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Fire eel help.

G

Grinsend King

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Hi everyone.
I wanted to ask for tips on solving a problem. My fire eel is almost ready size wise, seven inches to move to my four foot tank however he's still really timid. The problem is the 4 foot tank has a pack of clown loaches and they just jump on any food. My other eels had all taken to eating from my hand or at least launching themselves at the food. I'm a bit concerned this one will be out competed. I'm looking for tips. I've tried dither fish, plant cover, some competition for food, more hiding places less hiding places, over the last 10 months. Any other suggestions, I don't necessarily need him feeding from hand just need him to be a little more urgent when food arrives. I want to try a dimmer light, again any suggestions. Things I can't try are food to big for the clowns they eat anything and everything. A bottle or something so over the eel can get in, last time I tried this a quite big one managed to get into the cola bottle somehow.
 
with eels bottle feeding is a thing , but in your case a bottle wide enough for the fire eel will also be enough for the clown loaches to get into and get the food , so it is going to be hard feeding it .
maybe someone else could give better suggestions.
and btw a 4ft tank is not a tank where a fish that can reach upto 4 ft is to be kept , so do consider that too.
 
..puSkar.. said:
with eels bottle feeding is a thing , but in your case a bottle wide enough for the fire eel will also be enough for the clown loaches to get into and get the food , so it is going to be hard feeding it .
maybe someone else could give better suggestions.
and btw a 4ft tank is not a tank where a fish that can reach upto 4 ft is to be kept , so do consider that too.
Click to expand...
Thanks yep he's still small at the moment just over 1/2 a foot. 4 foot is the next tank, the plan is to get him into a 6ft, min, when he gets about a foot and a bit, just looking for something suitable, they're escape artist's and my last one getting out of the tank made me take a long break from the hobby, but thanks for the heads up on the eventual size. ?
 
Grinsend King said:
Hi everyone.
I wanted to ask for tips on solving a problem. My fire eel is almost ready size wise, seven inches to move to my four foot tank however he's still really timid. The problem is the 4 foot tank has a pack of clown loaches and they just jump on any food. My other eels had all taken to eating from my hand or at least launching themselves at the food. I'm a bit concerned this one will be out competed. I'm looking for tips. I've tried dither fish, plant cover, some competition for food, more hiding places less hiding places, over the last 10 months. Any other suggestions, I don't necessarily need him feeding from hand just need him to be a little more urgent when food arrives. I want to try a dimmer light, again any suggestions. Things I can't try are food to big for the clowns they eat anything and everything. A bottle or something so over the eel can get in, last time I tried this a quite big one managed to get into the cola bottle somehow.
Click to expand...
Get a length of pvc pipe so you can pop that in the tank near the eels cave and then drop food down it.

Other fish won't see the food if the pvc pipe is white and you will be able to get it directly to the source.
 
It shouldn’t be that small at 10 month mark that you have owned it. Though I’m just comparing my experience with my first two fire eels to yours. Maybe it’s pure luck ?

My fire eels are just aggressive piggies I have two growouts and they are picky to the max but I still have them begging for food like dogs and I can’t even take pictures of my tank without them photobombing other fish I’m trying to take pictures of. Yours at 7” it’s small already size wise in a 10 month timeframe compared to mine I’ve almost have mine for a year I have to check my thread which date I brought them home this month they’re already at 13.5” and 14” plus biggest one girth is 2” tall and 1.5 wide the smallest one is half the size of its mates girth but is lanky and hitting their preferred food as often as I let them eat which is every other day. Then I do WCs a bit later though.

Something is off. What are you feeding it?
 
Bbuckley said:
Get a length of pvc pipe so you can pop that in the tank near the eels cave and then drop food down it.

Other fish won't see the food if the pvc pipe is white and you will be able to get it directly to the source.
Click to expand...

clowns are smart I do this method to feed my L24 and they still go and steal the food anyways. What I have noticed that helps the intensity of the food thief is to feed the clowns first their own food to distract them then drop the food for the intended target they still know what it brings when they see the pvc stick they still rush right over to nab their share not as intense so I just add extras so everyone can be happy
 
Bbuckley said:
Get a length of pvc pipe so you can pop that in the tank near the eels cave and then drop food down it.

Other fish won't see the food if the pvc pipe is white and you will be able to get it directly to the source.
Click to expand...
Thanks Bbuckley, sorry for the late reply seems that you were sent to my spam folder? Thanks will give that a try ?
 
DrownedFishonFire said:
It shouldn’t be that small at 10 month mark that you have owned it. Though I’m just comparing my experience with my first two fire eels to yours. Maybe it’s pure luck ?

My fire eels are just aggressive piggies I have two growouts and they are picky to the max but I still have them begging for food like dogs and I can’t even take pictures of my tank without them photobombing other fish I’m trying to take pictures of. Yours at 7” it’s small already size wise in a 10 month timeframe compared to mine I’ve almost have mine for a year I have to check my thread which date I brought them home this month they’re already at 13.5” and 14” plus biggest one girth is 2” tall and 1.5 wide the smallest one is half the size of its mates girth but is lanky and hitting their preferred food as often as I let them eat which is every other day. Then I do WCs a bit later though.

Something is off. What are you feeding it?
Click to expand...
Sorry for late reply responses were being sent to my spam folder, Now you mention it he hasn't grown much at ally only about 2 inches in that time, jeez yours are getting big now. I'm feeding him frozen blood worm, live river shrimp and live jumbo blood worm. But like I say even without the loaches he's out competed for food. He's not skinny thankfully though. What temperature are you keeping yours at? I'm running mine between 76 and 78. He looks healthy when I see him jet black and vivid read, yellow and orange markings, best looking one I've ever owned or seen in a store. He won't eat cut up fish, muscles or cockles. I'm in a hard water area, but that wasn't a problem for the others. He's currently with zebra danios, neon blue rainbow fish, kubotia loaches, queen loaches, an angel, bristle nose plecs, and some female fighters. No aggression that I've seen when he's out and no injuries I've seen. Thank is 150 litres, only 3 neon blue and 6 danios so under stocked lots of hiding places.
 
Grinsend King said:
Sorry for late reply responses were being sent to my spam folder, Now you mention it he hasn't grown much at ally only about 2 inches in that time, jeez yours are getting big now. I'm feeding him frozen blood worm, live river shrimp and live jumbo blood worm. But like I say even without the loaches he's out competed for food. He's not skinny thankfully though. What temperature are you keeping yours at? I'm running mine between 76 and 78. He looks healthy when I see him jet black and vivid read, yellow and orange markings, best looking one I've ever owned or seen in a store. He won't eat cut up fish, muscles or cockles. I'm in a hard water area, but that wasn't a problem for the others. He's currently with zebra danios, neon blue rainbow fish, kubotia loaches, queen loaches, an angel, bristle nose plecs, and some female fighters. No aggression that I've seen when he's out and no injuries I've seen. Thank is 150 litres, only 3 neon blue and 6 danios so under stocked lots of hiding places.
Click to expand...
Oh should add it's the grow out tank until he goes in with the clowns, what size tank have you got yours in am hoping to get a 6ft but
want to find an eel escape prof one.
 
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