Ribbon Eel

[Imbarrie]

I went to Pets Wharehouse on a normal weekend visit and I saw some blue ribbon eels. I know there are differing opinions on keeping them. I watched them going after minnows in the store so I have reason to think they are as healthy as you can expect. The guy also said they had just arrived within the past day. I have had good experience with these guys before so I thought I would give it a try.

Anyone have any experience with these?


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[ZANYMASTER]

Awilda is your person.Awibrandy screen name or ask Dom.

 

[Imbarrie]

Im the only person on MR who bought one of these?

 

[Livelife]

theres one at scfr eats glass shrimp fairly well to big for my tank love them though.

 

[cowfish]

Difficult species. Most don't live more than 6-12 months in home aquariums.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Live grass shrimp that are gut fed for a day or two are the best food for them in my opinion

 

[vangoghfish]

photos? Black or Blue

 

[Imbarrie]

I threw a dozen glass shrimp in there last night. Not expecting much right away except letting it get comfortable with the environment before actively feeding. I have read they hunt at night and Im hoping to get him on different foods eventually.

This one is bright blue with a yellow back. Rarely out off the rockwork now that it settled into a spot in a very large porous piece of Fiji rock. Ill post some pics soon. Maybe throw a video up to.

I have researched these and there are success stories online. Im not sure what percentages live and for how long. Im skeptical about the quality of care some of these received to cause their passing. I hear a lot of stories about basic livestock dying in the hands of aquarists so Im inclined to believe a lot of these were bought by people who should have stayed away.

 

[Imbarrie]

They don't come out that often but he did for a few seconds. I cant find any of the dozen glass shrimp I threw in yesterday.

The lighting is really bad in this video. It was my first vid with the iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo5sXzvrRJ4



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[johnsonlee42]

Wow it's kind of gorgeous

 

[jrobbins]

It's pretty amazing looking. Even better in person. Good luck with it Barrie!


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[Imbarrie]

Came home tonight and found the tail of the eel had been eaten.
I put the eel in quarantine and when I placed him in the new tank about a third of it was missing. He can't swim and is curled around some live rock.
Who was the culprit?

Cleaner shrimp
Pistol shrimp
Brittle star
Hippo tang
Blue green chromis
Clown fish

I'm guessing the pistol shrimp.
I have every reason to believe it won't make it. Pissed and disappointed about the whole thing. Kicking myself for not making some PVC maze so he could have had his own safe place.
After two years in the hobby this will be my first fatality. Maybe I should feel fortunate.



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[anthony27]

good luck with the eel it looks amazing

 

[zookeeper]

I have had several of these all with some success. They can go months without eating. I was told they were impossible to get to feed but managed to get them all to eat out of my hand. I had these eels in the 90's two blue and one black. I would feed them feeder guppies and and goldfish at the end of a long pair of tongs. Eventually they would eat them from my hand while I held the tail of the goldfish. They are master escape artists and can find their way out of the most secure systems. I lost them all eventually to escape. I even crashed a tank and lost all my livestock with the exception of the eel. On a few occasions I found them on the floor looking like beef jerky and managed to get them back in the tank where they have recovered. As for your eels tail I'm not sure what would cause that but I might lean towards a bacterial infection or pest within the sand. I think your eel would eat the pistol shrimp before the pistol would eat the eel. Some brittles are fish eaters and that is a more likely situation. Is it a green brittle? OR smooth like a serpent star. I could see a green brittle wrapping itself arould the tail of an eel and the eel not being able to escape.

 

[marrone]

The Black and Blue are the same Eel, one, the Black, being the Juv while the Blue is the adult.

Feeding Goldfish and Guppies aren't good for Eels or Marine fish. You should avoid these foods.

Most Eels can go months without eating but you'll find most Ribbon Eels wouldn't last that long without eating.

 

[zookeeper]

I had mine in the mid to late 90's. I had no idea that the black was juvie but now that you mention it the black was definetly the smallest. I know now that feeders are not good for them or any other salt water fish but at the time they were recommended. I do believe that my first ribbon eel went close to six months without eating. My first clue that he was eating was the missing damsels. After him I was more adept at getting them to eat. I don't see these being offered that much anymore the last one I saw at a retail store was flopping on the ground before I left. Damn near impossible to keep inside a tank.

 

[isakofyork001]

make sure you have a very secure top, i had a few that got out from the top of my tank, and that was with egg crate, i use to catch silver sides for my to eat. make sure there is now small fish in your tank, they will go after them. if it is blue it's an adult, black means the juvs

 

[ryangrieder]

a friend of mine has had 4 now. after a 8 month mark the either jump or end up in his overflow box and dont make it.