Any Ribbon Eel experience here?

[aquaknight]

Thinking about stocking a ribbon eel in my 125gal predator reef. I read the guy who kept it successfully in his 90, and would like to pretty much duplicate that in my tank, with the pvc buried in the sand for him. I will try the 'grabber trick' as well (teaching him to feed from a reach grabber that looks similar to another eel). Any ideas or comments are welconme on keeping this animal.

 

[member007]

I got one... I had it for about 4 months now. Mine is really shy, and it doesn't come out much, usually sticks out his head from a pvc pipe all day. He eats 2 silversides a week, and let me tell you it was not easy to start him eating. I spend few hours a day for about a week and finally got him to eat. Even though he eats now, I have to spend good 10 minutes by the time he decides to grab the food. I would not recomend it to anybody, however if you really want it and have time to take care of it then GO FOR IT! One time I got mad because he would never come out from the pipe so I took him out and then at least I could see him swimming, unfortunitly he would stop eating so after a week I put it back in the tank.
*I also got a snowflake eel lately, and I must say that he is much more fun than my Blue Ribbon.

 

[member007]

*I meant I took out the pvc pipe, not the eel

 

[aquaknight]

Did you buy him at the LFS? What was he like there? I have seen them here, and some are out, some are hiding (or at least trying to).
I wanted a SFE for a long time, but which I saw the vids of the ribbon, that's the one I wanted. I would get both, but I would rather trade the bioload for another fish...

 

[kc36330]

I've had a couple of the blues and all of them were a PITA to keep confined, they'll find a way to get out of the tank and will even climb out into air and on the floor, you also have to keep screens over all plumbing even returns as they'll climb inside and off to the pump they'll go. the only thing I've had that was more of a hassle was an octopus.
never had a problem with them eating, they loved live food best but wouldn't chase it around the tank, i used a wood skewer to pierce their tail and then dangle it a few inches from the eels face and all of the ones i had would quickly take it.
kc

 

[member007]

Originally Posted by AquaKnight
Did you buy him at the LFS? What was he like there? I have seen them here, and some are out, some are hiding (or at least trying to).
I wanted a SFE for a long time, but which I saw the vids of the ribbon, that's the one I wanted. I would get both, but I would rather trade the bioload for another fish...
Yes. They had him in an aquarium with no rock so he had nowhere to hide.

 

[aquaknight]

Dang, wow, it's kinda be pushed from the dead set, to, well maybe if it does well at the LFS. Thanks for everyone's input, much appreciated.

 

[prevwon]

Talk to your LFS about getting one, I plan on getting one and asked my LFS if they carried them and they said it's a special order eel. They said they put him thru quarentine and make sure he is eating before they sell him to me.