shrimp? Is cooked shrimp cool? I’m closing my account you people are morons.

Why are you getting so defensive as soon as someone opposes your opinion. From what i’ve seen so far YOU are the one who claims to know everything. You are using anecdotal evidence just as he is. I would agree to stay away from both cooked shrimp and garlic, but if cooked shrimp is the only thing your eel will eat then what can you do haha. I highly doubt soaking a raw shrimp in garlic would help at all.
- As for the OP
Keep trying live food, thats what has worked best for me in the past. Live peppermint shrimp did the trick for me with a small snowflake eel.
Also, when you feed, lightly brush the food against their faces to ‘annoy’ them. A lot of the time they will eat it just so they can get some peace haha.

 

[Fliper]

I wouldn't offer cooked shrimp either. I was trying to stay out of the garlic debate and all the other nonsense going on and strictly reply to the OP.

Nonsense going on is feeding your eel cooked shrimp. I’m done with this chat room.

 

[TvanB1]

Nonsense going on is feeding your eel cooked shrimp. Anybody that disagrees with that is an idiot and there are plenty of them here. I’m done with this chat room.

Im guessing you don’t understand the idea of a forum?

 

[DSC reef]

How many are in this place?

If your done then be done. Please stop name calling as it has no place in this forum or thread. People are allowed to have different opinions. No one is telling you what to feed your eel. Give your advice as others do.

 

[DSC reef]

#mods

 

[Crabs McJones]

How many are in this place?

Let's pump the brakes a little bit, name calling is not needed. There are other polite ways to express your concerns and opinions.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Let's keep it civil. The OP asked for some advice, and there will be different ideas around. Feeding garlic is something that has been much debated for years. We're not going to solve that here today. Disagreement can be expressed (and is in fact encouraged when reasonably expressed), but discussion should be about the issue and not resort to personal attacks.

 

[ca1ore]

I wouldn't offer cooked shrimp either. I was trying to stay out of the garlic debate and all the other nonsense going on and strictly reply to the OP.

Oh I agree, it's hardly deal. But the obstinate fish won't eat anything else. So better that than nothing. I have a bunch of those hikari clams so hoping it will eventually take those. They worked like a charm getting my regal angel to eat.

 

[BugXprt]

My current zebra eel went almost a full month before it would eat anything. Even now, a year later, it will only eat cooked cocktail shrimp.

Thanks, i appreciate the reply

 

[BugXprt]

@BugXprt, not sure if you've seen this link already, but it might be of help too: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/eel-care-guide.190769/

Yes, i read, great read, i posted this question there, i spent much on the eels and just don't want them to die. Thanks for the help.

 

[BugXprt]

My snowflake eel went 2.5 months without eating (I’m not joking). Eels can go a really long time without food. Don’t worry. Just keep trying to feed it every few days (don’t annoy it everyday) and eventually, when it’s hungry, it will eat. Seriously, don’t stress out it’s ok.

Did the eel hide much, or was his presence known during that time. Thanks

 

[BugXprt]

I've had eels go for six months w/o eating and be fine. I wouldn't worry and chalk it up to getting acclimated. I would ditch the silversides. They're high in thiaminase and are frozen whole with guts in place. If they thaw at some point in transit they may spoil. I'd recommend offering squid and octopus and see how they react. Both can be found at Asian specialty markets and Whole Food type stores.

ETA-- Took this dragon about 4 months to eat. Had tried squid strips from Whole foods. Picked up whole frozen squid from Asian market and success.

Well thanks, this makes me feel allot better. I actually herd that about the silversides( oily and full of waste) , i was planning on feeding scallops, halibut, catfish, raw shrimp, no interest though. The wholesaler was feeding them silversides they said, so i tried that to, but nothing. I saw costco has a nice seafood pack with scallops shrimp and squid, for future maybe. But ill try the squid tentacles at wholefoods too.

