Feeding an Eel and keeping a Trigger away

[offshored]

Our Skeletor Moray Eel and Niger Trigger have been getting a little too aggressive during feeding time.

I feed the eel with a feeding stick and try to get the food close enough to his hole. Recently the Trigger has been going after the food as well. First the eel nipped the Triggers fin, and today the Trigger bit the side of the eel.

I'm just curious how to keep these two apart during feedings... really don't one to get hurt...

They totally leave each other and the other fish alone except at feeding...

Any tips would be welcome

 

[Recty]

Feed the trigger at one side of the tank and when he gets all excited over there, have someone else use a feeding stick to get food down to the eel.

Feeding at the same time at multiple spots is the key to keeping accidents to a minumum in a tank like that, many experts will tell you the same. I'm far from being an expert but I know it works, I've done it when I had eels

 

[StayPuft]

Back when I had my triggers and eels, I'd feed the triggers first in a corner of the tank until they were full, then feed the eel. Once full, the triggers had much less interest in stealing food.

 

[TitanTV]

Back when I had my triggers and eels, I'd feed the triggers first in a corner of the tank until they were full, then feed the eel. Once full, the triggers had much less interest in stealing food.

I agree. Once a trigger is "full" they seem to like to go hide..kinda like taking a nap after a huge meal. Atleast thats what I have seen in the past.

 

[Moray keeper]

Back when I had my triggers and eels, I'd feed the triggers first in a corner of the tank until they were full, then feed the eel. Once full, the triggers had much less interest in stealing food.

This works sometimes but it depends on the eel(s) and triggers involved not too mention the amount of space involved. I have one black durgon trigger for example that has been bit and pulled into a pipe on multiple occasions when this was done. In another tank I have a dragon that pretty much wont let you do this and will be in your face right away when you try. And when I say in your face I mean in your face, lol. About a week or so ago it jumped out of the tank when I was trying to do this and hit me on my neck and shoulder. You probably saw "air jaws" on discovery channel before, well how about air dragon, lol.

 

[offshored]

You probably saw "air jaws" on discovery channel before, well how about air dragon, lol.

Hahah... that's pretty scary...

I think I'm going to try to see where the eel is hiding and then feed the trigger on the other side of the tank. I might even have my wife try to use another feeding stick to distract him.

Also instead of using multiple little pieces of food, I might just try to give the eel one larger piece to avoid run ins with the trigger.

Looking at starting up a 240 gallon in the next few weeks, so there should be a lot more room to vary up feedings.