eel just wont EAT

[antwon]

hello i got an eel(pretty sure it is a chain eel) about five days ago. he is doing great besides from the fact that he wont eat. at the lfs, he usually ate leftover silversides and krill that wuz lying on the bottom. i put a silverside on a feeding stick, wave it in front of him, he looks interested, then leaves. wen i leave a piece on the bottom either the hermies get it, the arrow crab, shrimp, or brittle star( prob gettin rid of all of these since most of them will prob end up as food for the eel or lion eventually) any advice on how to get my eel to eat?

 

[levinjac]

try live guppies and then give it back to your lfs because a 72 is not cut out for that big of an eel

 

[antwon]

but if it isnt a chain? i mean im not completely sure the lfs said he hasnt grown much in the past two years and i though freshwater fish were bad to give to saltwater fish am i wrong

 

[rcreations]

Eels can go for a long time without eating, up to two months. Don't panic and try feeding it every other day. Try chunks of raw shrimp, that seems to be the food that all eels like. Don't give up, keep trying.

 

[kjr_trig]

Quote:
Originally Posted by RCreations http:///forum/thread/381445/eel-just-wont-eat#post_3322553
Eels can go for a long time without eating, up to two months. Don't panic and try feeding it every other day. Try chunks of raw shrimp, that seems to be the food that all eels like. Don't give up, keep trying.
+1...Mine went about 3 weeks without eating at one point...Try garlic too entice his appetite.

 

[rcreations]

Also, I'm not sure what sort of eel you got there but a small eel would be fine in a 75gal tank, provided it's not overcrowded and you have good filtration. I don't know all the details of your tank, just saying that a 75 is ok for a small eel, in general.

 

[antwon]

i have a sump rated for a 100 gallon i think coralife 125 gallon skimmer overflow box, 72 gallon actually(close LOL) if i knew the species of the eel i wud better be able to judge i will try to get a better pic of him on this thread. and yea i meant to buy krill but forgot when i left the lfs( i go a lot!)

 

[smartorl]

Just keep an eye on your water quality. Having an eel in that size tank, you will need to be committed to very regular water changes.
Edit:
I don't think he is referring to krill, but actual shrimp cut or broken into manageable pieces. As a general rule, krill isn't a good food source.
I buy whatever, uncooked shrimp the local seafood shop has that day.
My eels also like scallops.
However, salmon or fish pieces, not so much.

 

[antwon]

Ok ill keep trying hopefully water change this weekend wud make me happy

 

[rcreations]

Yea, I meant the regular raw shimp you buy at the grocery store. Just wash it, take the shell off and chop it in small enough pieces for your eel to swallow. You can leave the shell on but I find it just makes a mess in the tank. It's cleaner with it off and with pieces small enough for the eel to swallow whole without having to tear into it. Adding some garlic helps and you can also add some vitamins like Selcon.

 

[erifish3]

My moray loves store bought squid and octupus, not so much the shrimp. Longest he's gone without eating is about 2 months.

 

[rslinger]

Yeah as said eels go on hunger strike don't worry. when it wants to eat you will know got a picture we can help identify.