Zebra Eel Keepers

[moriartiholmes]

What does everyone feed their Zebra Eels and how long have they had them. I've been feeding mostly Krill that I soak with vitamins/ HUFA's. I'd like to expand its diet, so what does everyone else feed?

 

[RGBMatt]

A good friend of mine feeds mostly frozen shrimp from the grocery store to his. Apparently, it's best if the heads are left on.

In the wild, they eat mostly crabs, brittle stars, and urchins. If you're able to give it any of those from time to time it'd probably like it.

 

[Triggerman1964]

Raw Jumbo shrimp detailed.

 

[moriartiholmes]

I tried the Jumbo shrimp (I forget what species) and the eel didn't seem to like it. Shook its head back and forth. I was thinking they might have soaked the shrimp in a brine or something, which the eel didn't appreciate.
It did take out my population of urchins that came with my live rock. I was surprised, since all that I have read says that they will only occasionally eat pencil urchins (not sharp spined urchins).
I'll see what's available at the grocery store tonight.

 

[SW1TCH]

Mine will only eat fresh shrimp i peal off the shell on most of it. than i will cut it into bite size cubes. I also leave a piece of shrimp with the tail on for him to eat. To keep his teeth wore down.

 

[jmicky41]

Mine liked frozen squid from the grocery store - real inexpensive too. His other favorite was grocery store shrimp; inshell, peeled, whole, didn't seem to matter. If you get the frozen packages of shrimp make sure it doesn't have preservatives.

 

[ddr]

How long did it take before your eel's ate well?

Mine isnt very interseted but Ive only had it a week.

 

[jmicky41]

Mine didn't eat for about a month. At the two week mark, I bought him some live fiddler crabs from Petsmart. I can only assume he ate them because they were gone by morning.

 

[moriartiholmes]

ddr, first thing to do is get a pair of these or something else so you can hold the food without touching it. These eels have jaws designed for crushing crab shells and they are capable of breaking fingers or worse.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_fish_food_zoomed_feeding_tong.asp?CartId=

The best way to induce feeding is to rub the food gently on the eels nose. In nature they smell their prey first, and will bump it with their noses to see what it is before striking. They are after all nearly blind. Usually the nose rub will get the eel started feeding.

 

[ddr]

I have a pair of Coral Tongs im using to feed. It has eaten one shrimp since ive had it but subsiquent attempts it turned its head away & retired to its PVC pipe.

Ill give it more time, but im not used to just leaving a fish not eating.

 

[pitt_prodigy]

Zebras can go for months without feeding without any adverse affect. Give him time and he will come around to feed.

Mine loves clams/mussels. I take em out of the shell for him and spear them with a feeding stick. As soon as that smell hits the water he was out and about searching for it. He also likes gulf shrimp with the shell on. I have had pretty good luck with squid as well. It seems the smellier the food... the more he likes it. The only thing he wont eat are bay scallops.... though i have heard of others feeding theirs scallops. Good luck.

 

[jda]

My zebra did not eat for almost 2 months. Now he eats anything meaty.

It was funny... all of a sudden he came out of hiding and started to eat like a pig. Squid, shrimp, octo, krill, mysis, clams, etc. It does not matter. He will even scoop up some pellets if they hold still long enough for him to find them.

He tore apart a crawdad that I gave him for fun. Man, he crushed the shell like it was nothing.

You don't have to baby them. Just drop the food in. If he wants it, he will venture out and find it.

 

[LisaD]

I've had mine almost 5 years.

I feed fresh or frozen grocery store seafood, sometimes I soak in Selcon or vitamins, also some live foods:

shrimp with shell-on (and head, if I can get them that way), cut in 1" pieces

scallops, bay or sea

live fiddler crabs

live large ghost shrimp

live crayfish

my zebra won't touch fish strips, has never bothered even small fish

 

[ddr]

Thanks all, I will stop worring for now

 

[moriartiholmes]

Follow up question, if people are still following this thread, how much do you feed your zebra eel? I've been feeding mine about three times a week, pretty much as much as it wants at each feeding. The eel usually eats what it wants then goes back into its cave to digest.

 

[chasekwe]

Guys I just have a question that applies to a future tank keeping plan. Do all eels make a habbit of eating urchins?
(I'm specifically referring to the pincushion and longspine varieties)

 

[marrone]

I feed my Zebra eel 2 times a week and make sure that he gets enough but I don't over feed as eels will throw up their food from time to time. I feed shrimp, grouper, clam and silver sides which he likes the best.

 

[jdoenumber2]

I have 2 eels named Evil and Stupid. And the second shrimp hits the water the feeding frenzy begins. Both have poor eyesite and race around the bottom of the aqurium looking for the food that i give them. One is a snow flake and the other is a fresh water. Actually when i had the fresh water in freshwater he wass lethargic and never grew. But now that i converted him over hes a champ. almost doubled his size and now has a brown/purple/yellow pattern... Before he was mostly grey. I didnot change the light i was using.

 

[marrone]

jdoenumber2

You may want to get a feeding stick or a pair of tongs to feed the eels. This will save you from having feeding problems as feeding frenzys aren't a good thing specially if you have other fish. Also if u plan on going into the tank, to do maintance, the eel will start to go into the feeding frenzy which may cause them to attack your hand. Also when you just throw food into a tank the eel will start to chase everything in the tank and this could lead to problems later of the eel chasing something and jumping out of the tank.

A feeding stick will keep them from roaming around the tank looking for food. It also lets you feed each eel individual.

 

[SW1TCH]

I feed my eel about 3 times per week he will get about 3/4 of a fresh shrimp at each feeding the shrimp are about 3 inches long. I do not feed till he quits eating i would rather feed 3 times a week than to feed twice till he is stuffed.