Snowflake Eel

[Conrad Noto]

I am just curious for those that have snowflake eels, how often and how much to you feed yours? This is Bob and he acts like he is always hungry. He is being fed krill, as that is his favorite thing to eat.

Mine will be 9yrs with me in Nov. I fed him every 3rd day first year, then every 4th day, for the past year every 5th day. He gets large 2 table shrimp with shell on, cut in half ( remove sharp tip in shrimp tail) and every 6 month I add 4-5 large emerald crabs to tank, sometimes they're gone in week, sometimes they go untouched for months...

 

[smlarson72]

I didn’t realize that about the krill... based on what you wrote, I’ll be cutting back.

Me too!

 

[lion king]

Just from what I heard, they start eating your corals when they are starving. I’m guessing people feed them Daily to avoid that

I have never seen that, or heard that; and have to say that it is very unlikely. I thought target feeding eels chunky pieces or slivers of meaty food was pretty much common knowledge. They are not going to survive eating from the water column, and if you expect them to just freely grab pieces of food you toss into the tank, you are going to have a very dirty tank. Every person I've known to daily/frequently feed their eel, have never kept them long. Over feeding, usually in the form of feeding too frequently, is likely the 2nd leading cause of death. Carpet surfing is #1.

 

[smlarson72]

Mine will be 9yrs with me in Nov. I fed him every 3rd day first year, then every 4th day, for the past year every 5th day. He gets large 2 table shrimp with shell on, cut in half ( remove sharp tip in shrimp tail) and every 6 month I add 4-5 large emerald crabs to tank, sometimes they're gone in week, sometimes they go untouched for months...

Do you have a picture of him you could share?

 

[smlarson72]

I have never seen that, or heard that; and have to say that it is very unlikely. I thought target feeding eels chunky pieces or slivers of meaty food was pretty much common knowledge. They are not going to survive eating from the water column, and if you expect them to just freely grab pieces of food you toss into the tank, you are going to have a very dirty tank. Every person I've known to daily/frequently feed their eel, have never kept them long. Over feeding, usually in the form of feeding too frequently, is likely the 2nd leading cause of death. Carpet surfing is #1.

And I don’t want to lose mine.

 

[Goodair]

I've had ghost shrimp eaten right away from a tong, another day, had one sitting right next to it for 5 minutes before i got bored of waiting. It such a hit and miss but eventually it would of been gone if the comet didn't eat it. If it was hungry enough, it might of gone for it, but seems to be very fixed that food is related to seeing tongs now, lol!

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Mine will be 9yrs with me in Nov. I fed him every 3rd day first year, then every 4th day, for the past year every 5th day. He gets large 2 table shrimp with shell on, cut in half ( remove sharp tip in shrimp tail) and every 6 month I add 4-5 large emerald crabs to tank, sometimes they're gone in week, sometimes they go untouched for months...

That’s what happened to my emerald crabs!!! Lol

 

[Hugh Mann]

Carpet surfing is #1.

Apologies for the slight diversion here, but any tips for keeping an eel in the tank?
Asking because I recently had a wrasse go carpet surfing through that I thought was a very secure lid (solid glass with glued on plastic edge with cutouts for equipment).
I would hate to have my eel meet the same fate.

On a somewhat side note, watching my eel actively hunt down and gobble up a live peppermint shrimp was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I'd say it's worth the expense for a treat every so often.

 

[smlarson72]

Apologies for the slight diversion here, but any tips for keeping an eel in the tank?
Asking because I recently had a wrasse go carpet surfing through that I thought was a very secure lid (solid glass with glued on plastic edge with cutouts for equipment).
I would hate to have my eel meet the same fate.

On a somewhat side note, watching my eel actively hunt down and gobble up a live peppermint shrimp was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I'd say it's worth the expense for a treat every so often.

I am definitely no expert on that! My husband cut plexiglass for the top of our aquarium and molded it to fit snugly. Hoping that it works.

 

[smlarson72]

I am definitely no expert on that! My husband cut plexiglass for the top of our aquarium and molded it to fit snugly. Hoping that it works.

I enjoy feeding mine!

 

[Shawn_epicurious]

Apologies for the slight diversion here, but any tips for keeping an eel in the tank?
Asking because I recently had a wrasse go carpet surfing through that I thought was a very secure lid (solid glass with glued on plastic edge with cutouts for equipment).
I would hate to have my eel meet the same fate.

On a somewhat side note, watching my eel actively hunt down and gobble up a live peppermint shrimp was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I'd say it's worth the expense for a treat every so often.

That one I did solve. I wanted to run open tops on my tank... lost one eel from that. So, I got a screen kit from BRS and built the screens tops to fit my rimmed Aquarium very tight. He hasn’t gotten out since.

 

[vetteguy53081]

When I had one, squid and mussel 2X per week via tweezers

 

[lion king]

Apologies for the slight diversion here, but any tips for keeping an eel in the tank?
Asking because I recently had a wrasse go carpet surfing through that I thought was a very secure lid (solid glass with glued on plastic edge with cutouts for equipment).
I would hate to have my eel meet the same fate.

On a somewhat side note, watching my eel actively hunt down and gobble up a live peppermint shrimp was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I'd say it's worth the expense for a treat every so often.

Live ghost shrimp is a less expensive meal, put them in a container and feed them some high quality micro pellets, and will be very nutritious as well. A live fiddler crab is also a good meal for a snowflake. As @Conrad Noto eluded to, the shells on the shrimp; the shells are a good source of nutrition. Be careful of encouraging live feeding unless you are sure they could pose no danger to the other inhabitants of the tank.

As far as securing the lid, make sure every crack and crevice ids covered, they can get through the slightest crack. I've used gorilla tape on the back strip and covered the overflows with acrylic.

 

[Conrad Noto]

Do you have a picture of him you could share?

I do but can't post, on my cell phone and it was turned off. Can't send to computer.