My husband's new Predator tank

[drksthr]

Be patient .  Eels don't eat every day and can go weeks without eating. My zebra would take a shrimp every few days and I'd just hand feed him them. He's about 20" right now. All of a sudden hea a pig and will take 2-3 a feeding. I wouldn't stress it at all.  When he's hungry he'll munch.  They're pretty hardy and can live in a toilet. LoL.    You could also try chopping up some garlic and rubbing the food in it and then feed him.  May trigger a feeding response.  What size of tank again? I have a 180g with 5850gph of flow right now and the eel is fine and my 72g reef has 2900gph.  An ocean current is strong and they can handle it

 

[yveterinarian]

Be patient .  Eels don't eat every day and can go weeks without eating. My zebra would take a shrimp every few days and I'd just hand feed him them. He's about 20\" right now. All of a sudden hea a pig and will take 2-3 a feeding. I wouldn't stress it at all.  When he's hungry he'll munch.  They're pretty hardy and can live in a toilet. LoL.    You could also try chopping up some garlic and rubbing the food in it and then feed him.  May trigger a feeding response.  What size of tank again? I have a 180g with 5850gph of flow right now and the eel is fine and my 72g reef has 2900gph.  An ocean current is strong and they can handle it

Thanks Joey for the words of encouragement. With my background of seahorses needing to be tube fed if they stop eating for three days, it is a difficult thing to wrap my mind around (my husband as well since he has seen me tube feeding when a seahorse is sick).  We'll try to relax and wait.  The powerheads were not set facing each other but are on opposite sides of the tank with one at the back to get behind the rocks and one at the front to do the front.  Should we move them to face each other, and if so, should they go in the front or the back?  The tank is a 75 gal.

 

[dale]

a rosie is a freshwater feeder fish found at most fish stores, not the best food for them but mine loves em... just as a treat or to entice him to eat.... your pumps should b fine...

 

[Poseidon]

I've got tons of flow in my 90, mag 18 return and 3 koralias,

The day I got my zebra eel he ate half a table shrimp. And now I have little tug of wars with him every other day, he goes after it so aggressively.

He's very tough, he went into the overflow twice now and I had to pull him out, wasn't all that easy on him but he pulled through. Didn't have any other choice really.

 

[AdInfinitum]

One of the fave foods for my eels were mussels.  Buy them fresh but do not feed them until you have frozen them for a few days to kill parasites/worms they carry.

Thaw and cut the connecting tissue so you can remove half of the shell.  The meat still attached to the half shell will sink and stay put.

The eel will grab the meat in his teeth then loop a knot around his tail and slide the loop down his body to rip the shell from the meat.  Cool show and keeps them feeling like predators.

If you just open the shells they sometimes cut their faces sticking them in.

And yes they will sulk and not eat for a while over small affronts...

 

[drksthr]

[quote author=drksthr link=topic=4772.msg45960#msg45960 date=1364141988]
Be patient .  Eels don't eat every day and can go weeks without eating. My zebra would take a shrimp every few days and I'd just hand feed him them. He's about 20\" right now. All of a sudden hea a pig and will take 2-3 a feeding. I wouldn't stress it at all.  When he's hungry he'll munch.  They're pretty hardy and can live in a toilet. LoL.    You could also try chopping up some garlic and rubbing the food in it and then feed him.  May trigger a feeding response.  What size of tank again? I have a 180g with 5850gph of flow right now and the eel is fine and my 72g reef has 2900gph.  An ocean current is strong and they can handle it

Thanks Joey for the words of encouragement. With my background of seahorses needing to be tube fed if they stop eating for three days, it is a difficult thing to wrap my mind around (my husband as well since he has seen me tube feeding when a seahorse is sick).  We'll try to relax and wait.  The powerheads were not set facing each other but are on opposite sides of the tank with one at the back to get behind the rocks and one at the front to do the front.  Should we move them to face each other, and if so, should they go in the front or the back?  The tank is a 75 gal.
[/quote]

myself, id have a powerhead on each end across eachother. one i'd have a slight tilt to the back and the other a slight tilt to the front.. .ive had the best success in my tanks with them like that.
you can play around with it and figure it out. it shouldnt make a difference for the eel... just good flow is the way to go

also when feeding you could just leave a piece of shrimp or squid in front of him and he'll figure it out.. just turn off the powerheads so it doesnt blow the food around. sometimes fish may be picky and wont eat with a shadow over them..

