Noob Fire eel feeding question

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Fat Homer

Fat Homer

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Okay, so recently i picked up a fire eel which is probably close to 1.5 feet long and was wondering what sort of stuff i should feed it???

I've read a lot of people feed worms to their eels, but sadly that not exactly the most common thing to find near me, and i don't trust getting earth worms from fishing stores since the shops are normally shady little places and i have no idea where they pick them out from (Since i'm worried about the worms having ferts in them)...

So i was wondering, has any one who's got a fire eel ever tried or had success feeding them raw scallops or mussels (cut into small pieces) since i already own puffers who eat that as part of their normal diet???

Otherwise is there any sort of pellet foods people have had luck with feeding their fire eel's since i'm not sure if mine is eating or not??? since i did buy some ghost shrimp to chuck in the tank and now they are all gone, although i'm not sure if its the puffers who cleared them out or if the eel also had a go at some of them???

So any info would be much appreciated...
 
farm raised earthworms should be safe. ask the bait shop. ghost shrimp are acceptable. frozen bloodworms. strips of fish. market shrimp. trial and error and offering as many different types of food is your best bet. pellets are rarely taken by them. Just a word of caution. If it's in with you puffers eventually they will kill it. the eels have no teeth and as far as my knowledge little to no defense against those beaks.
 
MonsterMinis;3345548; said:
farm raised earthworms should be safe. ask the bait shop. ghost shrimp are acceptable. frozen bloodworms. strips of fish. market shrimp. trial and error and offering as many different types of food is your best bet. pellets are rarely taken by them. Just a word of caution. If it's in with you puffers eventually they will kill it. the eels have no teeth and as far as my knowledge little to no defense against those beaks.
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:iagree:the fire eel do have little tiny teeth mine bite me think i am the krill but i now i use a claw to feed him.
 
I have fed mine worms for a year and a half now, and they are doing great. I also feed defrosted krill to two of them who are willing to take them. Also, all three love steamed chunks of market shrimp (no shell/tails) and tilapia.
I am by NO means very familiar with puffers, but don't they require a fair bit of salt? Fire eels do not need any salt. Just giving you a heads up that you might need to look into some of your water parameters. :)
 
I wouldn't worry i feed my fish worms from bait shops and Walmart all the time never had a problem and if your really worried you can all ways go to your back yard and dig up your own

Scallops and mussles would be just fine if your eel will eat them also try Krill, Chopped fish fillets, Shrimp and squid
 
Thanks for all the replies, but luckily he/she started taking live ghost shrimp so at least i know hes getting some food, although i might still try experimenting with other foods to see what else he may eat...

As for the puffers needing salt, just as a heads up, not all puffers need brackish/marine conditions, since my two are freshwater puffers, and since they are lurkers they don't bother my eel at all... and considering the size difference between them (the eel is much bigger) there hasn't been any aggression since they all have their own spots to hide in :)

Also, just curious, how often do you all normally feed your eels??? since i'm guessing its not every day??? so how long should i spread the feedings apart???
 
Thanks for the replies again... i guess i may have to start stocking up a bit more on food then, since atm i'm feeding him every 3rd day... since its a bit of a hassle to go get live food for them all the time...
 
Fat Homer;3353685; said:
Thanks for all the replies, but luckily he/she started taking live ghost shrimp so at least i know hes getting some food, although i might still try experimenting with other foods to see what else he may eat...
??
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From what I've been told, your fish are much more likely to get internal parasites from ghost shrimp than earthworms.
 
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