Where is the color in my fire eel?
- Thread starter lazarus9
- Start date
Sorry to be late to the party, but I just registered and was looking to see if anyone else had fire eels. And, (insert trumpets and halleluahs here), there's a bunch of you that know about them. Just found this site
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/universal-viewid371.html
according to this, juveniles will keep the lighter yellow markings until they mature and then they will turn red. This might be the difference you are seeing. Just a thought.
About feeding, I think you can't go wrong with a variety. Mine started off on feeders and blackworms. We just decreased the amount of those they got and offered a rotating selection of options until they picked a few they liked. Then we used those as the staple foods and kept introducing new things and expanding their "preferred" foods. Now, ~1 1/2 years later they will eat just about anything we offer off of a lid (the boyfriend refuses to let me train them to hand feeding, so they won't eat the hand when they get big enough - yet he's not afraid of his oscars that are full grown, go figure).
Anyway, just my input. I look forward to having others around that actually have these guys.
Cathey
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/universal-viewid371.html
according to this, juveniles will keep the lighter yellow markings until they mature and then they will turn red. This might be the difference you are seeing. Just a thought.
About feeding, I think you can't go wrong with a variety. Mine started off on feeders and blackworms. We just decreased the amount of those they got and offered a rotating selection of options until they picked a few they liked. Then we used those as the staple foods and kept introducing new things and expanding their "preferred" foods. Now, ~1 1/2 years later they will eat just about anything we offer off of a lid (the boyfriend refuses to let me train them to hand feeding, so they won't eat the hand when they get big enough - yet he's not afraid of his oscars that are full grown, go figure).
Anyway, just my input. I look forward to having others around that actually have these guys.
Cathey
Thanks Cathey and Honda for the info. I have also noted that depending on his level of excitment he changes color. But I think the issue here is that he is still a juvenile at 8"
I will keep on observing any changes.
Is there any literature that refers to background or water conditions affecting their coloring as well?
I will keep on observing any changes.
Is there any literature that refers to background or water conditions affecting their coloring as well?
I am new to the group, but have been reading post for a while. I purchased my first fire eel (Water Boy) about a month ago. He is super active. I started trying to feed him frozen bloodworms, per specialty fish stores recommendation, they said that’s what they were feeding him. I used a pippette with a syringe and literally put it right in front of his face, he would eat a few but not enough in my opinion for his size. Next, I tried night crawlers cut in smaller pieces since he is a baby 7-8”. He acted real interested but wouldn’t take it. Finally I started reading about people hand feeding to make sure that they are eating. It took about 2 days for him to become comfortable with my hand.... I bought frozen krill, thawed it in tank water, then held it between my fingers and he took it right away! The bigger ones, I pinch in half at the bend of their body! I feed the other gluttons first and him last! However now he will also eat the sinking pellets as they fall. I have definitely noticed a change in his color, no red, but his yellow is much more prominent now - I’m assuming from the krill! Hope that may help some of you, too! Also, I have black sand in my tank, I’ve not seen him completely buried, but he digs his nose in it a lot and he’s quickly becoming my favorite guy in the tank!