 

[yveterinarian]

Thanks everyone, we'll keep you posted.  We have moved the powerheads and the flow looks better.  The eel isn't twitching today since we turned on and adjusted the powerheads.  We'll try feeding again tomorrow.

 

[drksthr]

how's the eel doing?

 

[sunnykita]

how's the eel doing?

Hi Yvette and Dave, I've been wondering how Fluffy is doing as well? I have great luck with all of my guys eating raw thawed shrimp. Even my clowns will pick at it. My engineer gobies go crazy for it, could be the reason they're so big. Little piglets, both of them ! I hope all is well in your world and Happy Easter !
Sherry

 

[yveterinarian]

Still has not eaten a thing.  Spends a lot of time lying on its back and hasn't come all the way out of it's hiding place since last week.  I know I'm supposed to be patient but this is so hard.  If it would just eat one thing I think I could relax.

 

[drksthr]

Still has not eaten a thing.  Spends a lot of time lying on its back and hasn't come all the way out of it's hiding place since last week.  I know I'm supposed to be patient but this is so hard.  If it would just eat one thing I think I could relax.

check the water params? maybe do a wc and see if that helps?
you can also rub the food with a fresh cut piece of garlic, place in front of him in the tank and turn off the powerheads..

 

[yveterinarian]

I'll try that, thanks 

 

[yveterinarian]

Well, I'm sad to say that Fluffy lost his battle yesterday and did not make it.  We had tried everything we could think of - live shrimp, frozen food, frozen food soaked in garlic, water parameter checks etc but nothing would induce him to eat. 
We are down but not out and will get another one as soon as Dave is ready. 

 

[dale]

aww,, that sucks... sorry for your loss.... dont be discouraged,,, they are not all like that... you will have better luck with the next one...

 

[sunnykita]

So sorry that you lost Fluffy, Yvette and Dave. It's tough to lose them. I'd see about getting a smaller snowflake next time around, they usually eat really well right off the bat and you'll have the joy of watching him grow to his full potential.
Sherry

 

[reefin]

 

[yveterinarian]

Thanks all for your kind thoughts.  We will definitely try again as this has been Dave's dream for a while and I want him to succeed .

 

[drksthr]

Sorry for your loss.  Don't give up. It will be worth it in the end.

 

[yveterinarian]

Sorry for your loss.  Don't give up. It will be worth it in the end.

Thanks, we don't intend to give up.  Bill from IA and I have been in touch since the beginning of our bringing the Eel home and he feels there was probably something wrong with the Eel from the beginning.  He has kindly offered to replace our Eel at no cost which is very kind as I know there is usually no warranty on livestock.  Kudos to Bill, thanks so much.  We look forward to trying again.  I'll post new pictures when we bring it home - probably in a month or so as we don't intend to pick it up until Bill gives us the "go ahead"

 

[drksthr]

[quote author=drksthr link=topic=4772.msg46928#msg46928 date=1364858419]
Sorry for your loss.  Don't give up. It will be worth it in the end.

Thanks, we don't intend to give up.  Bill from IA and I have been in touch since the beginning of our bringing the Eel home and he feels there was probably something wrong with the Eel from the beginning.  He has kindly offered to replace our Eel at no cost which is very kind as I know there is usually no warranty on livestock.  Kudos to Bill, thanks so much.  We look forward to trying again.  I'll post new pictures when we bring it home - probably in a month or so as we don't intend to pick it up until Bill gives us the "go ahead"
[/quote]


That's really nice of bill. Nice to know that there are good people out there that will try to make things right.  That's why I always go to bill first for anything I need.