Eels as pets

lion king

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I usually post in Predatory Forum, today I thought I would post here to get exposure. For some reason when people research eels, they fail to realize, these are awesome predators. I've seen alot of interest and failures of late, my lfs told me they sold 3 eels last week, that's alot for eels. Every year I can literally count over a hundred baby snowflake eels in the various lfs around my town, yet I know only 2 people with adult snowflakes. If you are interested in keeping predatory fish like eels, lions, scorps, wasps, anglers, etc; click my name and "find all threads".

First off, know what you are buying. You know I started way back when there was no internet. If you see an eel at the lfs, ask them for the scientific name, and search it right there in front of the eel, before you buy it. Do not trust what they say at the lfs, most do not know what they are talking about. 2nd: there are 2 types of eels, fangtooths, and pebbletooths; anyone interested in a Gymnothorax species(fangtooth) really needs to understand what they are doing. Pebbletooth eels; like the snowflake, zebra, chainlink, skeletor and, banded to name to name most commonly available, will be the eels that most will have success with. Be mindful of how big they get, although some won't reach max size in captivity, eels many time do come close. The snowflake is greatly under estimated by many suppliers, because they sell so many babies they just want to make a sale, snowflakes will reach 30".

Understand they do take special care, sometimes they may need a couple of live food feeding to trigger a feeding response. While a few may be stubborn, most will start to accept dead food reactively easily. You may hear that hunger strikes are common, well they also refuse food due to internal parasites, and this can be common with eels. A new addition that doesn't eat after being offered the appropriate live food, at that point treatment should be considered. They do not handle copper, while they may survive treatment, they also die shortly afterwards, rarely living more than a year but usually much less. They can come in with internal parasites and flukes, and may need treatment. It's most wise to initially set them up in an observation tank, to access health and establish a feeding routine. Many eels die within a couple of years due to nutritional deficiencies or an improper feeding schedule. Learn more about their nutritional needs by clicking my name and "find all threads".

The biggest mistakes and misconceptions. The leading cause of death is carpet surfing, literally every crack and crevice must be sealed, they can squeeze through areas you would think possible. Even over time an eel can not live in a tank that is not securely covered, they have no concept of what's on the other side of the glass and will follow their nose to explore right over the edge. The 2nd cause of death is malnutrition, eels that are fed too often, have a high thiaminese diet, and lack the inclusion of efa's; don't live very long. Fangtooth vs pebbletooth; fangtooth eels have sharp fang like teeth to grab, rip, and tear apart their prey; fang tooth eels need larger tanks and large semi to aggressive tank mates. Pebbbletooths have blunt teeth and can not grab and bite chunks out of your fish, but these eels will get a hold of your smaller fish, crush them and swallow them whole. So sizing is the utmost importance, a properly sized pebbletooth with the appropriately sized fish can be an awesome addition to a community tank. Younger eels will obviously acclimate better to captive living, and an established feeding routine before introduction to the display is a great idea.

Start here at R2R to research the specific eel you are interested in, be mindful of the value of your information. Ask; tank size, eel size, how long have you had them, what other tank mates. Young, juvenile eels are much different than grown mature eels. A juvi may be the perfect citizen for about a year, try to find experiences of a couple of years. Each species may have their own special care, so research the specific species. I'm a fan of the fangtooth eels.

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Jekyl

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Great read. Unfortunately this happens far too often in our hobby. Could write the same article for anemone and tangs.
 

fishguy242

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excellent write up, STICKY worthy... ;) :cool:
BTW , have 20' 2+ yr old snowflake "nope rope " lives in sump now, proven aggressive fish eater.
I'll find pic's and edit in soon...:oops:

IMG_20210814_055318_714.jpg IMG_20210814_055526_124.jpg IMG_20210814_055708_294.jpg IMG_20210814_055316_242.jpg
3" + female clown , nothing i could do to save...:oops:too fast ...
 
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Slocke

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I usually post in Predatory Forum, today I thought I would post here to get exposure. For some reason when people research eels, they fail to realize, these are awesome predators. I've seen alot of interest and failures of late, my lfs told me they sold 3 eels last week, that's alot for eels. Every year I can literally count over a hundred baby snowflake eels in the various lfs around my town, yet I know only 2 people with adult snowflakes. If you are interested in keeping predatory fish like eels, lions, scorps, wasps, anglers, etc; click my name and "find all threads".

