Help! Moray eel won't stop eating!

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I

Industrial

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 22, 2010
1,297
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Buffalo, NY
So a few weeks ago I got myself a brackish moray eel (G. Tile).

Whenever I open the lid he starts spazzing out and swimming to the top and if he doesn't find any food he tries to jump out of the water snapping for food. When he does this my purple spotted goby has to hide or he will get bitten. My moray is maybe 12-15 inches and he eats 2-4 rosy reds a day. Most of the time they are small enough to be swallowed in one gulp.

My LFS keep running out of larger rosy reds and I have heard that feeder goldfish are really high in fat. I know it's not best to be feeding my moray a ton of rosy reds everyday.


I was told by somebody at a LFS to feed them until they stop eating (like that would ever happen lol) and then not feed them for a couple days. After a few hours of eating he starts scanning the tank for food and if I wait too long he will start jumping trying to find food out of the water.

Does anybody else have a G. Tile and experiences with feeding habits and possibly some information about the best way to feed them?
 
For starters stop feeding it live feeders. They have zero nutritunal value and actually deplete vital nutriants. That could explain why he's so hungry.
 
tyndall72;3991383; said:
Wait... did you say that feeders have no nutritional value? you know thats not a fact right?
Click to expand...

Unless gut loaded they are not very nutritious, not saying they arnt protein, but its like giving a baby dogfood. You know they can eat it but it wont be good for them.

Also to industrial that isnt a lot of food for a 15 inch eel, try market shrimp.
 
Both of mine will go crazy for market shrimp, just put some on a wire coat hanger or other feeding prong and watch the magic.
 
tyndall72;3991383; said:
Wait... did you say that feeders have no nutritional value? you know thats not a fact right?
Click to expand...


My apologies. They have nutritional value in the same way doritos do. They may have basic protiens, but they don't have any complex vitamins that morays need, and they do in fact deplete B vitamins. In addition to this, they're known to carry parasites and diseases due farming techniques. If you disagree, go right ahead and switch to an all doritos diet, and let me know how you feel in a week or two.

I agree, move to a market fish diet with suppliments.
 
2-4 rosie red a day wow

how take yourself and limit yourself to 4 soup crackers per day, do that for a week and see how hungry you get.

Basically your moray needs better nutrition and I am sure that eel keepers will chime in soon
 
I have not been trying to starve my eel. I do know that in the wild eels more often eat large amounts of food at once and then go a short while without any food. I was planning on feeding him large amounts of food every other day and then maybe a small portion the next day.

I also did not want my eel to eat himself to death like some other fish will do. Do eels do this or should I just feed him until he stops?

And yes, I plan on giving him shrimp soon. And are supermarket fish cut up more nutritious than feeder fish?
 
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