Can you over feed a snowflake eel

[MNFish]

I feed my snowflake eel a varied diet of mussels, shrimp, squid....
I was told to feed every other day and that seems to be about right as when I tried to feed 2 says in a row it was not interested. However yesterday I feed it a nice big piece of shrimp which he happily ate but when feeding some smaller chunks of shrimp to other creatures one floated past him and he shot out of his hole to get it. I then put 4-5 more small pieces in and let him hunt them down. It was super fun, and I felt it was good for him to hunt, but can you over feed?

 

[Aspect]

I feed my snowflake eel a varied diet of mussels, shrimp, squid....
I was told to feed every other day and that seems to be about right as when I tried to feed 2 says in a row it was not interested. However yesterday I feed it a nice big piece of shrimp which he happily ate but when feeding some smaller chunks of shrimp to other creatures one floated past him and he shot out of his hole to get it. I then put 4-5 more small pieces in and let him hunt them down. It was super fun, and I felt it was good for him to hunt, but can you over feed?

I throw an absolute ton of food in my tank feeding my sharks, remora, and eels. Snowflake takes what he wants sometimes more than others. They have a very slow metabolism so a good feeding will last him a couple weeks, don't worry. Just make sure what you're feeding is high quality. Haven't overfed him yet. Had him about a year now he's about 18" and starting to get thick (for a snowflake at least). Don't feed silversides whatever you do.

 

[MNFish]

I throw an absolute ton of food in my tank feeding my sharks, remora, and eels. Snowflake takes what he wants sometimes more than others. They have a very slow metabolism so a good feeding will last him a couple weeks, don't worry. Just make sure you're feeding is high quality. Haven't overfed him yet. Had him about a year now he's about 18" and starting to get thick (for a snowflake at least). Don't feed silversides whatever you do.

Thank you! I figured they would not eat more than they should but I often do so wanted to make sure haha.

I have never feed silversides, seen to posts about bad things with them, I prefer only to feed seafood I would eat myself.

 

[Aspect]

Thank you! I figured they would not eat more than they should but I often do so wanted to make sure haha.

I have never feed silversides, seen to posts about bad things with them, I prefer only to feed seafood I would eat myself.

I personally only feed my predators food with no preservatives. Only other acceptable ingredient is water. You can get a good variety of seafood like this from a Wegman's if you have one near you.

 

[lion king]

Yes, but overfeeding comes in the form of feeding too often. Their metabolism requires a gorge/fast feeding cycle. While it's fine to feed a baby snowflake every other day, or when you first acquire them to get them fattened up and healthy. Within a very short time you should start to spread their feeding out, to a couple of times a week, then to once a week or even as long as every 10 days. Feeding too often will present in fatty liver disease, and a premature death, sometimes within a couple of years. After carpet surfing this is the leading cause of premature death. Feed them their full on feeding day(gorge); smaller more frequent meals are not a good idea.

You will also find a more interesting and entertaining eel to allow them to go into hunting mode for a day or so before feeding. If you feed them every time they stick their head out their den, then they will always stay in their den.

San Francisco Bay brand is a true silverside and a good food to offer, the whole fish with bones and guts are a good addition. The other brands I do not recommend as they can be everything from smelt to other soecies of fish which mainly contain thiaminese, which binds vitamin B1 and especially causes problems for predatory fish.

 

[Aspect]

Yeah I like to feed low fat foods like squid, lobster, and shrimp.

 

[MNFish]

Yes, but overfeeding comes in the form of feeding too often. Their metabolism requires a gorge/fast feeding cycle. While it's fine to feed a baby snowflake every other day, or when you first acquire them to get them fattened up and healthy. Within a very short time you should start to spread their feeding out, to a couple of times a week, then to once a week or even as long as every 10 days. Feeding too often will present in fatty liver disease, and a premature death, sometimes within a couple of years. After carpet surfing this is the leading cause of premature death. Feed them their full on feeding day(gorge); smaller more frequent meals are not a good idea.

You will also find a more interesting and entertaining eel to allow them to go into hunting mode for a day or so before feeding. If you feed them every time they stick their head out their den, then they will always stay in their den.

Thank you, this is a young eel. But I want to make sure I am feeding him because he needs it and not just because I enjoy it.... I should probably go to every 3 days now however. Is it better to give them a couple large pieces or is a lot of smaller pieces okay on gorge day?

 

[lion king]

Yeah I like to feed low fat foods like squid, lobster, and shrimp.

A bad nutritional mistake, after a high thiaminese diet, a lack of essential fats are the main cause of a premature death due to nutritional deficiencies. A fatty fish must be included if you expect them live more than 2-3 years, I recommend salmon as it is readily available and reasonable inexpensive.