First off, know what you are buying. You know I started way back when there was no internet. If you see an eel at the lfs, ask them for the scientific name, and search it right there in front of the eel, before you buy it. Do not trust what they say at the lfs, most do not know what they are talking about. 2nd: there are 2 types of eels, fangtooths, and pebbletooths; anyone interested in a Gymnothorax species(fangtooth) really needs to understand what they are doing. Pebbletooth eels; like the snowflake, zebra, chainlink, skeletor and, banded to name to name most commonly available, will be the eels that most will have success with. Be mindful of how big they get, although some won't reach max size in captivity, eels many time do come close. The snowflake is greatly under estimated by many suppliers, because they sell so many babies they just want to make a sale, snowflakes will reach 30".

Understand they do take special care, sometimes they may need a couple of live food feeding to trigger a feeding response. While a few may be stubborn, most will start to accept dead food reactively easily. You may hear that hunger strikes are common, well they also refuse food due to internal parasites, and this can be common with eels. A new addition that doesn't eat after being offered the appropriate live food, at that point treatment should be considered. They do not handle copper, while they may survive treatment, they also die shortly afterwards, rarely living more than a year but usually much less. They can come in with internal parasites and flukes, and may need treatment. It's most wise to initially set them up in an observation tank, to access health and establish a feeding routine. Many eels die within a couple of years due to nutritional deficiencies or an improper feeding schedule. Learn more about their nutritional needs by clicking my name and "find all threads".

The biggest mistakes and misconceptions. The leading cause of death is carpet surfing, literally every crack and crevice must be sealed, they can squeeze through areas you would think possible. Even over time an eel can not live in a tank that is not securely covered, they have no concept of what's on the other side of the glass and will follow their nose to explore right over the edge. The 2nd cause of death is malnutrition, eels that are fed too often, have a high thiaminese diet, and lack the inclusion of efa's; don't live very long. Fangtooth vs pebbletooth; fangtooth eels have sharp fang like teeth to grab, rip, and tear apart their prey; fang tooth eels need larger tanks and large semi to aggressive tank mates. Pebbbletooths have blunt teeth and can not grab and bite chunks out of your fish, but these eels will get a hold of your smaller fish, crush them and swallow them whole. So sizing is the utmost importance, a properly sized pebbletooth with the appropriately sized fish can be an awesome addition to a community tank. Younger eels will obviously acclimate better to captive living, and an established feeding routine before introduction to the display is a great idea.

Start here at R2R to research the specific eel you are interested in, be mindful of the value of your information. Ask; tank size, eel size, how long have you had them, what other tank mates. Young, juvenile eels are much different than grown mature eels. A juvi may be the perfect citizen for about a year, try to find experiences of a couple of years. Each species may have their own special care, so research the specific species. I'm a fan of the fangtooth eels.

1674409010603.png

1674409069757.png

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I’m really glad you wrote this after seeing someone given such awful advice from a seller. When it comes to predators you need to do your research.

If you are interested in snake eels, check out @Slocke, a bit different but the main points still apply.

Seeing as I’ve seen a lot of snake eels recently I’d add the average snake eel is on par with a Snowflake. Bigger but with a smaller mouth and duller teeth.
 
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lion king

lion king

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If you are seriously researching the possibility of including an eel, here's something I posted in the Predator Forum
 

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hello my friend, glad to see you're out here spreading the word.

I have a third ribbon coming (hopefully), If they weren't sold out by the time I ordered I have a third one coming, if not I'm SOL ig, both mine are eating great, moved them to silversides in anticipation of the third guy coming, I've gotten them to come up out of the tubes and rest in my hand, as well as eat from my hand, I haven't been bitten accidentally or purposely for about 3 weeks now or so.

I'm thinking of doing an experiment with eels bonding to their owner kinda like parrots do and posting it in the research forum, ill keep you posted on that.

just thought I'd give you an update, hope all is well with you
 

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My dream 1 day is to own a japanese dragon eel but i have never seen 1 for sale in 4 years in the UK and also don't have room for a 6 foot tank instead i have a 90 FOWLR + a 13.5 coral tank
 
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lion king

lion king

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hello my friend, glad to see you're out here spreading the word.

I have a third ribbon coming (hopefully), If they weren't sold out by the time I ordered I have a third one coming, if not I'm SOL ig, both mine are eating great, moved them to silversides in anticipation of the third guy coming, I've gotten them to come up out of the tubes and rest in my hand, as well as eat from my hand, I haven't been bitten accidentally or purposely for about 3 weeks now or so.

