docile eel?

[hlcroghan]

I am going to have a 150 gallon and I would like to house an eel species that is docile enough to be trained to be handfed and one that can be a community eel with other fish. I already know that most inverts are not going to work. I am aware that a snowflake is a good choice but what is another one?

 

[95harley]

I just sold RBU1 a White Eye that was docile and I have a Golden Moray that borders on EXCESSIVE docile. Both (including a SFE) have been house with even the smallest of Damsels without problems.
But I would not recommend hand feeding any eel.
Also there is a Zebra if you want a bigger eel.

 

[hlcroghan]

Why not hand feeding? You don't think that if the chunk of food is long enough that it wouldn't get my fingers that it would be okay? I know that their bites can be pretty bad if they are large but I want to get a small one and work with it. What did you do to make them more easy-going?

 

[prime311]

Whats the difference between hand feeding and prong feeding anyway. Same effect with less chance of injury. On youtube they have some guy hand feeding a mantis shrimp. Sure you can do it, but why would you want to.

 

[the egregious]

Not to be the "rule" here, but...I have raised and hand fed both Gymnothorax funebris, and Gymnothorax Favagineus, which are to be considered by most scaredy cats..the most aggressive eels, hahah. No problems, just have to know your boundaries. Hell I would be more scared hand feeding a horse,...OUCH!
Just to cover my bases from the flames...I wouldn't recommend hand feeding an eel, but to be truthful, I hand feed all of my fishes.

 

[hlcroghan]

I just want to have a nice relationship with my fishies....lol. On youtube they have a couple really cool videos of swimmers petting these enormous moray eel. They are really gigantic tho. I though it would be nice to have an eel that I can do that with. Of course if it was really hungry I wouldn't be doing that. I was thinking of feeding maybe the last couple pieces of food.

If you guys think it a really bad idea though then I won't.

 

[el guapo]

Eels can move fast and in the blink of an eye you can get bit .

 

[hlcroghan]

So I guess it is up to the individual eel huh? Well, maybe when I get one then I can give it a try when it's small and see how it goes. If it is too aggressive then it will be only the prong from then on.

 

[hlcroghan]

I think I would like one that is a bit bigger. How big does the zebra get? I want docile but a little larger than a snowflake. I am getting a 150 gallon remember.

 

[95harley]

It's not that you can't or that you will or won't get bit. But if a moray bites into your finger then coils and rips meat backwards leaving painful rips in your finger that then set up infections and pain....is it worth it.
A man told me a saying once that may apply here. I use it all the time.
"If your gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough".

 

[hlcroghan]

hmmmmm, yeah i don't think i need any chunks ripped out of my finger....gloves??

 

[the egregious]

Originally Posted by EL GUAPO
http:///forum/post/2660924
Eels can move fast and in the blink of an eye you can get bit .

We're not talking western Diamond back rattler here. Eels do not feed in "the blink of an eye"

 

[the egregious]

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2660928
So I guess it is up to the individual eel huh? Well, maybe when I get one then I can give it a try when it's small and see how it goes. If it is too aggressive then it will be only the prong from then on.
You're right on the money there. If your going to be the one initiating the hand feeding, I suggest you do it when they are small. Don't forget most eels are almost blind.

 

[hlcroghan]

yeah they are pretty fast tho. i have been doing some research online. there is a really funny video of this guy trying to get his friend to let an eel bite him. the eel plays with the guys hand for two or three minutes straight before it finally gets annoyed. Oh and you can totally tell that it is pissed off lol it is shaking at him and mouthing his fingers with it's teeth and then wham!!!

it gets him and he is bleeding like a sieve....but this was his fault. he sat and harrassed the hell out of the thing for almost 5 minutes before it bit him.

 

[hlcroghan]

are there any eels that can see better to tell the difference between your fingers and the food??

 

[the egregious]

Yes, and I guess that is kind of why I said when feeding

. Just like any animal, when attacking they will be faster. Don't worry, get'em young and won't have a problem.
"Moray" of the story: Don't piss off eel for 5 minutes. llolol

 

[the egregious]

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2660948
are there any eels that can see better to tell the difference between your fingers and the food??
Well when eels are juveniles they're vision is MUCH better than when they're adults or subadults. They will learn to differentiate when they are used to how your fingers smell and look. When I feed my adult, he goes up slowly to my hand and VERY gently takes the food out. Which is also the same as my neighbor a couple houses down. I've told this story on here before, but I will tell you...
In another post so you can see it. lolol

 

[hlcroghan]

okay well I guess I will use some common sense on this then and get it small and work with it. back to my original question. any others besides a zebra that are larger and tend to be docile?

 

[the egregious]

When I moved back to the mainland, I found out that one of my neighbors a couple houses down has almost the exact same set up that I do. He fed his with many different utensils. When i came over and seen him feed his eels the way he did, I asked him If i could starts to feed them. He agreed and what I noticed was that when he would prong feed them, they would aggressively take the food from the prong. after a while of handfeeding they would take the food the same why as my eels do.
not sure why it happens, but it sure does.

 

[the egregious]

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2660956
okay well I guess I will use some common sense on this then and get it small and work with it. back to my original question. any others besides a zebra that are larger and tend to be docile?
As far as common aquarium trade knowledge goes, I am pretty sure that the zebra is the biggest "docile" eel.