5 years with our Blue Ribbon Eel

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SantaMonicaHelp

AC Members
Oct 17, 2011
81
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8
Santa Monica, CA, USA
5 years with our Blue Ribbon Eel

Here are some pics and vids of our Blue Ribbon Eel in our office. We got him in summer of 2006, and uploaded the pics and vids in 2007...










Vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qVOnLdz2n8



Here he is today...






Vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Qx_3g-t-A


He was bright blue for several years, then turned darker and spotted. He does not really like to eat anymore, but will. He does still eat small fish that come near his pipe. At first it took a while to get him eating, and he ate regularly for about 4 years. The trick is to always have a pvc pipe for him to hide in... he will not eat unless he is in a pipe because he knows he is long and can be seen easily. We feed him one frozen silverside per week, because they are shaped like his favorite food... firefish. There are a lot of ideas about getting one to eat if you google "my blue ribbon eel eats!" (too long to post here). But give yourself 2 weeks of daily dedicated time to do it.

Here is a pic of the pipe before it went in....




If you are going to use a pipe, don't do the turned-up ends like we did. It collects waste inside, and it rots and can't get out. Instead, raise the pipe off the bottom a bit and keep it straight so waste can flow out. Or better, angle it slightly down on both ends, like a roof.
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greech

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May 13, 2009
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Graham
That's a beautiful eel. Congrats on your success!

Love the Lookdown too.
 

OldManOfTheSea

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Mar 21, 2007
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Hillsborough NC
I`m sorry, but I can not call it a great deal of success in simply having the eel for five years because you only showed that your feeding it feeders. For if you were feeding a variety of marine foods, then I would call it a great deal of success. Its not hard to have any type of eel for any number of years, but many often do as you shown here, they feed their eel feeders. :(
 

haddaj04

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Sep 24, 2008
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Don't know why him keeping a wild caught eel alive feeding it close to what it would eat in the wild wouldn't be considered a success?
 

SantaMonicaHelp

AC Members
Oct 17, 2011
81
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Santa Monica, CA, USA
I`m sorry, but I can not call it a great deal of success in simply having the eel for five years because you only showed that your feeding it feeders. For if you were feeding a variety of marine foods, then I would call it a great deal of success. Its not hard to have any type of eel for any number of years, but many often do as you shown here, they feed their eel feeders. :(
Well...he also eats small fishes that we put in the tank... We lost our new cardinal 2 weeks ago, the little thing didn't even get a chance to see his new world.
 

Khemul

Sea Bunny
Oct 14, 2010
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South Florida
I`m sorry, but I can not call it a great deal of success in simply having the eel for five years because you only showed that your feeding it feeders. For if you were feeding a variety of marine foods, then I would call it a great deal of success. Its not hard to have any type of eel for any number of years, but many often do as you shown here, they feed their eel feeders. :(
So what exactly do you consider "success" with an eel? Flakes and pellets? :eek:
 

SubRosa

AC Members
Jul 3, 2009
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Congrats that's a good record for a Ribbon. Their reputation as difficult is completely underserved if you set them up correctly with the PVC. One other trick to get them to eat more quickly is to use live Rosy Red Minnows for their first few meals. The stress of the Rosys going into SW is like ringing a dinner bell. From there frozen Silversides are easy. I've been involved with several Ribbons over the years and only one that I recall wanted anything to do with food that wasn't a fish. Well done!
 

Arakkis

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Apr 7, 2008
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SJ Cali
nice.. mine only ate chromis and anthias.. kinda got expensive...
 

Unome

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Apr 23, 2002
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I saw one of those at the local fish store on southside of town. They look so cool.
 
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