I'm thinking of doing an experiment with eels bonding to their owner kinda like parrots do and posting it in the research forum, ill keep you posted on that.

just thought I'd give you an update, hope all is well with you

Eels do bond with you and will recognize you, so do all the predators, as well as triggers. That was main attraction to them. Because of their nature they are aware of everything, including what's outside the tank. I've done this experiment and proved to many how they actually recognize me and respond to me personally. I've had friends go up to the tank with no response, then I've walked up to have fish jump up like a dog when you come home, and follow me from one side of the tank to the other. I don't care for fish that seem to just swim around oblivious. The predator needs to be aware of every detail, thats their nature, that's what I love about them.
 

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Eels do bond with you and will recognize you, so do all the predators, as well as triggers. That was main attraction to them. Because of their nature they are aware of everything, including what's outside the tank. I've done this experiment and proved to many how they actually recognize me and respond to me personally. I've had friends go up to the tank with no response, then I've walked up to have fish jump up like a dog when you come home, and follow me from one side of the tank to the other. I don't care for fish that seem to just swim around oblivious. The predator needs to be aware of every detail, thats their nature, that's what I love about them.
right lol,

I still just want the r2r research tag tho lol
 

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Great article, it is very informative, and has enlightened me, I used to want an eel, but I ended getting a community, and will probably not get an eel for another couple years, but I will continue following this thread. I love to see experienced people talk about the things they love, it just warms my heart, and I can tell you care a lot about your eels. Happy reefing, and eel keeping!
 
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lion king

lion king

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Let's clear this up, I read a post from newbie today about being warned of the bioload in reference to having an eel. Now let's think about; an adult eel will only eat about once a week, having a relatively sedentary lifestyle living in captivity, will not eat near the amount of a large fish of any species will eat in a week. So that in itself should relax anyone thinking about getting an eel, if the only obstacle is the fear of the increased bioload. Eels are messy, yeah they can be; but in reality it's the humans that are messy. I know some that just toss in chunks of food for their eel to scavenge, now really. Oh and let's feed them these huge chunks of food that tear up and shake around, good job. So think; what about target feeding pieces of food that are sizes more easily managed, you think this may help with the bioload. And if all else fails, add a refugium, problem solved. Eels or any ambush predator for that matter will not increase the bioload more than any other fish of similar size.
 
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lion king

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Another tidbit just came to me as I read responses when it comes to keeping eels. "Well fed", this is fantasy, keeping a fangtooth eel "well fed" will not keep them from eating your fish. Fang tooth eels by nature, are fish eaters, they are not going to make their tank mates their friends. Sadly most eels, I will say over 90%, will never reach maturity in captivity, for one reason or another. So many are reporting on juvenile eels, which are not the same monster as a fully grown mature eel. Even the small fang tooths, which reach about 2', will be the diameter of a man's wrist and be a reckoning force in a couple of years. This hobby is not absolute, you may find someone with a fang tooth eel and a couple of clowns living happily after 10 years, but this will literally be one in a thousand, if not one in a million. Eels are not to be fed too frequently, or they will definitely be dead within that 2 year mark I mentioned. Eels need a fasting period between meals, so this is perfect time for a midnight snack. Please choose the tank mates for fang tooth eels carefully.
 
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lion king

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Please keep your tanks covered, and trust me they can slip through the smallest sliver of an opening. Eels have no concept they are in a glass cage, they are just exploring, maybe even looking for food. They will stick their nose into whatever crevice they can find, it's just their curious nature. I am so surprised when I hear someone say they have an eel in a uncovered tank. They say "if you keep them well fed and they are happy, they won't try and escape", really I actually had someone say that to me, what an imbecile. That eel was dead on the floor a few months later. Many people don't see their eels exploring, poking their noses around every corner of the tank. While a new addition is very likely to go over the edge, immediately. Some will tuck away into the rocks and take a little time before getting more bold and exploring the tank. You will see post or hear someone at the lfs say they don't have a cover on their eel and babble some nonsense, but you will never hear them confess when that eel goes over the edge. And for this i'm a little more confident, that it is only a matter of time.
 

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Totally agree with the target feeding and more importantly portions of food they can get down comfortably. I learned early on trying to feed my zebra jumbo raw shrimp. It was bad because not only did he not eat but it created quite a bit of excess waste and more importantly unnecessary waste that can be avoided by target feeding with tongs or a stick.
 

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I usually post in Predatory Forum, today I thought I would post here to get exposure. For some reason when people research eels, they fail to realize, these are awesome predators. I've seen alot of interest and failures of late, my lfs told me they sold 3 eels last week, that's alot for eels. Every year I can literally count over a hundred baby snowflake eels in the various lfs around my town, yet I know only 2 people with adult snowflakes. If you are interested in keeping predatory fish like eels, lions, scorps, wasps, anglers, etc; click my name and "find all threads".

