Eel questions

[littlefoxx]

So it seems my eels and engineer goby have reached a truce since they all now live in the same hole. The eels have taken to sticking their heads out in the back. Problem is I cant get a feeding stick to them where they are. Dont want them to go hungry. Might be a dumb question but I love my eels so much and want to make sure they are okay.

Is this something I need to worry about? Or will they come out when they want food? I was waving food around the closest I could get and neither eel wanted any. Maybe they were not hungry but I just want to make sure I can get them their food. Again I know its probably a dumb question but Im very attached to these two and I just love them and want to make sure they can still get food in the spot they chose without me being able to get the tongs close enough for them to take the food off.

@Slocke @lion king

 

[lion king]

They will come around when they get hungry. I make my eels entertain me for their dinner. If they aren't cruising around they are probably not that hungry, and you may even be feeding too often.

 

[littlefoxx]

They will come around when they get hungry. I make my eels entertain me for their dinner. If they aren't cruising around they are probably not that hungry, and you may even be feeding too often.

Gotcha I thought so but just wanted to make sure! I feed every two days right now, is that too much? They usually eat two or three chunks (feed them rods predator) at a time

 

[lion king]

Gotcha I thought so but just wanted to make sure! I feed every two days right now, is that too much? They usually eat two or three chunks (feed them rods predator) at a time

Over time that will be too often, you've had them long enough you can probably start going to a couple of times a week.

 

[littlefoxx]

Ah okay! Should I just let them tell me when they are hungry and then do the two times a week feedings around that schedule? I just want to make sure they get food when they want it but not overfeed cause thats horrible for them

Over time that will be too often, you've had them long enough you can probably start going to a couple of times a week.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I’ve got 2 big zebra eels in my reef and rarely see them , they are never target fed. They come out when they are hungry.

 

[Slocke]

I don’t feed until I see them out and hunting. This was from a few days ago

 

[littlefoxx]

I don’t feed until I see them out and hunting. This was from a few days ago

Ah okay! Yeah I will wait for them to do that! How often do yours come out like that for food?

 

[Slocke]

Every week or so. Sometimes longer.

 

[littlefoxx]

Every week or so. Sometimes longer.

Hum okay! I will wait and see. Ivar has actually grown a good amount since I got him just want to make sure they get what they need, I love them both!

 

[HAAAAAAAA]

From my experience of keeping the tessalata eel for around 8 months he used to eat a lot in the beginning but slowly slowed down I thought that it might be because he was growing a lot bigger and that might also be the case but the instant i added activated carbon he started eating even more often i questioned what activated carbon had to do with him eating so I went around looking for info and i found out that, since the eels slime coat contains toxins it might get diluted in the water since a aquarium is a closed ecosystem so incase if your not using activated carbon I highly recommend it. since using activated carbon I don't remember my eel ever going on a hunger strike, I also keep my temperature constantly on 28c (82f) I also suggest soaking your food in garlic since it's a natural dewormer

 

[littlefoxx]

From my experience of keeping the tessalata eel for around 8 months he used to eat a lot in the beginning but slowly slowed down I thought that it might be because he was growing a lot bigger and that might also be the case but the instant i added activated carbon he started eating even more often i questioned what activated carbon had to do with him eating so I went around looking for info and i found out that, since the eels slime coat contains toxins it might get diluted in the water since a aquarium is a closed ecosystem so incase if your not using activated carbon I highly recommend it. since using activated carbon I don't remember my eel ever going on a hunger strike, I also keep my temperature constantly on 28c (82f) I also suggest soaking your food in garlic since it's a natural dewormer

Ive got tangs in the tank, two HLLE rescues, I dont want them getting worse with the carbon, so I dont run carbon on the tanks. I do add garlic and vitamins to their food

 

[littlefoxx]

This is them today so cute!

 

[HAAAAAAAA]

Ive got tangs in the tank, two HLLE rescues, I dont want them getting worse with the carbon, so I dont run carbon on the tanks. I do add garlic and vitamins to their food

Maybe should've first asked if you have tangs not gonna lie the two eelies sure do look like a couple hope they get to eating soon because mine recent eel sure did get me stressed for a week straight but in your case they most likely are on a diet haha gotta look good for eachother

 

[littlefoxx]

Maybe should've first asked if you have tangs not gonna lie the two eelies sure do look like a couple hope they get to eating soon because mine recent eel sure did get me stressed for a week straight but in your case they most likely are on a diet haha gotta look good for eachother

Lol no worries! But yes they have snuggled in the same burrow like that since I put Ghost (the snowflake) in the tank. Ivar is the jeweled. Super cute together!

 

[littlefoxx]

Maybe should've first asked if you have tangs not gonna lie the two eelies sure do look like a couple hope they get to eating soon because mine recent eel sure did get me stressed for a week straight but in your case they most likely are on a diet haha gotta look good for eachother

These are my HLLE rescues

 

[lion king]

These are my HLLE rescues

If you are not already, including live macro in the diet is a great addition to reverse hlle. Try various caulerpa, gracillaria, and ulva to see what they like and what you may have available.

 

[HAAAAAAAA]

These are my HLLE rescues

Beautiful! Thought of keeping some tangs in my 210g but with the tess in there i would have to reconsider since my bird wrasse which I thought was fast enough to escape my tess disappeared one day so I guess that's a lesson in itself

 

[littlefoxx]

If you are not already, including live macro in the diet is a great addition to reverse hlle. Try various caulerpa, gracillaria, and ulva to see what they like and what you may have available.

Do you have a place where I could look for that stuff?

 

[littlefoxx]

Beautiful! Thought of keeping some tangs in my 210g but with the tess in there i would have to reconsider since my bird wrasse which I thought was fast enough to escape my tess disappeared one day so I guess that's a lesson in itself

I had a guy at my LFS tell me he had a tessa and left for 3 days and had just fed the tessa right before leaving and he came back to find it had eaten all his fish! He said he had some large tangs in there too and it still ate them! They sure are gorgeous eels though!