Have a purplemouth moray looking for tips on adding another big eel

[kevgib67]

Wow, that is the nicest looking eel I’ve seen.

 

[eelguy97]

Wow, that is the nicest looking eel I’ve seen.

Thanks brotha!

 

[eelguy97]

@lion king hey bro sorry wasn’t sure how to contact you but I was reading your posts in feeding live can be important. I have only been doing dead with various sources and supplements I was wondering if I was to feed live any suggestions for an eel this size? I know he won’t even look at mollies or ghost shrimp bc they’re way to tiny for him to bother. I was trying to keep him from eating other fish is why stuck with dead plus he doesn’t seem like he wants to hunt as well bc I have him in strict feeding Routine and have never had an issue in the year of owning him. Thank you

 

[lion king]

@lion king hey bro sorry wasn’t sure how to contact you but I was reading your posts in feeding live can be important. I have only been doing dead with various sources and supplements I was wondering if I was to feed live any suggestions for an eel this size? I know he won’t even look at mollies or ghost shrimp bc they’re way to tiny for him to bother. I was trying to keep him from eating other fish is why stuck with dead plus he doesn’t seem like he wants to hunt as well bc I have him in strict feeding Routine and have never had an issue in the year of owning him. Thank you

My info on feeding live is pointed more towards certain species that sometimes won't take dead food or won't take the dead foods that are necessary for long term captive living. Some species also have shown very poor long term survival when fed a dead only diet.

In the case of eels, and especially fang tooth eels, it's usually not a good idea to feed live foods. Eels also mostly will accept a variety of of dead foods necessary to long term success. The most important aspects of a diet for eels is to limit thiaminese and include a fatty fish. Also do not feed too frequently. Feeding human grade seafood, bought fresh and frozen in small batches, and include native items that the species would have eaten in the wild. Check out Asian markets if you have one in your area, you may find human grade silversides which would be so much better than the lfs variety. If you do feed silversides, San Francisco Bay brand is the only true silverside that does not contain thiaminese. Thiaminese binds vit B1 and can be deadly to predatory fish. Wild salmon is abgoid source for a fatty fish. Some hobbyist may have access to options that others do not.

 

[eelguy97]

My info on feeding live is pointed more towards certain species that sometimes won't take dead food or won't take the dead foods that are necessary for long term captive living. Some species also have shown very poor long term survival when fed a dead only diet.

In the case of eels, and especially fang tooth eels, it's usually not a good idea to feed live foods. Eels also mostly will accept a variety of of dead foods necessary to long term success. The most important aspects of a diet for eels is to limit thiaminese and include a fatty fish. Also do not feed too frequently. Feeding human grade seafood, bought fresh and frozen in small batches, and include native items that the species would have eaten in the wild. Check out Asian markets if you have one in your area, you may find human grade silversides which would be so much better than the lfs variety. If you do feed silversides, San Francisco Bay brand is the only true silverside that does not contain thiaminese. Thiaminese binds vit B1 and can be deadly to predatory fish. Wild salmon is abgoid source for a fatty fish. Some hobbyist may have access to options that others do not.

Thank you ! I was gonna say I was trying to keep him dead only so he doesn’t attack anyone else but yeah I feed in variety and fresh from markets but I will definitely go check out Asian markets I have a crazy one by me I didn’t know there were human silversides but good to know about the lfs silvers I read in your post how you said there is some preservative in them that’s not good. I know they love salmon only issue is I fed him it one time a while back and he def loved it but it was the only thing he actually threw back up and it was annoying to clean up the water was disgusting and slimy from the salmon and I had to reclean my sump bc it was sucked it in and clogged my returns. He’s never upchucked any food I’ve fed and always cut to decent pieces for that reason. Maybe I will try it again

 

[alprazo]

Awesome I heard vipers are alittle shy! What size tank do you have ? Also any advice on how to add one with the current guy in it besides overfeeding him before the add?

I don’t think the eels inherently have aggression for each other. The viper was first in with a Hawaiian dragon but it grew too big for my comfort. I moved it in with the green in a 90 gal. Straight from diver and was eating within a week. Poor eyesight and just frenzies when it sees movement and smells food. Not shy at all. I would just match the size to what you have. It’s a voracious fish feeder and easily catches fish so I would avoid fish. A 7 inch scorpion fish was an original inhabitant with the Hawaiian and had to be move because of attacks from the Viper.

 

[lion king]

While multiple eels can successfully live together longterm, considerations of their natural instincts must be understood. In the wild they do live as solitary creatures. In captivity as in the wild, juveniles will happily cohabitate. As the eels mature it can become more challenging. Sadly most eels are barely kept alive in captivity even 2 years, for some this would just the time for them to reach a mature age. For long term success you must take careful consideration in tank size and design to offer multiple den choices. Specific species and introduction size will also play a role. Pebbletooth eels have a higher rate of success and fang tooth eels have a higher rate of failure in the long run. Some fang tooths have a milder reputation like the dragon, greyface, and G. miliaris; while others have a darker reputation like the fimbriated, black edged, and tessa. A 300g is a good starting point for more than one fang tooth, while pebbletooths could be happy in something like a 125g. Don't take success with juveniles as success, give it a couple of years.