Finally found a Ribbon Eel!

[Silfer]

Been after a Ribbon Eel for a while and struggling to find one in the UK. Finally came across one yesterday.

After careful acclimatisation I let him loose in my tank and after exploring for 15 minutes he found the PVC pipework tunnel I laid out under the sand bed.

Didn't see much of him over the last 24 hours, though he did pop his nose out briefly.

My local fish shop said with the low flow in their holding tanks they have been feeding chopped krill which he was eating.

I just went to feed him there with the stealth stick I read up on and for a good half hour with silversides he didn't appear. Changed over to a small bit of cockle and within minutes his head was out and he sniffed around it then took it! I gave him 5 minutes and tried another piece and sure enough out he came and took it right away

Very happy he is eating!!

He is just a baby, black with a nice yellow stripe all down his back.

He is currently sitting with his head a few inches out the pipe now, either looking for more or just chilling.

Can anyone give a rough guide on how much and often I should be feeding him? He is small, maybe 30~35cm long.

Also his tail has some damage, as if a fish was nipping at it. The fish shop said he arrived like this and it was starting to heal. He seems fine though and as above is eating dead food already!

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Megistos]

If it's already eating that's a very good sign. Unfortunately, most of them don't get that far in captivity.

For feeding I would assume it's more or less the same as with other morays - feed to satiation once a week or so.


Just make sure there are no gaps it can get out of - morays can fit through much smaller holes than you would think and ribbon eels even moreso, and if they can fit through it eventually they will.

 

[Silfer]

Yeah I was surprised to see him feed, he took another piece later last night no problem too.

Can a juvenile take whole silversides?

 

[rfalvey89]

If you are feeding silversides soak them in Selcon. Silversides don't offer proper nutrition.
But if you mix them in with scallop, shrimp etc you should be good.
I feed my zebra moray 2-3 times a week

 

[Silfer]

Yeah I have a similar vitamin soak. I say silversides but it's actually smelt, I'm guessing very similar though.

 

[Silfer]

Can a juvenile take a whole one or would that cause a problem for it?

 

[Dmorty217]

Can a juvenile take a whole one or would that cause a problem for it?

I would cut them in bite size piece that are easy to swallow. No need to make the eel work harder than necessary to eat, especially since it's already eating

 

[zabes]

i feed mine 3 times a week. if you see him out swimming, usually will mean he's hungry. I vary between squid, smelt, shrimp, tuna, etc for feeding.

 

[Silfer]

Was feeding the eel again just now and as always now it comes out as soon as the smelt hits the water! Thing is my dog face puffer came along to try steal it and the eel bit the puffer on the face by mistake lol, eel retreated fast and the puffer seemed unphased, no marks on him.

I know the puffer is poisonous, a wee bite shouldn't cause a problem to the eel? He came back out 5 minutes later for his food.

 

[Silfer]

Had the ribbon eel for near a week now and he's doing great, wants to eat daily, maybe wasn't getting fed enough at the shop?

He sits there with his head sticking out his pipe and as soon as I put anything in on the stealth feeding stick he grabs it and away he goes with it.

This wee chap certainly didn't read the book on Ribbon eels not eating in captivity!!

I definitely think a PVC pipe network under the sand is a key factor in the success of this eel, from what I read and my own experience now if it feels secure it will come out and eat. The stealth stick helps greatly too as I could make the frozen food move about. But now he has an appetite I'm pretty sure I could hand feed him if I wish.

 

[djtuzik]

any attempts at escape? how big?