How to make my new peacock eel come out?

[mollybabes]

I just got a new peacock eel, and I know that they like to bury themselves, but I can't even see its head. Are they noctournal, or is he just cold? The info I found says the temp should be 75-80, and it's about 74. Is he maybe just stressed from the transfer, or what. He is a really pretty fish, and I would like to see more of him.

(Also, how do I feed him?)

[OrionGirl]

You can't convince them to come out--you can make it likely that they will. First, leave him be. More harm is done by chasing him out 'just to check' than anything else. Let him come out as he wants to. Second--bump the temp up! What else is in there that likes it so chilly? I doubt he's buried because it's cold, but fish metabolism is closely tied to temp, and cooler temps = little activity from tropical fish. Third. Don't target food for where you suspect him to be--I use a riser tube to drop food to the bottom, and let the eels figure out that this is where food comes from--they will figure it out and start swimming up the tube in anticipation. I feed a mix of frozen blood worms, frozen community formula, minced fish/scallop/mussell. Greedy gut eats anything he can. I will feed live worms sometimes, and must chop into tiny pieces--had one try to take the whole worm. Bad--I had to catch him and pull the worm out.

Bottom line, though--these are lurk and strike predators. Trying to get them to behave like a guppy isn't possible. Appreciate them for the character they have, not for the one you want them to have.

[dbcb314]

biggest advice, have patience and make then search for there food.