Eating Frozen Ribbon Eel, to buy or not to???

[Bernie21]

Hi guys,

As mentioned above, a local LFS has a juvi black & yellow ribbon eel that is eating frozen foods and at a great price. Im thinking of jumping on it. I have read alot about them and their difficulties, but getting them to eat is the biggest concern. Since this one is already eating, I figure why not. Im concerned about compatibility w my current inhabitants...

I have:
3" Tang
3" midas blenny
3" marine betta
2" carpenters wrasse
2" twin spot sand sifting goby
and a cleaner shrimp.

Anything that is of concern for or w the Ribbon eel?? Should I get the Eel?

Thanks guys!!

 

[Reef Frog]

There is a great thread here on RC somewhere on this topic.

A very cool but delicate and hard to keep fish. Ideally this eel needs or does best in a custom tank with deeper sand and the right rock scape for cover. Don't know for sure, but I'd investigate:

- is your tank big enough? I'm thinking you need more volume
- Are the other fish advisable? Would they out compefe the eel for food or spook it?

I have read that successful keepers often need a dedicated effort to get them eating, often using live food. And even with a best effort by experts, mortality is high. Finding one eating frozen food is awesome & a rare find.

 

[Dmorty217]

i would skip the ribbon eel, since they are difficult to keep at best and need a species specific tank like mentioned above to thrive

 

[Dmorty217]

I hate to be "that guy" but if your tank is a 65g no matter what tang you have at 3" now it wont work long term in a 65g

 

[zabes]

your goby and blenny are potential meals. however, i used to have a really aggressive watchman goby that would grab my ribbon eel by the throat if he got too close to his area but on the other hand the eel also ate a small perc clown i had in the tank. if you have enough rockwork/pvc for the eel to hide his entire body he would do well otherwise he would just be stressed out. would also need to definitely add screens to the top and any overflows. since its already eating frozen your already past the hard part. just feed a variety of fresh seafood every couple days.

older picture of mine (about a year ago). he is roughly 3ft long now

 

[Bernie21]

Thanks guys.

I downgraded my tank from a 92 and will be upgrading in the near future, and if I dont, I'll find the tang a home before its necessary. I understand your concern,

Thanks, in regard to the Eel, my tank has a canopy & the rear thats open has a plastic mesh netting, so does the overflow. Im more concerned for my fish and the fish bothering the eel. I also have 4 sets of Islands of rockwork for it to traverse through. But a eating Ribbon is really tempting.

Nice Eel by the way... It's beautiful.

 

[JoelA7]

Had one and no trouble feeding once I figured out the secret. These eels have poor vision. The food needs to be close. I used a blunted pin siliconed into rigid tubing to impale a piece of squid or shellfish soaked in vitamins and put it close and the eel would come out of its home to eat. Very satisfactory. It did escape once and only reason it survived is my wife said what's that odd mess on the floor. Scooped him up with a spatula and dropped him back in slightly the worse for wear.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

It's probably going to eat your smaller fish. I babysat one for a couple weeks and it only ate live mollies.

 

[stonedandfish]

great fish should do fine with good water quality i tried for over a year to get mine to eat frozen and failed eventuly had to get rid of it becouse would only eat live but if the one you have a line on eats frozen already should be a breeze may eat anyfiah that fits in its mouth and its mouth is usally bigger than you think so size up your fish