eel won't eat, please help

[Robert]

I just recived a ribbon eel from the LFS and would highly appreciate any suggestions on how to get it to eat.

EDIT: I fixed your "My tank" link for ya. Dale

[Dale W.]

Rhinomuraena quasita is probably one of the toughest eels to get to feed. If you get him going, you should throw a big party :)

First thing you should do is leave him alone for about a week. Find out if he had eaten at all at the LFS and find out what he ate if he did eat. After a week you will want to try various foods such as fish strips, crab strips, shrimp strips, krill, etc etc. Get yourself a thin clear plexiglass rod that you can use for feeding making sure it is long enough to not have your hand in the water. These guys are very shy and require plenty of hiding places where they can hide a protect the full length of their body. A tank that is set up pretty close to a reef tank is best for them with no agressive fish that will pick on them. If they are not comfortable just a little bit, they will shy away from feeding.

They can go for quite some time without feeding but the longer they go, the less of a chance you have at getting him to feed.

Let us know how he is doing.

[MonoSebaelover]

So I guess I can throw a big party Dale since I have a Black Ribbon that eats everything? Cool, party time JK. Actually I do have a BRE that does eat everything. Honestly I don't know how he got started since I bought him from a store that had bought him from a guy that had him for 2 years. I guess he was in their reef tank and a week before I went to the store the guy added 2 Dragon Gobies and he woke up in the morning to 1 Dragon Goby and one very fat Ribbon eel. So the Eel went to the store and I got him.
I recently saved a dying Ghost Ribbon Eel from a local fish store, the store had him for 2 months alone (who knows how long he was at the transhippers and wholesalers) and he had not eaten a thing. When I came to his rescue he was on deaths doorstep because he was just skin and bones (no muscel, no meat, nothing, I could count the vertebrate running the length of his body) and he was taking one breath a minute. I tried all the usual things that got the Ribbon, Zebra and a previous Ghost Ribbon to eat which was Imitation Crab meat, Scallops, and Cocktail Shrimp cooked. He like none of these. And since he had been for at least 2 months without food I had to act fast so I wennt to our local grocery store and picked up raw shrimp, a live clam among some others. He ate some of the Cocktail shrimp and now 2 months later he is re-gaining all of his muscle and fat is acting like a normal eel again.
I would go to your local grocery store and get one of most the things they have in their seafood department and try everything.
By the way what color phase is he in? Blues and yellows are the hardest to get to feed while the Blacks are easiest (for ribbons anyway). I am taking pictures of both eels today so will post them when I do. Anyway, hope this helps.

[Dale W.]

Mono, You should throw a party :dance

Thats cool that you have gotten them to eat. I think most people try to hard at first and they dont give the eels adaquit hiding places so they dont feel real secure. I am not sure why the black phase eels have a tendancy to eat better but I have had others say the same thing. BTW, you list half moon in your fish list. Are you talking about Venustus?

[MonoSebaelover]

Here are some pictures, the Black came out good but the Ghost was not being very helpful! Well here they are.

[MonoSebaelover]

Another one

[MonoSebaelover]

And a final of the BRE. This is his castle that the Ghost frequents too. Has worked great and he loves it.

[MonoSebaelover]

Here is a head shot of the Ghost Ribbon. That is all he will allow.

[Robert]

mine is a blue ribbon. yeah he did eat at the store. They fed him a small damsel. thanks for your suggestions. Since I got him satuday, I shall wait a few days befor attempting to feed agian. got close yesterday though when I was feeding some frozen brine shrimp to my pair of marrons the eel came out of the rocks and nosed at a piece, but the others took it.

[MonoSebaelover]

I would definitely try and feed some raw shrimp, they have a really pungent smell that really attracts the eels. Anyway, hope this helps and good luck with the Ribbon. I can hardly wait till mine turns blue. He will be pretty. Anyway, good luck.

[Robert]

In order to provide more hiding places and make the eel more comfortable could I use lava rock? Or is lava rock not suitable for saltwater.