Help with fire eel !!!

[Justin144]

Ok he still Hasant taken to eating frozen bloodworms ... Does anyone have any advice on how to get him to start ?

 

[Babakapusta]

Can you get live blood worms? If you can, squirt them down so they are on the substrate and leave them there. He will come out to hunt them in the morning or evening.

Or you are on a farm, try catching some crickets or something and throw them in the tank. My eel would pick them apart, but try early morning and evening between light and dark.

 

[Justin144]

I will look for live bloodworms ! And could I try feeding earth worms?

 

[manbeast]

I will look for live bloodworms ! And could I try feeding earth worms?

Absolutely, in the eight+ years that I had my fire eel that is the only thing I got him to eat readily and reliably

 

[Babakapusta]

This is a small eel, you might have to cut them up. Ugh. Find a small one. LOL

 

[T1KARMANN]

Don't feed earth worms they are very addictive


I feed my rays pellets and frozen prawn the peeled cooked type from a cheap shop like Iceland they love them

Just chop one up into small bits

 

[Justin144]

Ok so don't feed earthworms and chop up prawns ? My lfs didn't have any live blood or black worms why does he have to e so complicated ??

 

[Justin144]

I caved and had to try the earthworm idea, been worrying about him not eating ... But he your right they love worms !!! He sucked that down

 

[Justin144]

Midas !!!

 

[manbeast]

Give him a nice cave, I used one made from a clay planter, it should keep him from burying himself in the gravel and disturbing your decor and the big plus is you should get to see him more

 

[Babakapusta]

Nice looking fish. Glad you finally saw him eat.

 

[Justin144]

He likes to hide in my driftwood type of cave but I will look into making an actual cave for him !!

 

[Justin144]

I have some cichlid stones sitting around ?? Could I use one of those ????

 

[Justin144]

Will anyone post pics of how they did there caves for ideas ???

 

[manbeast]

Cichlid stones would work while he's small but these guys can grow pretty quick

 

[Justin144]

That's what I was thinking ...

 

[Justin144]

Any ideas on how to for the cave ???

 

[Babakapusta]

Find some rocks or buy them from the LFS. I have some pretty pink shaded sandstone. I used two pieces, one about 3 inches deep and 6" long, the second was about 4" X 4 x4. On top of them I laid a large piece about 12" X 6" That makes a good size cave. I also leaned another piece at an angle. I have the base for that against the glass so it won't slip and fall on top of my eel.

I have the large rock about 1 1/2" away from the glass so the eel can crawl behind it and on the side and hide if he wants. I have plants around it as well. Sometimes he buries himself in the sand within the plants.

You could also get a pvc pipe and lay pieces of slate or stone to hide it. I have a foot long pipe in the big tank that you can't see, but the fish use it either to hide or to get from one end of the tank to the other.

 

[T1KARMANN]

You give in in less than 2 weeks that's not good


Now you have give in he will be hooked for sure

Soak pellets in earth worm blood over night the feed them

As you say earth worms not night crawlers I take it you are in the UK

You give up way to soon

My kids hate peas but I'm sure if that's all I put on the table they would eat them sooner or later

 

[Justin144]

I've only fed one earthworm once... I tried today and he denied it . So I'm sorry ? I just worry and want him to live. The bloodworms so far have not worked out great but I will keep trying .