 

[Aspect]

A bad nutritional mistake, after a high thiaminese diet, a lack of essential fats are the main cause of a premature death due to nutritional deficiencies. A fatty fish must be included if you expect them live more than 2-3 years, I recommend salmon as it is readily available and reasonable inexpensive.

Yes I also incorporate scallops as a fatty fish. Although mainly squid, shrimp, and lobster. Also crab meat once in awhile.

 

[MNFish]

Is soaking shrimp in selcon okay to help increase fat?
If not I will have to go get some salmon from Costco as I like to eat it too haha

 

[lion king]

Thank you, this is a young eel. But I want to make sure I am feeding him because he needs it and not just because I enjoy it.... I should probably go to every 3 days now however. Is it better to give them a couple large pieces or is a lot of smaller pieces okay on gorge day?

I like feeding smaller pieces, it helps to maintain a cleaner tank and I think better for digestion. Offering smaller pieces will limit regurgitation, they will sometimes regurgitate if the pieces are too large. Even if it's a fowlr, maintain reef level mg, as mg also helps with digestion. As you've likely seen, they can fight down larger pieces, but they shake it around and bits go flying, so making your tank dirtier. Keep offering pieces until they stop showing interest, if you are offering smaller pieces there is no danger of over feeding.

 

[MNFish]

I like feeding smaller pieces, it helps to maintain a cleaner tank and I think better for digestion. Offering smaller pieces will limit regurgitation, they will sometimes regurgitate if the pieces are too large. Even if it's a fowlr, maintain reef level mg, as mg also helps with digestion. As you've likely seen, they can fight down larger pieces, but they shake it around and bits go flying, so making your tank dirtier. Keep offering pieces until they stop showing interest, if you are offering smaller pieces there is no danger of over feeding.

Thank you!

 

[lion king]

Is soaking shrimp in selcon okay to help increase fat?
If not I will have to go get some salmon from Costco as I like to eat it too haha

Selcon can be a good addition, but not a complete substitute for a fatty fish. It also rinses of in the water column. Every eel doesn't accept every food, But remember to try a food that they refuse at a later date. Scallop is a good food to offer, but remember in the wild they eat whole foods, and salmon contains about 3 times the omegas as scallop, that why I recommend including salmon. Limit shrimp, and if you do offer shrimp, try and buy fresh whole shrimp and freeze in small batches. Trim any sharp edges from shells, and fresh shrimp will contain more viable B1, and shrimp does contain thiaminese. I've known people keeping snowflakes into the high teens feeding fresh whole shrimp and wild salmon.

 

[MNFish]

Selcon can be a good addition, but not a complete substitute for a fatty fish. It also rinses of in the water column. Every eel doesn't accept every food, But remember to try a food that they refuse at a later date. Scallop is a good food to offer, but remember in the wild they eat whole foods, and salmon contains about 3 times the omegas as scallop, that why I recommend including salmon. Limit shrimp, and if you do offer shrimp, try and buy fresh whole shrimp and freeze in small batches. Trim any sharp edges from shells, and fresh shrimp will contain more viable B1, and shrimp does contain thiaminese. I've known people keeping snowflakes into the high teens feeding fresh whole shrimp and wild salmon.

Thank you, me and my kids like salmon so this is just another reason to buy more of it! I appreciate the advise and hope that my eel will live into its teens as well. We have not had him too long but he is already a part of the family.

 

[lion king]

Yep I eat it every week and just slice off some for my eel. Get fresh wild with the skin on.

 

[MNFish]

Yep I eat it every week and just slice off some for my eel. Get fresh wild with the skin on.

One more question since I have the expert, would a dwarf lion fish be a good tank mate? Currently it is a well established 55 with only the eel and a random assortment of coral and some snails who might be doomed.

 

[lion king]

One more question since I have the expert, would a dwarf lion fish be a good tank mate? Currently it is a well established 55 with only the eel and a random assortment of coral and some snails who might be doomed.

Yes they would be fine together. Read through some of my threads on dwarf lions for some good info.

 

[MNFish]

Yes they would be fine together. Read through some of my threads on dwarf lions for some good info.

Thank you!

 

[MNFish]

I just fed:

Member's Mark Wild-Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (2 lbs.) - Sam's Club

Buy Member's Mark Wild-Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (2 lbs.) : Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood at SamsClub.com

www.samsclub.com

At first it was a bit tentative but then really went after it.

Maybe a bit higher in quality than needed but I like salmon too of course I prefer mine cooked.

 

[lion king]

I just fed:

Member's Mark Wild-Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (2 lbs.) - Sam's Club

Buy Member's Mark Wild-Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (2 lbs.) : Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood at SamsClub.com

www.samsclub.com

At first it was a bit tentative but then really went after it.

Maybe a bit higher in quality than needed but I like salmon too of course I prefer mine cooked.

Are you kidding, have you never had salmon sashimi, that and yellowtail are my fav. I also eat it cooked.