- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Messages
- 6,797
- Reaction score
- 8,653
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.
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.
Last edited: