My R. quaesitas (ribbon eels)

Bob Loblaw · Jul 15, 2012

90 gallon DT with #150-200LR. "H" shaped pvc structure.

I picked up the first eel 8 or 9 months back; it was accepting frozen but very malnourished. It was blue when the previous owner acquired it but improper diet/tank induced a color change back to black. With some TLC it has made a complete recovery. I bought the second eel 6-7 months ago it was not accepting frozen when I got it. Weaned it onto frozen over 2-3 week span. Very difficult to wean and I do not plan on doing it again. Both eels are currently transitioning to blue. The original eel started changing first and is almost entirely blue but the second eels transition is happening at a faster rate.

Diet- halibut, salmon, cod, flounder, mahi, tuna, octopus, squid, amberjack

Aqua fire/medic · Jul 15, 2012

Sweet eels! That takes hard work and dedication, but well worth it :)

Selter904 · Jul 15, 2012

Great Job! They are looking good! Are these eels reef safe? Do they effect clams, hermits, etc.? I have never kept an eel myself, but would like to get one in my 55gal at some point. Any advice prior to picking one up would be helpful.

Thanks in Advance

Bob Loblaw · Jul 15, 2012

Selter904 said:
Great Job! They are looking good! Are these eels reef safe? Do they effect clams, hermits, etc.? I have never kept an eel myself, but would like to get one in my 55gal at some point. Any advice prior to picking one up would be helpful.

Thanks in Advance

Start with a different eel; this is not a species to start with. These won't bother inverts but small fish are on the menu. I would not keep one in anything smaller than a 75.

wysiwyg · Jul 15, 2012

congrats i always like hearing success storys. do you soak your food in vitamins and amino acids

Bob Loblaw · Jul 15, 2012

wysiwyg said:
congrats i always like hearing success storys. do you soak your food in vitamins and amino acids

I soak the tuna in selcon to offset possible thiaminase content. Everything else is just thawed and served

MattL22 · Jul 15, 2012

Very cool!!! Can u keep fish with these guys ? R they male female??

ritter6788 · Jul 15, 2012

Awesome eels. I'm not an eel guy but I love seeing success stories with difficult species. Good luck and keep us updated.

wysiwyg · Jul 15, 2012

MattL22 said:
Very cool!!! Can u keep fish with these guys ? R they male female??

no you dont wanna keep fish with these eels they will eat them when the lights go out

Bob Loblaw · Jul 15, 2012

These are a true piscivore but I keep them very well fed; spot feeding small amounts of a rotating menu daily. Mine share the tank with a Bi-Color angel, a 12 line wrasse, and some damsels that are left over from the Fimbriated moray which used to reside in the tank. The larger eel killed a damsel the first day in the tank but have paid them no mind since. Juveniles are black and unsexed. They transition to males and turn blue. Later in life they will transition to females and turn yellow.

This is a pic of the smaller eel taken today, approximately two weeks later than the picture above when it just has a few blue flecks. It's color transition is infinitely faster than the larger eels

revsgirl · Jul 15, 2012

Awesome eels!!

Bob Loblaw · Jul 17, 2012

the joy of feedings

It's much easier when they are coming out of the same opening as they seem to know there is competition and immediately go for the food. When they have the opening to themselves, they take there sweet time allowing the shrimp plenty of time to get in the way. Salmon was on the menu today. Sorry about framing, feeding and recording by myself is tricky.

First feeding attempt.
[video=youtube;uBbjLkNlkT4]

Smaller eel almost missed out and took the second attempt with the quickness. Notice how it searches out the narrow end before committing
[video=youtube;nss9Z3B9LvM]

myzislow · Jul 17, 2012

awesome job man! These are amazing animals, glad to see you having some success with them.

Bob Loblaw · Sep 20, 2012

2 month color update, larger eel ate a small Occy since last post

SeahorseKeeper · Sep 20, 2012

They look great!!

ritter6788 · Sep 20, 2012

Nice. Looks like your taking good care of them. They have great color.

NanaReefer · Sep 20, 2012

I had an opportunity to purchase one of these beauties. But having researched them first I decided to wate :) I felt horrible though because the LFS keeping it was very very new to SW and had no info on them at all. I informed them and left. It's since been sold.
Good luck with your lil ones. They seem to be in good reefer hands :)