Ribbon Eel tank update

[Icky Nicky]

Just thought I'd give you guys an update on my ribbon eel tank, as you can see in the picture I have upgraded my defenses in the lid area. also I've linked to some videos from my reddit account, I got another eel, a juvenile, he's doing great, eating live and frozen already, hasn't even been in the tank for 24 hours yet, going to get a third at some point soon.

@lion king

Edit: Apparently the post of him eating frozen got removed because I used too many caps in the title, but yeah, he did lol

 

[KrisReef]

Just thought I'd give you guys an update on my ribbon eel tank, as you can see in the picture I have upgraded my defenses in the lid area. also I've linked to some videos from my reddit account, I got another eel, a juvenile, he's doing great, eating live and frozen already, hasn't even been in the tank for 24 hours yet, going to get a third at some point soon.

@lion king

Edit: Apparently the post of him eating frozen got removed because I used too many caps in the title, but yeah, he did lol

I don’t have the energy to keep up feeding and cleaning an eel tank. Thanks very much for sharing this update! I am very fond of these fish and you made my day. I saw some for sale on line and I sadly had to pass on the acquisition. Keep us/me posted, please and thank you!

 

[lion king]

Just thought I'd give you guys an update on my ribbon eel tank, as you can see in the picture I have upgraded my defenses in the lid area. also I've linked to some videos from my reddit account, I got another eel, a juvenile, he's doing great, eating live and frozen already, hasn't even been in the tank for 24 hours yet, going to get a third at some point soon.

@lion king

Edit: Apparently the post of him eating frozen got removed because I used too many caps in the title, but yeah, he did lol

How fun!!! They will definitely do better in a pair or trio, they learn from each other and are more confident in eating when in groups. I am still curious how they will fair as adults. The thing is most don't keep alive long enough to get an assessment as adults, so hopefully you will.

What dead food are you feeding, try to limit thiaminese and include a fatty fish like wild salmon.

 

[Icky Nicky]

How fun!!! They will definitely do better in a pair or trio, they learn from each other and are more confident in eating when in groups. I am still curious how they will fair as adults. The thing is most don't keep alive long enough to get an assessment as adults, so hopefully you will.

What dead food are you feeding, try to limit thiaminese and include a fatty fish like wild salmon.

I use krill, I try to stick to live tho, still waiting for the mollies to give birth so I've been using feeder guppies still, the mollies seem to be very close to giving birth, tho!

I did put some live mollies in yesterday and they were all gone this morning so I'm assuming they both ate some of them considering they were pretty good sized mollies.

 

[lion king]

I use krill, I try to stick to live tho, still waiting for the mollies to give birth so I've been using feeder guppies still, the mollies seem to be very close to giving birth, tho!

I did put some live mollies in yesterday and they were all gone this morning so I'm assuming they both ate some of them considering they were pretty good sized mollies.

Krill is a source of high thiaminese and it's best to use very sparingly if not at all. Many difficult to feed predators will accept krill and then it becomes the only dead food they will accept, or the hobbyist ends up using it as the dominant part of their diet. Thiaminese will bind vit B1 and cause premature death, one of the biggest pitfalls in feeding a dead diet to predators.

 

[Icky Nicky]

Krill is a source of high thiaminese and it's best to use very sparingly if not at all. Many difficult to feed predators will accept krill and then it becomes the only dead food they will accept, or the hobbyist ends up using it as the dominant part of their diet. Thiaminese will bind vit B1 and cause premature death, one of the biggest pitfalls in feeding a dead diet to predators.

gotcha, would silversides be better? or maybe something like squid?

I try my best to stick to the live guppies for the time being, try to only feed krill when im out of guppies and not able to go to the store right away.

the mollies are very close to giving birth, so hopefully I can switch to mostly all mollies sooner rather than later.

I'm looking to get a third eel without delay now that I know these 2 eat frozen and live

 

[lion king]

gotcha, would silversides be better? or maybe something like squid?

I try my best to stick to the live guppies for the time being, try to only feed krill when im out of guppies and not able to go to the store right away.

the mollies are very close to giving birth, so hopefully I can switch to mostly all mollies sooner rather than later.

