Small Fire Eel help

[RemainVayne]

I have a 8" thin fire eel from wet spot and have him in a 20g for grow out. I've had the guy about 6 months now and he is still very picky, only eating about 2 red wrigglers a week and hasn't put in much size or girth.

Does this sound abnormal or is it pretty typical for newish juvenile fire eels? He doesn't yet seem interested in chopped fish.

I have a black spot eel (m. dayi) that was purchased around 12" and has put on at least 6" in a year and is quite fat so I'm not brand new to the spiny eel game. Any help is much appreciated as the fire eel is one of my dream fish and want to make sure I'm doing him right!

 

[tlindsey]

I have a 8" thin fire eel from wet spot and have him in a 20g for grow out. I've had the guy about 6 months now and he is still very picky, only eating about 2 red wrigglers a week and hasn't put in much size or girth.

Does this sound abnormal or is it pretty typical for newish juvenile fire eels? He doesn't yet seem interested in chopped fish.

I have a black spot eel (m. dayi) that was purchased around 12" and has put on at least 6" in a year and is quite fat so I'm not brand new to the spiny eel game. Any help is much appreciated as the fire eel is one of my dream fish and want to make sure I'm doing him right!

kno4te

 

[kno4te]

Doesn’t sound right. It should be putting on some size. Keep it in the 20g. Would dose prazipro and levamisole, cont to feed the red wigglers. If u can soak the e-worms in a vitamin solution, Boyd’s vitachem.

 

[headbanger_jib]

I have a 8" thin fire eel from wet spot and have him in a 20g for grow out. I've had the guy about 6 months now and he is still very picky, only eating about 2 red wrigglers a week and hasn't put in much size or girth.

Does this sound abnormal or is it pretty typical for newish juvenile fire eels? He doesn't yet seem interested in chopped fish.

I have had fire eels be very picky about what they eat, for months. Sometimes even go without food for months.

I would suggest, you find some live freshwater shrimp, that you can feed it.

Earthworms are something that eels will accept readily, but that shouldn't be their staple diet, and from what you've said, this one doesn't seem to like earthworms that much.

I have grown fire eels from 10" to 30", they eat in very large amounts and are capable of growing in quick spurts once they settle in and eat regularly.

 

[RemainVayne]

Doesn’t sound right. It should be putting on some size. Keep it in the 20g. Would dose prazipro and levamisole, cont to feed the red wigglers. If u can soak the e-worms in a vitamin solution, Boyd’s vitachem.

I did an initial dose of prazipro when he first came in, but went ahead and dosdd again yesterday.

 

[RemainVayne]

I have had fire eels be very picky about what they eat, for months. Sometimes even go without food for months.

I would suggest, you find some live freshwater shrimp, that you can feed it.

Earthworms are something that eels will accept readily, but that shouldn't be their staple diet, and from what you've said, this one doesn't seem to like earthworms that much.

I have grown fire eels from 10" to 30", they eat in very large amounts and are capable of growing in quick spurts once they settle in and eat regularly.

At the smaller sizes, what was your main diet for the eels? All mine has ever eaten are the worms and nothing else. Guess I can try some ghost shrimp. It's just difficult to find some that aren't kept in filthy tanks as I don't want to introduce additional disease into the tank my eel is being kept in..

 

[headbanger_jib]

At the smaller sizes, what was your main diet for the eels? All mine has ever eaten are the worms and nothing else. Guess I can try some ghost shrimp. It's just difficult to find some that aren't kept in filthy tanks as I don't want to introduce additional disease into the tank my eel is being kept in..

Ghost shrimp I always get and freeze them for three days before feeding

 

[RemainVayne]

Ghost shrimp I always get and freeze them for three days before feeding

And your eel would go for them dead? I don't think mine is ready for anything not moving...

 

[headbanger_jib]

And your eel would go for them dead? I don't think mine is ready for anything not moving...

If your eel recognises you as source of food, then it's a lot easy.

And ghost shrimp are a natural diet for them, so it's easier to get them to eat the shrimp

 

[RemainVayne]

Just checking in. Eel still hasn't grown much at all, yet still eats the red wrigglers. Thinking of moving on from him if this continues...