Fire eel only eats shrimp...?

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A

ArcTheEel

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 19, 2013
14
0
0
***lord, MI
I have had my fire eel Arc for almost a year now and she is doing quite well. Very neat colors, fun to watch, and she has grown at least an inch since I purchased her. The only problem, she only seems to eat live shrimp.

I can't get her to eat anything else. No frozen foods, pellets, flash frozen foods, or earthworms. I have a pretty steady supply of cherry shrimp and low grade rili shrimp for her at all times, I usually give her as many as she wants every two days until she stops taking them from me.

So my question, is there anything anyone else has been able to find that she may go for? I can't seem to find a decent place that sells black worms, otherwise I would try that.

She is in a 75 gallon with two Sapphire Rams at the moment. Black sand and lots of hiding places.
 
I had a picky fire eel once he only ate earth worms and wouldn't take anything else so i started soaking krill with the earthworms and he started eating krill and earthworms.
 
I had a fire eel who only ate night crawlers too. But wanted it to eat the same as everyone else. (seafood medley shrimp, crab, oyster, octopus) I soaked the crawlers in the fish medley and eventually the eel subsided and started eating the medley. I have a new eel bought last week and so far i have not seen him eat a thing getting lil worried.
 
Okay, so I soak the live shrimp in with the bloodworms and the mysis? How long exactly would you say would be a good amount of time to soak them? Where might be a good place to get earthworms, you know, other than the ground.
 
All my fire eel will eat is live black worms an frozen bloodworms. Won't eat shrimp. If you can find live black worms I'd try those. Mine had a blast hunting for the ones that would dig themselves in the sand. Only problem is you always have too change the water in the worm container or it absolutely smells horrible. Hope this helps.


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We buy our worms from the bait shop... had a local place that carried them all season just for me ( we went threw 3doz a week) I found the best way to get my eels ontot other foods is to keep them fed but hungry on their "favorites" and then offer new foods with their normal feedings.. a few weeks of being "hungry" almost always worked with whatever I offered. to this day I have never owned a spiney eel that will take pellets.

what size is the eel?
 
I just wanted to say that i went to find some worms last night and ended up trying little red worms. She takes them! Even better than her normal cherry shrimp. I had to cut them up because they were so long, but boy am i relieved.
 
Good to hear! now be prepared for a very voraciouse eater! yours is likely stunted and I wouldn't be surprized if she hits a major growth spurt if you feed her worms regularly.. as at 8" and haveing it 1yr already it should be pushing closer to 18"... they should grow 1" or more a month the first 2 yrs ime.
 
I have definitely seen a spike in her eating habits. She is taking in about 2 or so full sized worms after they have been cut up. She has a really nice big belly after her meals too, which is such a relief to see. I can't wait for her to grow to her full potential. I am so excited for it. :] Thanks again for the replies, and the suggestions, I am very happy with how things turned out.
 
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