I'm looking to get a third eel without delay now that I know these 2 eat frozen and live

San Francisco Bay brand silversides is the only true silverside, the others use fish from minnows to anchovies that also contain thiaminese. Squid and octopus are good, but as I mentioned, wild salmon is the best. It also depends on what they may take, did you ever read my thread on ribbon eels. The dead food may need to cut into slivers, and if too large, they may not take it.

The chronicles of a Rhinomuraena quaesita

Aka the black ribbon eel in the juvenile form, the blue ribbon eel in the male form, and the green ribbon eel in the female form. This is another notoriously difficult fish to keep, I've had some success with one and would like to share my observations. I've witnessed a couple friends and other...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Icky Nicky]

San Francisco Bay brand silversides is the only true silverside, the others use fish from minnows to anchovies that also contain thiaminese. Squid and octopus are good, but as I mentioned, wild salmon is the best. It also depends on what they may take, did you ever read my thread on ribbon eels. The dead food may need to cut into slivers, and if too large, they may not take it.

The chronicles of a Rhinomuraena quaesita

Aka the black ribbon eel in the juvenile form, the blue ribbon eel in the male form, and the green ribbon eel in the female form. This is another notoriously difficult fish to keep, I've had some success with one and would like to share my observations. I've witnessed a couple friends and other...

www.reef2reef.com

gotcha, I'll pick up some squid/octopus next time I go to the LFS, and silversides if they have them, that's the only brand of silversides that they carry I believe.
I'll definitely start feeding the squid/octopus right away, I think I'll sit on the silversides until I get a third eel and know he's eating, I saw something from a guy who had 3 and would give them 1 silverside at a time and they'd share it, like tear it into thirds and share amongst themselves so I'd like to see if I could have success with that, but until then it'll be the guppies until the mollies are ready and octopus/squid, will keep you updated.

I'll also stop using the krill immediately and they can just eat guppies until I make it to the LFS (probably on Monday)

 

[Icky Nicky]

Also, @lion king do you think it would be a good idea to treat the squid/octopus/silversides (whatever dead food I end up getting) with metroplex once I have the third eel? that way I can treat them all at once just as a preventative measure? I had put metroplex in the krill for Azulon (the sub adult) but not the new juvenile, neither seem to be eating more than expected as of right now

 

[lion king]

Also, @lion king do you think it would be a good idea to treat the squid/octopus/silversides (whatever dead food I end up getting) with metroplex once I have the third eel? that way I can treat them all at once just as a preventative measure? I had put metroplex in the krill for Azulon (the sub adult) but not the new juvenile, neither seem to be eating more than expected as of right now

If it's something you would prefer to do, it's safe enough if you want. How often are you feeding them, fish that don't eat daily would likely not get enough of the meds to be effective. Calculating an effective dose in food is just guess work and likely just a placebo effect.

 

[Icky Nicky]

they get fed every other day, either large amount of feeders put in for them to hunt or target fed with frozen food.

I'll mull it over more once I've gotten the new frozen food.

 

[Icky Nicky]

@lion king

another update for ya

I went and got some squid, so far Azulon(the sub adult) likes it and takes it readily, Azula, the new juvenile seems interested in it but won't snatch it up from the stick, I've seen him eat some of the feeder guppies I put in, he's still obviously very nervous and cautious with his hunting, still settling in, I suspect that has something to do with not taking frozen at the moment. I was watching the tank this morning and he was chasing a guppy and I assume he felt over extended and exposed so he panicked and rushed back to the tube, knotted himself up trying to get back in, was quite entertaining but also telling, he's also still scared whenever someone moves near the tank.

