Vitamins for Morays?

[speedjester]

I’ve acquired a few moray eels( Dragon, green, tess, grey face). All are feeding well.

Question. Each species seem to be fixed on a specific food item. Refusing to accept anything else. Wondering if there are any fish Vitamins in pill form that I can use. ( insert in there food). I have Mazuri shark Vitamins wondering if I can use that. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[KrisReef]

I’ve acquired a few moray eels( Dragon, green, tess, grey face). All are feeding well.

Question. Each species seem to be fixed on a specific food item. Refusing to accept anything else. Wondering if there are any fish Vitamins in pill form that I can use. ( insert in there food). I have Mazuri shark Vitamins wondering if I can use that. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

What food items are they fixed upon?

The occasional addition of vitamins for elasmobranchs probably won't hurt, or cause them to lose bone in favor of cartilage. :)

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve acquired a few moray eels( Dragon, green, tess, grey face). All are feeding well.

Question. Each species seem to be fixed on a specific food item. Refusing to accept anything else. Wondering if there are any fish Vitamins in pill form that I can use. ( insert in there food). I have Mazuri shark Vitamins wondering if I can use that. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

The primary nutritional issue with bony fishes is vitamin E and Thiamin deficiency (aside from rare essential fatty acid issues or over-feeding). Mazuri shark vitamins are a broader scope product, but it covers both of those. For general use, I use this product (not sure how available it is for home use though):

https://mazuri.com/products/thiamine-paste-cartridge
Jay

 

[speedjester]

The primary nutritional issue with bony fishes is vitamin E and Thiamin deficiency (aside from rare essential fatty acid issues or over-feeding). Mazuri shark vitamins are a broader scope product, but it covers both of those. For general use, I use this product (not sure how available it is for home use though):

https://mazuri.com/products/thiamine-paste-cartridge
Jay

So Jay would it be safe to feed Shark vitamins? A pill would be best. See my zebras are only eating shrimp. My Green moray feeds on whole cigar minnows and sardines, my dragons silversides and tilapia strips. My tess and grey face pretty much anything. Lol

 

[lion king]

I have leaned away from supplements but in your case it may help. Many items in your diet contain high amounts of thiaminese which will bind vitamin B1 and proves deadly to eels within a couple of years and many times sooner. These include shrimp, minnows, sardines, and depending on the brand of silversides. As of my most recent research, San Francisco Bay brand is the only true silverside that does not contain thiaminese. You may want to inject some liquid B1 into those food items, you'll have to figure the dose on your own, but B1 is water soluble and will be safe. Your diet also lacks efa's, which can also prove deadly to eels within just a couple of years. If you can't get them to take some fatty fish, you could also inject some Brightwell Aminomega, or some may prefer selcon; human grade supplements can also be used. Aminomega does also contain thiamine(B1) as well as vit c, which is good for the immune system. That shark vit would be as good as any other choice of supplement, it also does contain thiamine as well as vit E. Injecting is a better vehicle vs soaking, has a better chance of actually getting there, and doesn't rinse into the tank causing issue. Inserting a pill into food chunks is also a vehicle. Supplementing can be tricky as the sources are not "natural" and whether they are absorbed at all is questionable, as well as toxicity. Any fat soluble vits should be used with care as these can present a toxic build up, water soluble vits are generally safe. Over time those that have relied on supplementation doesn't seem to fair any better than not using them at all. But just as the food being fed, designing a supplement regimen needs to be carefully prepared. Human grade seafood bought fresh and frozen in small batches always fair better, and supplementation should be carefully targeted to specific needs, as in B1 and efa's.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So Jay would it be safe to feed Shark vitamins? A pill would be best. See my zebras are only eating shrimp. My Green moray feeds on whole cigar minnows and sardines, my dragons silversides and tilapia strips. My tess and grey face pretty much anything. Lol

Sure - there isn't anything in them specific to sharks and rays except iodine and bony fish require that also. I don't use these with every feeding, maybe every third feeding. Here are their instructions:

0.2 g tablet: Feed 1 tablet per 1 oz (28 g) of fish or shellfish.
Here is their spec sheet:
https://pims.purinamills.com/BusinessLink/media/Mazuri/ProductSheet/5MD8.pdf?ext=.pdf
Jay