First off, know what you are buying. You know I started way back when there was no internet. If you see an eel at the lfs, ask them for the scientific name, and search it right there in front of the eel, before you buy it. Do not trust what they say at the lfs, most do not know what they are talking about. 2nd: there are 2 types of eels, fangtooths, and pebbletooths; anyone interested in a Gymnothorax species(fangtooth) really needs to understand what they are doing. Pebbletooth eels; like the snowflake, zebra, chainlink, skeletor and, banded to name to name most commonly available, will be the eels that most will have success with. Be mindful of how big they get, although some won't reach max size in captivity, eels many time do come close. The snowflake is greatly under estimated by many suppliers, because they sell so many babies they just want to make a sale, snowflakes will reach 30".

Understand they do take special care, sometimes they may need a couple of live food feeding to trigger a feeding response. While a few may be stubborn, most will start to accept dead food reactively easily. You may hear that hunger strikes are common, well they also refuse food due to internal parasites, and this can be common with eels. A new addition that doesn't eat after being offered the appropriate live food, at that point treatment should be considered. They do not handle copper, while they may survive treatment, they also die shortly afterwards, rarely living more than a year but usually much less. They can come in with internal parasites and flukes, and may need treatment. It's most wise to initially set them up in an observation tank, to access health and establish a feeding routine. Many eels die within a couple of years due to nutritional deficiencies or an improper feeding schedule. Learn more about their nutritional needs by clicking my name and "find all threads".

The biggest mistakes and misconceptions. The leading cause of death is carpet surfing, literally every crack and crevice must be sealed, they can squeeze through areas you would think possible. Even over time an eel can not live in a tank that is not securely covered, they have no concept of what's on the other side of the glass and will follow their nose to explore right over the edge. The 2nd cause of death is malnutrition, eels that are fed too often, have a high thiaminese diet, and lack the inclusion of efa's; don't live very long. Fangtooth vs pebbletooth; fangtooth eels have sharp fang like teeth to grab, rip, and tear apart their prey; fang tooth eels need larger tanks and large semi to aggressive tank mates. Pebbbletooths have blunt teeth and can not grab and bite chunks out of your fish, but these eels will get a hold of your smaller fish, crush them and swallow them whole. So sizing is the utmost importance, a properly sized pebbletooth with the appropriately sized fish can be an awesome addition to a community tank. Younger eels will obviously acclimate better to captive living, and an established feeding routine before introduction to the display is a great idea.

Start here at R2R to research the specific eel you are interested in, be mindful of the value of your information. Ask; tank size, eel size, how long have you had them, what other tank mates. Young, juvenile eels are much different than grown mature eels. A juvi may be the perfect citizen for about a year, try to find experiences of a couple of years. Each species may have their own special care, so research the specific species. I'm a fan of the fangtooth eels.

1674409010603.png

1674409069757.png

1674409149819.png
Well said.
20230310_141618.jpg
20230310_141629.jpg
 
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lion king

lion king

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"WELL FED", what does this mean, I know what people signify it to mean. People think that if they keep their eel "well fed" that they can keep tank mates that otherwise would be inappropriate. Let me tell you why this doesn't work and why this is a bad idea. 1st, nature is nature, it may not happen today or next month, but given time, maybe in a year, it will happen. That small or wimpy fish, shrimp, or maybe even other inverts; will get eaten by that eel. The bigger issue, what does "well fed" mean, are you going to feed them everyday; small frequent meals will kill eels. Eels will develop fatty liver disease and/ digestive issues if fed small, frequent meals. If you are doing this, one of the 1st signs that something bad is going to happen, that eel starts to have hunger strikes. Eels are "gorgers", not "grazers", they need time between meals for digestion. During this time it is best to let them get hungry before feeding again. So what do you think is going to happen during this fasting time.
 

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Eels do bond with you and will recognize you, so do all the predators, as well as triggers. That was main attraction to them. Because of their nature they are aware of everything, including what's outside the tank. I've done this experiment and proved to many how they actually recognize me and respond to me personally. I've had friends go up to the tank with no response, then I've walked up to have fish jump up like a dog when you come home, and follow me from one side of the tank to the other. I don't care for fish that seem to just swim around oblivious. The predator needs to be aware of every detail, thats their nature, that's what I love about them.
Hey, the prey need to be aware too. That’s why my wrasses always hide when I walk up to the tank! Lol

Thanks for posting this, great write up.
 
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