i need ribbon eel info

[Bugboy9000]

i need a lot of information on black/blue ribbon eels i have seen a lot of different opinions on their care (specifically diet and hardiness) i know they are difficult but any extra information that could possibly keep one alive for a good amount of time would be appreciated

[3rotorFD]

I can't get mine to eat:( ...........

[pitt_prodigy]

Even my lfs warned me not to buy theirs!! They said that they have never been able to keep them alive for any substantial period of time. Usually they only accept mollies and other live food.... which is eventually why they waste away. Scott Michael warns against them in his book for that reason. If you can get them to make the switch to accept dead food... you should be able to keep em. Wish i could be of more help.

[Bugboy9000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6599471#post6599471 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 3rotorFD
I can't get mine to eat:( ...........

yea that was my main concern the diet ive heard so many different things the best ive heard was to start off with strips of clam then move on to squid but then people say they dont take the dead food so im just at a bit of a loss

[billsreef]

Very, very difficult to keep alive. Best bet is to acclimate small mollies and guppies to SW and keep a bunch of those in the tank with eel. Also small "dither" fish such as green chromis will help make them more comfortable and more likely to eat. Yes, they might get a chromis for dinner. Once you get them eating and they get comfortable you can begin trying to get them eating fish from stick.

[Bugboy9000]

another question is it at all possible to keep a ribbon eel in the same tank as a volitan lion or will it not work out?

[billsreef]

The volitan's are aggressive feeders once they settle in. As a result they would snap up all the food you tried to offer the ribbon and this would make them a bad choice of tankmates ;)

[majestic sea life]

Its not just cuz they are hard to get feeding. They need a huge tank 250gal + with a 4'' sandbed is best. Ppl say a 120 ect.. is fine but its really not. Feeding isnt the main prob if you did your research and know what your doing its not a big prob. My lfs only sells ones that are eating. The main thing to do is try to make your take like the eels home. On one side have a pile of live rock and on the outher side place live rock rubble. If they are not eating anything try dartfish thats what they eat in the wild.

~Brian

P.S sorry about spelling and grammer its early.

[techigirl78]

Don't know if this is an option for you, but I have read that the white ribbon eels are a lot easier then the black or blue.

[Bugboy9000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6615205#post6615205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by techigirl78
Don't know if this is an option for you, but I have read that the white ribbon eels are a lot easier then the black or blue.

yea i wasnt really lookin for a white one just the black turning into blue

[Bugboy9000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6614881#post6614881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by majestic sea life
Its not just cuz they are hard to get feeding. They need a huge tank 250gal + with a 4'' sandbed is best. Ppl say a 120 ect.. is fine but its really not. Feeding isnt the main prob if you did your research and know what your doing its not a big prob. My lfs only sells ones that are eating. The main thing to do is try to make your take like the eels home. On one side have a pile of live rock and on the outher side place live rock rubble. If they are not eating anything try dartfish thats what they eat in the wild.

~Brian

P.S sorry about spelling and grammer its early.

well then that pretty much cancels them out i have a 55 gal and i dont plan on putting in live rock

[Bugboy9000]

are there any other eels that arent too difficult to take care of and can be housed with a volitan lion

p.s. im really not looking for a snowflake eel because everyone has one and they dont appeal to me very much

[Petstorejunkie]

okay, even public aquariums cannot get them to live til adulthood if that tells you anything. there havent been enought successs stories to know for sure what keeps these critters alive. most stores wont gbet them in because realistically they need to stay in the ocean

[LRS078]

One of the few critters that needs to stay in the ocean. Nobody has figured out the magic formula for keeping them alive longterm yet. Maybe they will someday or maybe they just can't make the adjustment mentally. Short of a eel shrink (or prozac).

Ribbon Eel info = 99.99999% die

I am sorry to yack in your cornflakes, wish they could be kept easier at home....really beautiful critters. I'd rather see them alive in the ocean than dead in my tank anyday.

[LRS078]

One of the few critters that needs to stay in the ocean. Nobody has figured out the magic formula for keeping them alive longterm yet. Maybe they will someday or maybe they just can't make the adjustment mentally. Short of a eel shrink (or prozac).

Ribbon Eel info

[LRS078]

wow...weird post problems can't delete a double post or edit, gets me an error message saying I'm trying to access admin sorry for the double posting but I can't fix this

[3rotorFD]

What the hell is my white ribbon eel eating? It's been 1 month and I see her cruising arround the tank with (what appears to be a Full stomach?) She doesn't eat anything when i try to feed her:confused:

[techigirl78]

Do you have live rock or sand in your tank, likely pods or worms. You do have a much better chance with the white ribbon eel.

[FMarini]

interestingly, some blue ribbon eels do Okay. The key is a few things
1) small tanks, 25-40gal (live rock, lots of caves, and little foot traffic)
2)- keep the fish by themselfs (no competition)
3)-start them out feeding on live mollies, ghost shrimp, etc
4) get them when they are black (juveniles)
the key is to get them to feed
I'm not recommending these fish at all. However there has ben an increase in longer term survival of these eels. Most people plop these fish into an tank full of other fish, and expect them to live- They will not.
so if you've mistakenly bought one, try the techniques above, otherwise, leave him in the store

White ribbon eels are a totally different eel, not from the same family as blue ribbon eels, and actually do well in captivity, they feed well (they like ghost shrimp) and other small inverts

[techigirl78]

You think they would work well with larger sea horses?

[Bugboy9000]

i havent actually started up my tank yet but when i do i will be getting live sand i plan on cycling out the tank with damsels then i will be getting a volitan lion and once he is doing well i wanted to get some type of eel. i was going to say whatever i like the ribbon eel so ill get one but now i see they are far too advanced for me to actually consider...yet. is there any other eel that would do well with the lion so that they arent going at each other all the time and will there be any competition for food? if there are any other things i forgot i would really appreciate the info.

[techigirl78]

Have you looked into getting a snowflake eel?

[billsreef]

I would look at a snowflake, zebra or chainlink moray. They are primarily crustacean feeders and therefore safe to the lion. The ones predatory on fish can actually eat a lionfish :eek1:

[Petstorejunkie]

i would say there is a big difference in "coolness" between an everybody has one snowflke moray, and a ribbon eel. but the likely hood of a snowflake living happily ever after and the blue ribbon are like nite and day. if you want a really cool centerpiece eel look at the snake eels, there was a thread about them a few weeks back and they are really neat, not too many have one

[Bugboy9000]

yea i wasnt too into the snoflake eels because EVERYONE has one and i was looking maybe more into the larger eels. would one of the banana eels do fine or possibly a reverse goldentail moray?

[Petstorejunkie]

a banana eel would be great they dont get over 2ft and they are passive, fairly hardy not like snowflake hardy but they are a way cooler fish. he would be fine with a lion