Snowflake eel feeding

MrPufferSnowflake

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So to start my water is good. I have a 150 gallon predator tank. Stocking is two lighting maroons, porcupine puffer, bicolor goat, Snowflake eel, and a harlequin tusk. I have had the eel for about a month and half. I have never seen him come out (I know they spend most of their time hiding). I can see him moving around in the rocks but I have yet to see him eat. I was told they could eat hermit crabs and I do have hermit crabs. So I guess my question is does any one have suggestions on how to get him to start feeding off frozen foods? Or just some experiences on their eating habits or anything I should be looking out for. Thanks
 

WVNed

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I just got one. It eats live fish, PE mysis, krill, cut tilapia and shrimp.

At first I put it on a bamboo skewer and held it near where he hides. Now he comes out to get it. I just put it in the tank and he finds it and eats.
 
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MrPufferSnowflake

MrPufferSnowflake

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I just got one. It eats live fish, PE mysis, krill, cut tilapia and shrimp.

At first I put it on a bamboo skewer and held it near where he hides. Now he comes out to get it. I just put it in the tank and he finds it and eats.
I’ve tried just about everything on a skewer and put it in front of him but nothing.
 

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He might be eating your hermits or other food if its chunky and swirling into behind the rocks. It may also take him some time to settle down, although snowflakes usually do adjust quickly. When he is hungry and you feed the other fish, it,'s like chumming the water; he will come out ans show interest. They usually take to dead food quite easily; apropriate sized chunks of shimp, squid, and octopus offered with tongs or a feeding stick. Octopus and squid can get some going crazy, so teasing in the rocks in his general area may work as well.

Refusing to eat could also be health related like internal parasites, you could also try live ghost shrimp to get him going, but the tusk will likely beat him to it.
 
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MrPufferSnowflake

MrPufferSnowflake

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He might be eating your hermits or other food if its chunky and swirling into behind the rocks. It may also take him some time to settle down, although snowflakes usually do adjust quickly. When he is hungry and you feed the other fish, it,'s like chumming the water; he will come out ans show interest. They usually take to dead food quite easily; apropriate sized chunks of shimp, squid, and octopus offered with tongs or a feeding stick. Octopus and squid can get some going crazy, so teasing in the rocks in his general area may work as well.

Refusing to eat could also be health related like internal parasites, you could also try live ghost shrimp to get him going, but the tusk will likely beat him to it.
I believe he is eating the crabs because I have seen less and less of them but I have heard conflicting comments on if they eat hermit crabs. I have tried ghost shrimp but the tusk definitely beats him to them. I will try to see if octopus can get him to feed. When would you suggest trying? Before lights come on? After? Middle of the night? Thanks for your help.
 

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When I feed my fish mine comes out to see what's going on. And then when he sees my tongs hit the water he meets me halfway now. I used to have to get it right infront of him and almost poke him with the food. Mine actually loves freeze dried krill. That's how i got him to start feeding. I wont do the siversides or other frozen fish bc I dont want him associating fish with food. (Fish are friends, not food! Lol)

But now I use jumbo mysis and chunks of LRS. he usually wont take anything out of the water column, if food hits the sand or rockwork hell take it. but he looks for the tongs. He eats usually every other day or every 3rd day. He doesnt show interest when I feed the fish every day. But when hes hunger hell come out, and that's when I make sure he eats well.
 

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I believe he is eating the crabs because I have seen less and less of them but I have heard conflicting comments on if they eat hermit crabs. I have tried ghost shrimp but the tusk definitely beats him to them. I will try to see if octopus can get him to feed. When would you suggest trying? Before lights come on? After? Middle of the night? Thanks for your help.

A new addition, meaning fresh from the ocean, will definitely snack your hermits. I would attempt to feed while you are feeding the rest of the tank. The chumming will usually get his attention, then try teasing a bit with an appropriate size chunk. I say "appropriate size" because if too large it may be intimidating, no larger than the width of his eyes and twice as long, even smaller at 1st might be better. With the tusk in there it will be near impossible to get something live to him. I wouldn't worry too much they can go a long while without eating and somehow do come up with finding food somehow.
 

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I’ve heard the first feeding can be the most difficult but that wasn’t my experience. Mine ate the first time it was offered food (raw shrimp). There was a time that he just refused to eat for about 8 weeks then started up again like nothing happened. I’ve read they sometimes do this when the water quality is poor. I don’t recall if that was the case or not.
 

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I didn’t see mine for 2 1/2 months after I got him. I honestly thought he died. Mine refuses frozen krill, but loves the frozen silversides. Turns out he also likes live rosy minnows, figured that out when he snatched my lion’s meal. He is glutinous! Poking his head out every time I feed, and snatches the food.
320F3D5D-12A7-4348-A603-B02F44C9D0E8.jpeg
 
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MrPufferSnowflake

MrPufferSnowflake

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I didn’t see mine for 2 1/2 months after I got him. I honestly thought he died. Mine refuses frozen krill, but loves the frozen silversides. Turns out he also likes live rosy minnows, figured that out when he snatched my lion’s meal. He is glutinous! Poking his head out every time I feed, and snatches the food.
320F3D5D-12A7-4348-A603-B02F44C9D0E8.jpeg
He has started to come out more but still not eating anything I put in front of him

64BC4E09-6FD1-4086-B2D6-B6BE9248A0B9.jpeg
 

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I believe he is eating the crabs because I have seen less and less of them but I have heard conflicting comments on if they eat hermit crabs. I have tried ghost shrimp but the tusk definitely beats him to them. I will try to see if octopus can get him to feed. When would you suggest trying? Before lights come on? After? Middle of the night? Thanks for your help.
Right before lights out. But if it's showing interest when you feed the tank, that's when you try to feed it.
 
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