yellowhead eel

[eelski]

i am a new hobbyist. first tank, been runnin 4 months. 55 gallon. didnt know what i was gonna put in it. just wanted one. so after lookin thru livestock i found a fimbriated eel. so i bought it. Lee was prolly 8-10 inches when i brought it home 3 months ago. she loves silversides, anytime i wanna see her in action i dip a piece in there. so far she has eaten about 6 damsel, a chromis, couple ghost shrimp, and just the other day - my coral beauty. Lee is prolly 12-14 inches now. i have a cleaner shrimp (for now), been there 2 months and molted at least 5 times. a pretty large foxface. 2 turbo snails. 2 dwarf hermits. and - a juvenile picasso trigger that was so cute i had to have it. assuming the trigger makes it past juvenile, i will have a F/O tank sooner or later. the cleaner shrimp and Lee hang out alot. so thats safe for now. the trigger is about 2 inches. so i have some time to get the shrimp out i think. anyway, its Lee's tank. she is well fed but a lil spoiled on frozen silversides. she eats everytime i feed her. i put the chromis in last. as a feeder. took about a week and half to disappear. and i was shocked when the coral beauty disappeared same night. i got 30 - 35 lbs of live rock. i think Lee is real happy in her 2 bedroom apt. she dont even visit the 1 bedroom anymore. i will try to keep this updated with yellowhead info. i know i searched high and low and it was not easy to find practical info. i had a spiny boxfish that died and i have no idea why.

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by eelski
i am a new hobbyist. first tank, been runnin 4 months. 55 gallon. didnt know what i was gonna put in it. just wanted one. so after lookin thru livestock i found a fimbriated eel. so i bought it. Lee was prolly 8-10 inches when i brought it home 3 months ago. she loves silversides, anytime i wanna see her in action i dip a piece in there. so far she has eaten about 6 damsel, a chromis, couple ghost shrimp, and just the other day - my coral beauty. Lee is prolly 12-14 inches now. i have a cleaner shrimp (for now), been there 2 months and molted at least 5 times. a pretty large foxface. 2 turbo snails. 2 dwarf hermits. and - a juvenile picasso trigger that was so cute i had to have it. assuming the trigger makes it past juvenile, i will have a F/O tank sooner or later. the cleaner shrimp and Lee hang out alot. so thats safe for now. the trigger is about 2 inches. so i have some time to get the shrimp out i think. anyway, its Lee's tank. she is well fed but a lil spoiled on frozen silversides. she eats everytime i feed her. i put the chromis in last. as a feeder. took about a week and half to disappear. and i was shocked when the coral beauty disappeared same night. i got 30 - 35 lbs of live rock. i think Lee is real happy in her 2 bedroom apt. she dont even visit the 1 bedroom anymore. i will try to keep this updated with yellowhead info. i know i searched high and low and it was not easy to find practical info. i had a spiny boxfish that died and i have no idea why.
....Fimby can be known to get real nasty....I hope that with all that going on in such a small tank you have one hell of a protein skimmer, or do ALOT of water changes...For the most part...Adding live fish as feeders teaches the eel that they are supposed to eat anything that enters the tank....So adding anything later ( which I DONT recommend ) can be a real problem...Change up the diet a little also...As far as I know Silversides are okay...But you will want to add some Variety as well...Imagine eating Hamburgers day in and day out....Any pics?

 

[eelski]

i plan to add a protein skimmer very soon. i do 7 - 10 gallon changes about 2X per week. all tests are ok still. i use both RO water from LFS and distilled water, pretty much alternating. i understand what you mean about hamburgers. my local LFS was moving and didnt have much available for a while. any suggestions on other foods? she wont eat small pieces of squid. its probably gonna be live food. i figure a predator should be a predator. i will add some pics, but all i have is my phone.

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by eelski
i plan to add a protein skimmer very soon. i do 7 - 10 gallon changes about 2X per week. all tests are ok still. i use both RO water from LFS and distilled water, pretty much alternating. i understand what you mean about hamburgers. my local LFS was moving and didnt have much available for a while. any suggestions on other foods? she wont eat small pieces of squid. its probably gonna be live food. i figure a predator should be a predator. i will add some pics, but all i have is my phone.

I know the feeling about LFS going out of business...I got an eel I really wasnt wanting to buy...But the price was right and I got a place for him lined up when it gets to large.

 

[eelski]

this took some work. i will try again sober....

 

[eelski]

;-)

 

[nigerbang]

Nice Pics.....Is that gravel?....How does it like that...Mine would be pissed...It digs in the sand all the time...Constant sand storm..

 

[greenwolf52]

that guy is awesome. i love that species. very entertaining. make sure you keep a tight lid on your tank because i lost mine when he got out in the middle of the night and died on the floor of my living room. he got out of an opening about 1" wide. good luck

 

[eelski]

I was looking for some help on what to feed her. any suggestions?? that is crushed coral with some colored pebbles mixed in. she flings em all over when excavating under something. i have rearranged the tank often, adding new rock whenever i can. i thought about mixing in like 10 lbs of live sand for the comfort.

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by eelski
I was looking for some help on what to feed her. any suggestions?? that is crushed coral with some colored pebbles mixed in. she flings em all over when excavating under something. i have rearranged the tank often, adding new rock whenever i can. i thought about mixing in like 10 lbs of live sand for the comfort.

The live sand will settle under the CC..
I feed mine(not a fimby) Silversides, Krill, Squid, Octopus, etc..

 

[eelski]

what if i did some rearranging? like moving as much CC to one end as i can, then doing the sand on the other, and putting the 2 BR back together on top of the sand?
also, Lee will not eat small pieces of squid. should i try larger pieces?

 

[nigerbang]

Mayhaps with the larger pieces my green will eat anything, you might be able to move the cc to one side and add the sand, not sure though, maybe AW will chime in.

 

[greenwolf52]

when i had my fimby, i fed it silversides for the couple of weeks that i had him, but iwas planning on giving him a varied diet of raw fish and squid. he did eat some krill occasionally.

 

[eelski]

i bought 5 lbs of sand. made room for it. put it in place. made a new and improved 2BR with a waterbed installed. a new yellowtail damsel for her to eat. last one took about 10 days, and followed it right up with my coral beauty.
baby picasso doin dandy. Lee chases it once in a while.
dude at LFS recommended i grow salt water mollies?? i have a 10 gallon tank on hand.
i need a protein skimmer. could someone recommend one for under $200 USD? under $100 would b better.