Several types of morays commonly caught in Indonesia's rivers

[john_lord_b3]

Hello MonsterfishKeepers friends,

At this occasion I'd like to introduce to you the types of moray eels which are commonly caught in the rivers of Jogjakarta in Indonesia. Most pictures were taken from private collection of Mr. Septian in Jogjakarta, a prominent dealer of FW & Brackish morays. Nearly all of them were caught in fresh and brackish water, and mostly are being kept in full freshwater or in freshwater-brackish water mix.

1. Echidna Rhodochilus, White-Cheeked "freshwater" moray eels (both now belongs to me) AKA Belut Cemong in one of the local dialects here.



2. Gymnothorax Polyuranodon (AKA Tiger Eel, True Freshwater Moray)



3. Strophidon Sathete (Slender Moray)


Another Strophidon Sathete.


4. Gymnothorax Tile AKA Indian Mud Moray AKA "Freshwater" snowflake moray



5. Gymnothorax Undulatus AKA Belut Burik (in some of the local dialects here)





Another Gymnothorax Tile with different body color

 

[Fat Homer]

Nice to see a fellow Gymnothorax Polyuranadon keeper!

So what parameters are you keeping your other eels in? Fresh or are some in brackish?

 

[john_lord_b3]

Nice to see a fellow Gymnothorax Polyuranadon keeper!

So what parameters are you keeping your other eels in? Fresh or are some in brackish?

Hello Fat Homer! Nice to see a fellow fat guy

I don't have G. Polyuranodon yet, still in the process of acquiring one. All the G. Polys you see in this thread, all belonged to Mr. Septian.

Most of the Indonesians I know who keep G. Polys, Strophidons and E. Rhodochiluses, keep them in freshwater.

I do have three cute Echidna Rhodochiluses, I keep them in a low-end brackish aquarium (1 part seawater, 5 parts freshwater, with fluctuating salinity simulated by alternating between swapping seawater and freshwater during routine water changes).

This is my largest E. Rhodochilus, I call it Mr. Emerson.

 

[Chub_by]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Strophiodon sathete, now that would be a centerpiece specimen for a large tank. Only know of one keeper in Germany, his is in heavy brackish though.

 

[john_lord_b3]

You are most welcome! Yes, it is wiser to keep them in brackish water, especially if we're able to vary the salinity levels.

I personally also recommend any freshwater morays to be kept in brackish water (of varying salinities). Interestingly, Strophidon Sathetes here are being caught in freshwater and being kept in freshwater for years with mostly no problems. To achieve this, Mr. Septian who caught them gave me some pointers:

1. Eels which are being caught using methods other than netting, usually has slim chances of survive (due to injuries and/or exhaustion). Especially those being caught using fishing hooks, and explosives (ILLEGAL!).

2. All morays captured in rivers, regardless of species, should be quarantined and then being adapted to live in an aquarium, using the water from the same area where they are being caught (meaning: river water and/or well water). Weaker individuals usually dies in this process, with mortality rate around 10-20%

3. Only Morays which survived the adaptation process & has been able to be trained to eat regularly, should be sold to pet trade.

4. It is known that transportation process severely weakening the morays even further. The longer the distance, the bigger the chances of weakening them.

The high mortality rates of pet freshwater morays cannot be solely attributed to "being kept in freshwater". To me that's not so logical, as here in Indonesia (the natural country where they came from), "freshwater" morays are actually being kept by local aquarists in... freshwater, and they mostly survived for years, instead of merely weeks or months.

My theory is that, it's not the freshwater that kill the morays, but their own fragility. They are too easily stressed & refuse to eat if the water parameters & aquarium conditions are not to their liking. Marine tanks usually have good water parameters & conditions, that's why most Western aquarists told us that "these freshwater morays will appreciate being kept in marine tanks".

Also, freshwater parasites (which could bother the morays) dies in brackish water, that's why most people will tell us "these freshwater morays thrives better in brackish waters".

I keep my own morays in low-end brackish but I simulate the ups and downs of salinity (by mixing in actual seawater and river water with regularity), precise for that reason. They live in rivers several kilometers away from the estuarium. When the high-tides hits the rivermouth, salinity levels are raised, and when the low-tide sets in, it's the other way around.

Also, there are differences of salinity levels in our rivers (where they caught the morays); the top/surface portion are mostly freshwater, while the bottom area are more brackish. Freshwater Morays venture back and forth in varying levels of salinities, but as bottom dwellers, they spent their time in the slightly brackish.

That is why, keeping FW morays in full FW are considered "possible" and/or "doable", especially here in Indonesia (where we have the advantage of having the right natural temperature and the actual water where the eels came from), but in most other countries, I recommend brackish.

Sorry for the very lengthy answer

 

[john_lord_b3]

As luck would have it, a friend just gave me his Gymnothorax Polyuranodon! so very happy

 

[thefredpit]

awesome

 

[AncientFishArk]

There are a lot of pet stores around in NY that are starting to bring them in. The problem that I have seen and face/ing is getting them to eat.

Most pet stores have them in 100percent freshwater. I add some marine salt and presto. Started to eat everything I put in the tank. Favorite is feeder guppies.

 

[john_lord_b3]

Thank you for sharing!

Indeed, in the beginning usually these eels will need time to adapt to its new environment & most of the time their first meal would be live food such as feeder guppies and/or river shrimps. When I first start keeping FW morays, it was an echidna rhodochilus (still have it now ) and its first meal was feeder shrimps.

I live in a coastal city & seawater is available. So I just add seawater to my freshwater tank, with 1 part seawater for 4 parts freshwater. I got a 1.008 sg readings in the hydrometer, which means low-end brackish. No need to use marine salts. But then, not everybody live near the sea.

 

[john_lord_b3]

Interestingly, I have no difficulties enticing my new G. Polyuranodon to eat. Now it already hunting live river shrimps!