Blue Ribbon Eel diet

[SirVilhelm]

Several months ago I acquired a blue ribbon eel. It took about 5 weeks before he started eating and lost the vibrant blue color that he had when I first got him. I read that this will happen from the lack of eating but will return once the eel starts to eat again. Well now he eats like a champ, I regularly feed him large live gold fish and have been successfully feeding him for weeks. The problem is his color doesn't seem to be returning.

So, should I start trying different foods? Does anyone know what they eat in the wild? I would have thought that live gold fish would be enough nutrition but I am starting to think it isn't. Besides the color lost he is doing great and is very active. Every time I walk by the tank he gets excited. :)

[Blown 346]

Goldfish isnt a good diet as they are very fatty. They can be very difficult to feed

In the wild They eat small fish and crustaceans. In the aquarium ghost shrimp, but will also take freeze dried krill, strips of fresh fish, fresh uncooked shrimp chunks, and other meaty foods of the like.

[SirVilhelm]

What about frozen silversides? Are they a good diet choice? Think I should be adding any vitamins to the frozen foods?

[Blown 346]

Silversides thawed out would be great as well.

You could try and soak the food in a garlic supplement before hand which will help intice the eel to eat and get it off his binge of gold fish. LOL

[SirVilhelm]

haha, thank you for the advice. He has no problems eating anything I throw in there. I would be more than happy to get him off the gold fish since they are a pain in the *** and look too much like my clowns.

[Blown 346]

You dont want that.LOL

[jenglish]

Silversides, scallop, whole shrimp, krill, fish scraps, anything meaty from the sea will help. goldfish or live shrimp are a good treat, but not as a staple diet IMO.

[Peter Eichler]

Silversides, scallop, whole shrimp, krill, fish scraps, anything meaty from the sea will help. goldfish or live shrimp are a good treat, but not as a staple diet IMO.



I'd say goldfish are not a good treat, typically not very nutritious and they have been known to cause digestive problems in fish and are even believed to cause liver failure because of how fatty they are.

Vilhelm, if you've got a ribbon eel that actually eats consider yourself very lucky. Especially if it actually eats things that aren't alive. I'd suggest sticking with most shellfish such as shrimp, less fatty fish, and squid is another good one. Feed it a few times a week as much as it's willing to eat.

[SirVilhelm]

I read on here a post before I got the eel about how the guy got his eel to eat by tricking it. In case you're interested you can read it Here (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1050101). I used a pair of these (http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_Plant_Tongs_16_IN_Tongs_Tweezers_for_Saltwater_Aquariums-Eheim-EH3590000-FIMTTT-EH3590050-vi.html) to trick the eel into thinking he was competing for food. Took a little bit of time but it worked great. In fact as soon as he sees the tongs come into the tank he comes out of his burrow to see what I have for him. If there is any type of food in there he immediately chomps down on it.

Anyway, thank you for the advice, I had no idea gold fish weren't good for him. Guess I am off to the asian market after work ;)

[jenglish]

[QUOTE=Peter Eichler;15845409]I'd say goldfish are not a good treat, typically not very nutritious and they have been known to cause digestive problems in fish and are even believed to cause liver failure because of how fatty they are.

[QUOTE]

I look at it like a cheezeburger and an ice cream cone, one every once in a while is OK but you would not want to eat that every day. I think of live foods as more of a stimulation of natural hunting response than of adding to the animals dietary needs. different strokes for different folks :D


On another note I think that the occasional oily fish is good for your fish. Again, not something I would want to overdo.

[SirVilhelm]

There is no need to shell the shrimp before feeding correct?

[Blown 346]

Nope.

[Peter Eichler]

There is no need to shell the shrimp before feeding correct?

No, but I'd stick with smaller shrimp around krill size... It's also probably easier to digest if it is shelled.

[jenglish]

depending on your local market you may find whole shrimp for cheaper than headless deveined ones. Your eel will not mind the heads at all ;) When I have had triggers and lions I would get something called "japanese mix" that was squid, cuttle, shrimp, scallop, etc that I felt was a good grab bag in the frozen section.

[Blown 346]

^^^ Very good idea.