How do you get your eel to eat?

Hello gang.

We recently added a striped peacock eel to one of our tanks. We have him about a week, and I have yet to witness him eating. The LFS said they are hard to feed, and if he doesn't eat he will likely be dead in about 3weeks. I do not know if he eats at night, if he is then he has been scavaging off the bottom, but if he isnt... he won't last.

Do you guys keep eels? How do you get yours to eat?

 

oh, yea....

to date, We have tried frozen brine shrimp, FD blood worms and tubifex, pellets of various types and flake...

 

I think most eels are picky eaters, salties included. Maybe you could ask some folks in the saltwater forum what they do to encourage theirs? Also, have you tried garlic, or GarlicGuard? You can either use a garlic press and get fresh juice, or buy one of those jars of minced garlic, and use that juice. My fish go crazy for it. Its like chumming for sharks!

 

Do you mean put the juice on the food then feed it to the tank?

 

yeah, maybe even let it soak overnight, just so it really stinks like garlic good once its in the tank.

 

try to give him food that sinks like flakes, pellets..as eels stay on the bottom of the tank.

 

I think the problem, in addition to the fact that eels are notoriously hard to feed, is that his tank mates do not make it any easier... he has some pretty fast competition that will eat just about anything... so, there isn't much left for him to scavange or hunt for... I think I might have to relocate him to another tank...

I hate when that happens.

 

Do you have any long forceps, like planting tools? They sell them at some petsmarts, I know. But, any how, perhaps try placing the food inside his hiding spot, or right outside of it, and feed the other fish at just the right time to keep them distracted from his special meal.

 

He hides in a root, stump thinggy. So, I think Ill direct a tab in there tonight before light out and hopefully he will begin to eat!