Adding a Blue Ribbon eel

I've decied to add a br eel to my 135 gallon, any won now of any speacil tricks to get it to eat ive done a great load of reasearch an think i can kept him alive but any one got any help? when i get him i plan on feeding him live goldfish and feeding him when every thing else eats
 
N

nereef

Guest
can't post a link. any research will tell you that ribbon eels have a terrible survival rate, and feeding goldfish to marine fish is extremely unhealthy.
 
S

surfinusa

Guest
Originally Posted by Tbonesteak1020
yes i no all that, but the one proved case of one surviving was feed live gold fish so i intend on feeding him them
He will die if you feed him goldfish.
 
"My Blue Ribbon Eel eats! (pics and videos)" type that in search its a theard posted by santamonica and ....just watch the vidio there
 

smoothie

Member
A friend rescued one from a local store and feeds it guppies and ghost shrimp. Had to literally hand feed it for month. If ya have the time maybe. Keep googling.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Check in the aggressive forums for more hands on experience with people who have tried to keep these eels.
Also, please do not request links to other sites. Thanks.
 

rslinger

Member
That is the problem the one person who could keep them alive. What about all the others who fail. Way better left in the ocean.
 

nigerbang

Active Member
IMO...Bad Idea..Freshwater fish lack the minerals and vitamins and fatty acids that SW fish need to sustain..
I think it was Robert Fenner who threw out the stat that most BR dont make it past the 1 month mark...
Def. a species that is better left in the ocean..
 

ophiura

Active Member
Also...have you SEEN feeder goldfish? Man, why would you risk a delicate and expensive saltwater fish with that? At least tell me you would get a tank with damsels, and feed those.
There are no asian freshwater carp in the diet of this eel...and often people "have success" over a couple of months and don't mention when they die later.
 
pk well i dont plan on feeding him only goldfish i plan on slowly (after hes been eating for awhile) i will starat trying to feed him silversides
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tbonesteak1020
pk well i dont plan on feeding him only goldfish i plan on slowly (after hes been eating for awhile) i will starat trying to feed him silversides
I myself dont believe it will be alive long enough to be fed goldfish "awhile"
Think about this...BR eels live in the ocean...So what DONT they eat in the ocean....Goldfish..
Like was mentioned..I dont think I would risk feeding an expensive exotic SW fish, ten cent goldfish....
How mad that would make me...A fish that cost 12 or $1.00 killed a $40-$80 eel..
Some info here...
"The Ribbon Eel, Black Ribbon Eel, Blue Ribbon Eel is very difficult to keep. They are so difficult to keep, they are better left in the ocean! They are finicky eaters that need a lot of work to get to eat. Try all kinds of seafood, squid, shrimp, krill, and live food like guppies. They will also eat ghost shrimp if they are available. " ( No goldfish in there)
"I've always been fascinated with ribbon eels of the genus Rhinomuraena. These are the sleek colorful eels that are commonly found in the aquarium trade under the names blue, black and yellow "ribbon eel" (Rhinomuraena quaesita). They are hard to resist with their bright colors and seemingly menacing attitudes. Over the years I've purchased these eels on a few occasions but I've never been able to maintain them successfully. In fact, I could never even get one to eat in captivity. I tried everything, including small freshwater livebearers, grass shrimp, krill, crabs and even live damselfish! The fish always acted interested and "hungry" but never ate. I suspect that part of the problem is the method of collection, since they almost exclusively originate from the Philippines. There are people that claim to have maintained these ribbon eels for a period of time, but these are the rare exceptions to the rule. My suggestion is to avoid these eels until we get some assurances that they're being collected responsibly and handled properly along the supply chain.
 

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tbonesteak1020
thanks for the info i may try ghost shimp.....but salt water fish are just to much to spend for food
If you dont want to buy proper food, then you should not buy the eel..
 

rslinger

Member
I think he is just trying to start a fight with all of us. But hey if you think you know better than all of us then we must be stupid. Saltwater fish are to much money to feed but you will spend money on a eel that will not might will die. I may not always fallow all the rules but any prudent person can see leave this fish in the ocean.
 

grabbitt

Active Member
Do your homework on this; then you might want to try presenting said topic with a bit more respect towards your fellow swf members.
 
Not only do you need to bring up your questions with a little more respect, but you need to do better research.
Sw fish do not eat fw fish, they kill the livers of the sw. Its like drinking a bottle of whiskey with your food at every meal, it kills your liver.
I saw it worded better in another thread, but the point gets accross.
 

crimzy

Active Member
I kept a blue ribbon several years ago. Mine lived for 6 or 7 months and died from escape, not health. I don't necessarily disagree with your decision to try one. There are challenging fish out there and many people enjoy trying to keep them. Without knowing more about your system, there is no reason to think that you can't keep one alive.
However, please be cautious when believing others' success stories. The fact is that you may have one for a week or month and post video to verify this success. Many people have come and gone from this site to discuss the "success" that they've had with tangs in nano tanks and sharks in 55 gallon tanks. Strangely, those same people aren't quite so boisterous after 6 months or a year.
Ghost shrimp are a much better live food than goldfish. Even guppies are better. Try feeding foods with strong odors, such as squid... and add some garlic. Also, krill, while not overly strong smelling is an easy size/shape for these guys to eat. Patience is a key with these guys, as it really is not a big deal if they don't eat for a week or two.
Good luck.
 
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