Fire eel question

[rwaterman]

I have a 16" fire eel that is healthy as can be. But my question comes in on its diet.

All that he eats is nightcrawlers/earthworms. usually 2-3 a night.

i was just wondering if anyone that has had a fire eel or actually knows about them on what i could switch their diet up with.

I know the worms are good but I am buying new worms every 3-4 days. Just didn't know if there is anything else that I could feed this beast.

Thanks

 

[all_or_nothin]

i feed nightcrawlers but alot of people on mfk feed theres bloodworms. you could try that but bloodworms for a 16"er would be crazy to pay for

 

[vaine]

There was a guy on MFK that had a fire eel that was 16 years old. He said his diet was "bloodworms daily and the odd half pellet".

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288196

I fed my earthworms a good flake food when I used to feed them to him but I only did that a few times cause it was easier to feed other things, but mine also ate pellets, shrimp and bloodworms.

 

[RiVerfishgirl]

You could try feeding flake and pellets and bloodworms.

As for mine he won't eat anything but live food.

So if that's the case you can try ghost shrimp (that's what ours was on before we bought him) and very small fish (as long as they're healthy and parasite free). Fire eels seem to be really susceptible to external parasites, perhaps due to the smooth scaleless skin, so make sure anything live you feed is completely clean.

 

[rwaterman]

I have fed him bloodworms but with him being 16" he would go through them like crazy. I feed them to my silver dollars and he will steal some but mainly is just after live earthworms.

I have some pellet food but he has never seemed interested in it at all. is there a certain kind?

 

[abarilot]

I imagine the worms are starting to be quite expensive, ever thought about starting a small worm farm? Not sure if it was on here or mfk but their is a do it yourself thread on one of those site that should reduce your costs.

From what I've read it can be difficult to get eels to eat anything other than live foods. I know my zigzag wont eat anything other than bloodworms.

 

[rwaterman]

I was starting to consider that... We are having to move in less than a year so if going that route i was going to wait till in the new home.

And on that note i'm just worried enough moving a large tank with a clown knife and fire eel that are both 16"+

 

[abarilot]

For moving invest in some coolers. That's how I moved my 20"+ SAL

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Have you tried chopped up, thawed frozen shrimp?

 

[rwaterman]

No I haven't tried that before.... on that note (It's very possible I'm wrong here) but I have heard something about garlic also. That if you put garlic on new foods for fish that they love garlic for some reason???

Is this true or am I just hearing some b.s.?