 

[BugXprt]

I fed my snowflake eel cooked shrimp for a few months that were extra from my lunch, he seemed to like them. I also fed krill and clams. OP I would try clams, otherwise just give them time they are only a week in the tank my snowflake took 3 weeks to accept any sort of food

Very helpful, thanks

 

[BugXprt]

The

I've had eels go for six months w/o eating and be fine. I wouldn't worry and chalk it up to getting acclimated. I would ditch the silversides. They're high in thiaminase and are frozen whole with guts in place. If they thaw at some point in transit they may spoil. I'd recommend offering squid and octopus and see how they react. Both can be found at Asian specialty markets and Whole Food type stores.

ETA-- Took this dragon about 4 months to eat. Had tried squid strips from Whole foods. Picked up whole frozen squid from Asian market and success.

Awesome video, that's great to see, i wanted mine too eat like that. My last zebra ate great from the get go.. Loved the dragon, how old? How's long?

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Oh I agree, it's hardly deal. But the obstinate fish won't eat anything else. So better that than nothing. I have a bunch of those hikari clams so hoping it will eventually take those. They worked like a charm getting my regal angel to eat.

Points for creativity. I would have never thought to try that and finding something it will eat should make it easier to wean onto other frozen.

The

Awesome video, that's great to see, i wanted mine too eat like that. My last zebra ate great from the get go.. Loved the dragon, how old? How's long?

Think it was about two feet when the video was taken. I sold it to a buddy a year or so back. Got married and my wife is deathly afraid of snakes and apparently eels are similar enough. Compromise was that if I sold my eel systems I could setup a big tank in the new house and now have an 8' 300 to play with. May sneak a Ribbon Eel in at some point in the future.

May want to try some wild caught salmon as well. Most of my piscos always tore it up but it's kind of pricey so it was more of an occasional treat.

 

[jda]

Those two eels are going to have different feeding habits and patterns. Comparing a fang to a pebble tooth eels can be somewhat dangerous.

The banana should be easy and routine before long. These eaters are opportunistic and even fish are a good meal.

The pebbletoothed eel (zebra or snowflake) can be finicky, stubborn and can have months of hibernation where it never comes out of eats...this is normal and forcing anything on it could be bad. Pebbletooths do not eat fish in nature (from what I have heard), so the bottom dwellers offer the best variety.

Cuttlefish heads, fresh squid and octopus, live crabs (natural diet) and most other nasty stuff from a asian market offer a good meal to either. My Zebra would crush cuttlefish heads with a gusto, also liked squid and then would let the cleaner shrimp pick the pieces/remains out of it's mouth. You can inject any of these with Zoe, Selcon, etc. for a more nutritious snack if the diet is not varied enough for your liking.

 

[User1]

I've had eels go for six months w/o eating and be fine. I wouldn't worry and chalk it up to getting acclimated. I would ditch the silversides. They're high in thiaminase and are frozen whole with guts in place. If they thaw at some point in transit they may spoil. I'd recommend offering squid and octopus and see how they react. Both can be found at Asian specialty markets and Whole Food type stores.

ETA-- Took this dragon about 4 months to eat. Had tried squid strips from Whole foods. Picked up whole frozen squid from Asian market and success.

That looked painful to eat - but I'm sure natural. Pretty eel.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I started cutting off the tentacles after that one. They were giving the pharyngeal jaws quite the work out. Diced the tentacles and let the smaller fish took em down.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Hey what about ghost shrimp, while they won't do well in saltwater, I know its what many feed their freshwater eels (ex: fire eels, python eels, [ropefish, not an eel, but body plan is the same]) and other finicky eaters. They're small, easy to rear and gut load whatever nutrients you want, and dirt cheap. They're quite small too, just enough for a bite for a small eel. You could also try small crayfish, I feel like the amount the move around would certainly attract the eel, especially when the salt water started to get to them and they started slowing down.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Never had a saltwater eel btw, so I could very well be wrong, just trying to help out by throwing out some less popular freshwater ideas.