Snowflake Eels

[dakar]

Got a question for and of our more agressive critter keepers out there. I picked up a pair of Snowflake eels last week, little guys right now at 7-8" long. They are residing quite comfortably in my 29g planted tank (a second refuge for the display tank). Considered adding them to the main display for a few seconds but thought better of it, now I'm really glad.

Enough background, this evening I feed them 8 or 9 live feeder guppies, within 20 mins they had all become dinner. How much and often have you fed them? Give'm as much as they will eat once or twice a week maybe?

Previously I'd just put 2 or 3 in the tank, and they'd go away within a day or two, the next day I'd add a couple more... etc. But tonight I wanted to see if I could really stir things up by putting a bunch in there, and what a show we got. I see now I may need to set up a permanent tank for the feeders and get a lot more a few dozen at a time.

So let me hear your feeding habit stories for these critters?

BTW, Yes I do know they will easily outgrow that breeder tank in a year or less.

[dakar]

Gonna bump this back up, seems these guys have some appetite, no matter how many feeders I put in there they all get eaten in short order. I've been tossing in 8-9 every few days, Don't know for sure if these eels can get fat, but I know one who might be well on his way to getting there :)

Don't want to overdo it, but I'm guessing if he keeps eating then I'm not overfeeding.
Any advice here?

[Whoyah]

I am not sure on quantity but you should probably vary their diet some. I know a diet of goldfish only will spell problems for a lion fish. I bet the same applied here. Another thing you could try would be mollies. They can be changed of to saltwater and breed like crazy too. I would guess that you are over feeding them but I really don't know. :-?

[zoo-a-holic]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Ok Dakar, i seen this post so i went to my LFS and the REALLY smart salt guy said that if you feed them 5-8 every 2-3 days and then switch it up on the off days with bloodworms, he said it may take a while but they will learn to love the worms!!! Well i hope this helps cause you and Angel have been nothing but POSSATIVE help to me!!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Well, the pair have decimated the bristlworm population in their tank. The tank was practically overrun with them... WAS being the operative word there. Watched them go crazy over them.

Also got some ghost shrimp todat (another 8-9 dozen feeder guppies too), slowly aclimating the holdng tank from FW to more normal salt concentrations, very adaptable critters.

I may end up setting up some FW breeding facilities again. Thought I left those days far behind me... Hate breeding live-bearing FW fish, takes so much time and effort to isolate the mothers at just the right time, carniverous mothers make for even less production even with those drop cage things.

It's odd, every time I see them in an LFS they are housed with free swimming feeders, but here no matter how many I put in there they get eaten very quickly. Really neat critters though... they are becoming my favorite 'swimming' animals :)

[graphixx]

you will want to feed them saltwater fish instead of FW. FW feeder are lacking lipids and other essential things that you cannot get from a FW feeder. also when you feed them that much I would get a bigger tank. they will grow very rapid. I had one in a 20 gallon and I fed him 1 shiner a day and he was 7 inches and within about 8 months he was over a foot long. they grow fairly quick. they are awesome pets. I had it to where I could hand feed mine. they are blind as a bat but the sense of smell is very keen.

[dakar]

Great info, thanks! I'm going have to check around and see what I can find for live SW feeders, might be a good trick to get around here.

I know they'll outgrow the 29g pretty quickly, I just set up a 55g long that will likely become their new home for a while. But they sure are cool critters.

[graphixx]

yeah if you can get your hands on some shiners they work well. FW fish are a good treat but not nutritionally stable enough for constant feeding. Oh yeah I know I loved it whe I had mine. that is cool good luck