Getting peacock eels to eat

[clawlan]

Just got some peacock eels a couple days ago and they don't seem to be eating. I have tried target feeding frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp but they won't go for it. They stay in one of the tank decorations, only poking their heads out now and again. When they do come out though, they seem to get along fine with the tank mates who are not overly rambunctious. What do you recommend?

 

[jm1212]

try adding some garlic to the brine shrimp and blood worms before you add them to the tank.

dont rule out internal bacterial and parasitic infections.

 

[clawlan]

try adding some garlic to the brine shrimp and blood worms before you add them to the tank.

dont rule out internal bacterial and parasitic infections.

interesting idea. ill try it out.

 

[Preeths]

Peacock eels are nocturnal, they come out in the dark and feed at night. They have a really small mouth, so you will have to feed them something small. when I had them i used to put the food in and turm off all the lights, then they would come out to eat. the best time to feed them is before you go to bed at night or early morning when it is still dark.

 

[Preeths]

One more thing, I hope you have fine gravel or river sand as the substrate, they love to burrow in the sand with only their heads poking out during the day.

 

[clawlan]

Peacock eels are nocturnal, they come out in the dark and feed at night. They have a really small mouth, so you will have to feed them something small. when I had them i used to put the food in and turm off all the lights, then they would come out to eat. the best time to feed them is before you go to bed at night or early morning when it is still dark.

what did you feed them? And yes, i have sand substrate.

 

[Preeths]

I gave them blood worms. The best way to observe their natural behavior is to leave the room completely dark, come back after about an hour, and use a flashlight. Cover the front of the flash light with a white cloth so the beam is not very bright. You should see them moving along the bottom feeding off the food settled on the floor.

The first couple of weeks I had them I was worried they were not eating. I noticed their behavior when I woke up too early in the morning once. I turned on the desk lamp and in the muted light I noticed them actively moving around the bottom. Bright lights and noise will make them hide, so be careful while observing them.

 

[clawlan]

I gave them blood worms. The best way to observe their natural behavior is to leave the room completely dark, come back after about an hour, and use a flashlight. Cover the front of the flash light with a white cloth so the beam is not very bright. You should see them moving along the bottom feeding off the food settled on the floor.

The first couple of weeks I had them I was worried they were not eating. I noticed their behavior when I woke up too early in the morning once. I turned on the desk lamp and in the muted light I noticed them actively moving around the bottom. Bright lights and noise will make them hide, so be careful while observing them.

yea, i have noticed them moving about in the evening so i think all is good.

 

[dethjam316]

some of the eels i've kept would eat the frozen food, but others would *only* eat live food, and one would only eat live blackworms. i'd try that, if you can find them at your LFS.

 

[clawlan]

some of the eels i've kept would eat the frozen food, but others would *only* eat live food, and one would only eat live blackworms. i'd try that, if you can find them at your LFS.

yea ill check that out. i wonder if you can get black worm cultures on aquabid or anywhere like that.