I've ordered a better pair of feeding tongs because I'm tired of using the wooden stick and the Brightwell aquatics vitamarin M to put in with their food, these both arrive on Thursday so I won't be feeding them until then because as of right now they are both on different eating schedules, one is hungry one day and the other isn't, and vice versa, so that's also been a problem with feeding, will continue to keep you updated

When I went up to the LFS I chose to not get the silversides, they were Hikari brand, would have got them but I don't have spare room in my freezer for food that I won't be using until I get a third eel, I've also noticed some minor twitching with Azula, the juvenile, hoping the Brightwell aquatics vitamarin will help with that, hopefully he'll feel comfortable enough to take the frozen squid by Thursday

Edit: thought this might be good to mention, I've only noticed the twitching when some sort of food is present, either if frozen is being offered or if there's feeder guppies that have been put in, I haven't seen this twitching happen when the tank is normal and no food is being offered, I know that this is something they do to smell food and whatnot, so considering all the factors I'm not too worried about it, if I start seeing it while he's just chillin and no food is being offered I'll start to get concerned and will update you

 

[lion king]

@lion king

another update for ya

I went and got some squid, so far Azulon(the sub adult) likes it and takes it readily, Azula, the new juvenile seems interested in it but won't snatch it up from the stick, I've seen him eat some of the feeder guppies I put in, he's still obviously very nervous and cautious with his hunting, still settling in, I suspect that has something to do with not taking frozen at the moment. I was watching the tank this morning and he was chasing a guppy and I assume he felt over extended and exposed so he panicked and rushed back to the tube, knotted himself up trying to get back in, was quite entertaining but also telling, he's also still scared whenever someone moves near the tank.

I've ordered a better pair of feeding tongs because I'm tired of using the wooden stick and the Brightwell aquatics vitamarin M to put in with their food, these both arrive on Thursday so I won't be feeding them until then because as of right now they are both on different eating schedules, one is hungry one day and the other isn't, and vice versa, so that's also been a problem with feeding, will continue to keep you updated

When I went up to the LFS I chose to not get the silversides, they were Hikari brand, would have got them but I don't have spare room in my freezer for food that I won't be using until I get a third eel, I've also noticed some minor twitching with Azula, the juvenile, hoping the Brightwell aquatics vitamarin will help with that, hopefully he'll feel comfortable enough to take the frozen squid by Thursday

I used to recommend Hikari brand but they switched their fish species to smelt, which has a high amount of thiaminese. Twitching can be normal as it's a mechanism of them passing water through their gills. It's also an indicator of flukes, which isn't uncommon in these eels, and easily treatable with prazi pro.

 

[Icky Nicky]

I used to recommend Hikari brand but they switched their fish species to smelt, which has a high amount of thiaminese. Twitching can be normal as it's a mechanism of them passing water through their gills. It's also an indicator of flukes, which isn't uncommon in these eels, and easily treatable with prazi pro.

gotcha, not sure if you caught my edit or not but I'll definitely keep my eyes on it.

will have to get san Francisco bay brand then, will also probably look at salmon when I'm at Kroger next

 

[KrisReef]

Glad these are eating. I didn't know about krill or thiaminese, (so I'm feeding here too!) .

The nervous eel reminded me that I used to shut the lights off on my fowler for new fish for a week or so until they calmed down in their new home.

I also am wondering if there are small fish at the (dead) fish market that would work like "Silversides" as a good food source? I've been considering making my own food again, for the health of her fishtank.

 

[Icky Nicky]

Glad these are eating. I didn't know about krill or thiaminese, (so I'm feeding here too!) .

The nervous eel reminded me that I used to shut the lights off on my fowler for new fish for a week or so until they calmed down in their new home.

I also am wondering if there are small fish at the (dead) fish market that would work like "Silversides" as a good food source? I've been considering making my own food again, for the health of her fishtank.

yeah I had no idea about the thiaminese either lol, i was just like food is food, glad we have lion king

 

[lion king]

Glad these are eating. I didn't know about krill or thiaminese, (so I'm feeding here too!) .

The nervous eel reminded me that I used to shut the lights off on my fowler for new fish for a week or so until they calmed down in their new home.

I also am wondering if there are small fish at the (dead) fish market that would work like "Silversides" as a good food source? I've been considering making my own food again, for the health of her fishtank.

Thiaminese binds vitamin B1 and is a likely cause of malnutrition that can be deadly. Sometimes attributed to what people call lockjaw, when the fish seems like they want to eat, gaping their mouth, maybe even mouthing the food; then just doesn't eat. It seems to effect different species differently; predator types like lions, eels, anglers, and the like, seem to effected greatly. That's why you hear so many stories about these species stop eating out the blue and die several months to a year or so in, and you find their diets were heavy in thiaminese.

