Training Fire Eels

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shivam

shivam

Exodon
MFK Member
Mar 29, 2015
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Well I have had a 6 inch Fire Eel for about a month and I feel like its time to start getting to know the fish a little better. I picked up a "fish feeder stick" online (R2 fish feeder), just long enough to reach the bottom of the tank without getting my hand wet. I bought a pack of night crawlers and put some on the feeder. The eel was first afraid of the feeder stick but then went straight for it after seeing or smelling the worm...((SIDENOTE)) ( I have been feeding the eel worms 3 days prior of this event). I tried it again but this time I moved the feeder around plants and decor and the eel followed with such interest. The end game, hopefully, is to be able to hand feed the eel. I estimate probably 2 month of training until I can that.
 
Fire eels are actually pretty smart. My friends would only come out when there's food but grab it and burrow into his decorations. I don't really see hand feeding to be an option as from my experiences there very shy and timid. Maybe if you have him for long enough he might trust you a bit? But I dunno, my friend had his for 2 years+ and always was super shy.
 
mine was never shy, would always cruise around and come to the top of the tank whenever it saw me open the lid. I guess it comes down to the eel.

could never get the damn thing to eat anything but earthworms, though...
 
Mine are big and once they settled in no training was needed as they knew quite quickly who feeds them and so mine come out all the time to greet me when I come to the tank. I have mine almost coming out of the water to take the food from my hand. Feeding them by hand in the tank is no problem. They even try to steal the food from the mouths of the gars which may not turn out to good for them someday. LOL
 
Spiny eels are smart indeed and are most usually not a problem to get to hand feed. If a eel is shy, usually something spooks it or it gets bullied or preyed upon when out in the open, or the competition for food gets vicious, etc.

Even at 6" mine would come to my hand made into a fist with food inside and stick their heads anywhere in between the fingers trying to pry a piece out. They would then retreat to the bottom, still in the open, consume, and repeat. The larger the eel, the easier this is done as size = confidence and unfussiness to the food types. Mine like everything fleshy.
 
My eel would probably be in-between, its roams the tank at whatever time of day it is and it never hides or bury itself, but it also is timid when i walk to the tank (AT FIRST), once I stop moving it is totally fine.

The tank mates are slightly odd, Black Wolf fish, Purple Wolf fish, and a couple corys, but the eel acts like they arnt even there.

Yes, I've noticed it reacted very well to night crawlers. Ive thrown a cube of blood worms in and it didn't show much reaction. Hopefully once it gets larger ill move it to frozen shrimp




By the wayI just posted a vid on my eel feeding from that feeder stick on youtube
 
This thread makes me miss my old guy... But as most have said, getting them to eat is the trickiest part, once you get over that hump its pretty smooth sailing...

Then its just a matter of the fish getting to know you mean it no harm and should become quite friendly and willing to come out in the open...
 
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I have been hearing that everywhere that they are hard to feed. To be honest, I never had any trouble. Started with frozen blood worms cubes and then nightcrawlers after its first month. Maybe it might depend on what the vender fed it.
 
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