Steven, As for feeding most any eel directly as you say it, its not a necessary thing to do within a good number of eels for in general speaking wise, you want to feed with a feeding stick of some type for most eels will drops their feedings behind the rocks where you not can get to it. As for any basic data in this, you can collect that from most people for here when one speaks of having an eel, you the species in which are most docile and then you the mildly aggressive and then the very aggressive.
But in total truth in this, eels in all these areas are docile and are only aggressive due to two main reasons. One and first is when any eel is hungry, what if its a SFE or Tess morays, they will and can make a meal of some poor fish in your tank. And secondly is that eels for the most of them are defensive when most intruders enters their lair. Even a eel like the goldentail will and could bite an intruder it not approves of.
As for what works with others may or may not work with you, for understand this, we all do many things not the same and success can depend on how well you manage your tank and how well you feed or not. Myself, I not done a FO tank now for about ten years now, but I done this for all the years before that and I had a great deal of success in housing triggers and puffers.
Like before the year came which I called it outs to have any further a FO system, I had a queen trigger with a Niger and what I done there was I gotten the Queen trigger when it was only 2.5" and the Niger was somewhat larger. When I first placed the Queen trigger in the QT, I removed the Niger into another different tank out from its main tank. This was to break its home so that aggression wouldn't be an issue other then they mildly fight for a certain position (location) of the tank. I not believe that the idea of remodeling the tanks LR makes all that much difference for it might distract the fish somewhat, but not for long for the fish is however still in its surroundings.
After eight weeks, I then place both triggers in their main tank, a 240 and both were making their claim at the middle for I designed it that it looked as if a valley between the LR. Their normal type of aggression at this point was that they confronted one another and swim slowly side by side, and while doing so, they whipped each other with their tail fins and mildly attempted to bite as well. This lasted a few moments or so until one decided that they would look elsewhere. If I were to done as other believed works well, their battle would had been far more aggressive. In less then a year, the only fish I had with the queen were a 12" golden puffer and that two ended a few months after that.
I not waited until there were blood in the tank, I judged for myself due to their aggression with one another that I then giving the queen to one other I know, I asked for no money for the guy was willing to give one large tank for this one fish only.
At most to keep aggression down at some low level, people must feed and do huge water changes, its like this.
I when I use to answer all eel questions had told others that the only way to house anything with the yellowhead moray is another aggressive eel and that feeding offerings must be every two days and that this can be done some the times every third day and that huge water changes must be performed once a week and that also, the tank has to be a 300 or larger.
The eel I told people that if I known my reef tanks would taking this long, I had these eels four years ago and have them until the reef tanks are ready for what I wanted to do in the first place. The problems many run across with eels like the yellowhead or so id that they feed it silversides, Yucky
This fish offers nothing to the diet and nourishment for eels like this, for this fish body holds mostly water and is in my books considered as junk food for any eel. That's like if you are sitting down in front of your TV watching a movie snacking on potatoes chips.
I for the most part these days answer eel questions only in emails or so for here im not telling you how to care for your eel that you not have yet, so this will not attract some bad company.
I will tell you that if you house more then one trigger with a large puffer and lord knows what others, not for any long run have any docile eel like a SFE or goldentail for the eel wouldn't stand a chance in the long run. The goldentail for the most part would be OK while the triggers aren't so much larger.
An a aggressive tank means aggressive inhabitants, one shouldn't mix aggressive species with a more docile species. But this is my view on something as this, for what's its worth, my .02 cents worth.
You can pick any eel from more then 850 species of them in sizes from less then 2" to 13'
So im sorry reef.org for to have to say this, Steven, if your any more direct questioning on eels, I will only do that in private. For mind you that im not concern of what others like to suggest to you, its just that I want no more to do with one particular person and believe me when I say that im saying it in a nice way.
I from the time calling it quits as Dragon moray eels am still answering many by email and so. I cannot totally turn my back on those. So I said enough and if any direct questions, ask when your ready for what you be planning on.
Good Luck :wink:
Buddy