Obviously limiting thiamineseis best, but completely zero is impossible, and many foods have it. Shrimp, another popular food, contains thiaminese, but using fresh frozen in small batches will help mitigate this, as the fresher the food the more vitamin B1 will be available. I don't, because I maintain a very minimal thiaminese diet if not zero in the case of my live food eaters; but some consider a B1 supplement. You can get human grade liquid B1, you'll have to figure out your own dosage, but it is water soluble, therefore you are likely not to a cause a toxic dosage. Human grade seafood is always best, and finding fresh food choices will be good options, as long as fed in addition to, not dominant; even if it contains thiaminese. The krill at the lfs is long dead, that's why it's orange, and boosted with chemical supplements, as well as being loaded with thiaminese.

I saw some fresh "true silversides" at my Asian market not long back; they also had parrotfish, which is a natural diet for eels and lions in the wild. The Asian markets is a good place to find fish food, they'll also have baby octopus usually in the frozen section, which many eels go crazy for. You may also find some human grade krill, which is opaque in color and frozen fresh, this wouldn't be bad occasionally.

 

[Icky Nicky]

Thiaminese binds vitamin B1 and is a likely cause of malnutrition that can be deadly. Sometimes attributed to what people call lockjaw, when the fish seems like they want to eat, gaping their mouth, maybe even mouthing the food; then just doesn't eat. It seems to effect different species differently; predator types like lions, eels, anglers, and the like, seem to effected greatly. That's why you hear so many stories about these species stop eating out the blue and die several months to a year or so in, and you find their diets were heavy in thiaminese.

Obviously limiting thiamineseis best, but completely zero is impossible, and many foods have it. Shrimp, another popular food, contains thiaminese, but using fresh frozen in small batches will help mitigate this, as the fresher the food the more vitamin B1 will be available. I don't, because I maintain a very minimal thiaminese diet if not zero in the case of my live food eaters; but some consider a B1 supplement. You can get human grade liquid B1, you'll have to figure out your own dosage, but it is water soluble, therefore you are likely not to a cause a toxic dosage. Human grade seafood is always best, and finding fresh food choices will be good options, as long as fed in addition to, not dominant; even if it contains thiaminese. The krill at the lfs is long dead, that's why it's orange, and boosted with chemical supplements, as well as being loaded with thiaminese.

I saw some fresh "true silversides" at my Asian market not long back; they also had parrotfish, which is a natural diet for eels and lions in the wild. The Asian markets is a good place to find fish food, they'll also have baby octopus usually in the frozen section, which many eels go crazy for. You may also find some human grade krill, which is opaque in color and frozen fresh, this wouldn't be bad occasionally.

would salmon from Kroger be a good option for them? if so is there a specific kind of salmon? as far as I'm aware the nearest Asian market is over an hour away from me

 

[lion king]

would salmon from Kroger be a good option for them? if so is there a specific kind of salmon? as far as I'm aware the nearest Asian market is over an hour away from me

You want wild salmon, I find farmed fish disgusting, research how they are kept if you actually eat farmed fish yourself. If you are getting frozen you'll have to test is out, some frozen falls apart for some reason, makes a mess. I eat fresh wild salmon from Traders Joes and slice off some pieces for my eel, I'll freeze some sometimes, it last a long time you are not feeding them that every meal, and your eels don't eat that much. I'm feeding a growing tessa, and salmon has become his new favorite meal.

 

[Icky Nicky]

You want wild salmon, I find farmed fish disgusting, research how they are kept if you actually eat farmed fish yourself. If you are getting frozen you'll have to test is out, some frozen falls apart for some reason, makes a mess. I eat fresh wild salmon from Traders Joes and slice off some pieces for my eel, I'll freeze some sometimes, it last a long time you are not feeding them that every meal, and your eels don't eat that much. I'm feeding a growing tessa, and salmon has become his new favorite meal.

gotcha, I'll try to find some wild salmon!