blue ribbon eel

[reefer18]

There is generally a lot of negativity towards owning ribbon eels because something like 95% do not survive more than a couple of weeks in captivity due to not feeding.

I have owned a Blue ribbon eel for over a month now. He is in a reef tank along with some other fish.
After purchasing the blue ribbon eel i made a stop at another fish store and bought rosy reds for feeding. I acclimated him to my tank by floating the bag for about 2-3 hours. when i released it, I was hoping for him to go hide into some abs tubing I put together, instead he was used my live rock as a hiding place for the first 2 days. I noticed that when he was not in his tube he was swimming around the tank often (probably looking for a way out) and he would not accept any food offered. After the second day i coaxed him into the tubing, About a half hour later i offered him a rosy red on a skewer and he grabbed it instantly and retreated to his tube. over the next two days he ate about 6-7 more rosy reds
since then he wants to eat everything!! when i put my hand in the tank he tries to eat my fingers. I've caught him biting my blue tang, yellow eyed tang, and copperbanded butterfly fish. i'm not sure that he will eat frozen foods yet, but i am assuming that he will because when i feed flake food he tries to eat the flakes and he also tries to eat frozen PE mysis shrimp but they are to small.

If you are planning on owning a blue ribbon eel, this is a list of things that IMO are necessary if you are to succeed in keeping any type of ribbon eel for a long time.

-don't keep this eel in the same tank as another eel(unless it's another ribbon eel) or any fish that will be competition for food.

-be sure that you have pristine water parameters.

- Before you purchase a ribbon eel make sure it already eats in the store. if you are going to have it ordered see if you can find out how it is collected. it is a fact that many ribbon eels are caught with cyanide which is probably the number 1 reason why so many experienced reefers have failed to keep this species.

- Have a tubing structure of PVC tubing (i used ABS but later learned that it may affect my water quality...i hasn't yet) make sure the tubes are long enough to cover the whole eel. mine also has multiple entrances. From my experience with this eel it won't eat unless it has the perfect place to retreat to.

-when feeding the eel use small live fish on a skewer or from a thin pair of tongs; bigger utensils seem to intimidate the eel at first. DO NOT try to force him to eat, when it is ready to eat then it will eat. rosy reds worked well for me and i have read that they have worked well for others as well.

i have also read that they are more likely to feed when other fish in your tank are in a feeding frenzy. i think that this is also true because when i feed my fish my eel tends to bite my fish occasionally.

here are some photo's of my ribbon eel...

[matt randazzo]

Wow! Nice eel, congrats on getting him to eat

[asmodeus]

update on your blue ribbon,

[AlexS95]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

update on your blue ribbon,

Reefer18's Last Activity: 04/27/2011

[SDguy]

Originally Posted by AlexS95

Reefer18's Last Activity: 04/27/2011

Still doesn't hurt to ask...they may be subscribed to the thread.

[Eric the half-bee]

Peter, and other intersted parties, my blue ribbon is doing great. He/she has been in my tank for 2+ years. I wish I'd bought 2 when I got this one. The supplier had great results with the ribbons he had.

[SDguy]

Originally Posted by Eric the half-bee

Peter, and other intersted parties, my blue ribbon is doing great. He/she has been in my tank for 2+ years. I wish I'd bought 2 when I got this one. The supplier had great results with the ribbons he had.

I hope to have one in my 240g FO upgrade.

[Eric the half-bee]

Peter, mine started eating frozen squid from the bait shop on week one. I've got a zebra moray as well that ate from day one. Makes up for all the other losses I've experienced.

[SDguy]

Originally Posted by Eric the half-bee

Peter, mine started eating frozen squid from the bait shop on week one. I've got a zebra moray as well that ate from day one. Makes up for all the other losses I've experienced.

Do you have a post/thread describing how you house him?

[Eric the half-bee]

Originally Posted by SDguy

Do you have a post/thread describing how you house him?

Peter, do you mean the aquascaping and cover on the aquarium? If so, I have prolly 300 lbs live rock arranged as 2 main "piles". The top is covered with window screen. Neither of my eels have ever tried an escape.

[MARINECRITTERS]

Hmmmm try silver sides with some nutrients additives and maybe some garlic ( if he will like the taste of garlic ), I would try this instead of rosy reds since they can be parasite holders plus they are extremely unhealthy.
I owned a blue ribbon eel which I got to eat flakes and the food that he normally feeds the other fish, I did this by stuffing the normal food in a silver side and after each week I would add a bit more "normal" food to the silverside.
after about a month the eel would accept basically anything I added to the tank
I do not have this fish anymore since i took down my old/first tank.
Hope this helped

[SDguy]

Originally Posted by Eric the half-bee

Peter, do you mean the aquascaping and cover on the aquarium? If so, I have prolly 300 lbs live rock arranged as 2 main "piles". The top is covered with window screen. Neither of my eels have ever tried an escape.

Yes, I meant the aquascaping. So just rock? No dedicated PVC type tubing?

[captngreg]

I have three black ribbon eels, in a 500 gallon mixed reef.
I don’t understand why people have a problem getting them to eat & live.
As talked about they will enthusiastically eat small fish presented to them on a spear or tongs.
I do believe they need to find a place in your live rock that they fell safe. After they find their home they will also stop looking to get out of the tank & are ready to be offered small fish.
If you cannot get small enough saltwater fish you can start them off with freshwater guppies until you can get them to except a saltwater alternative. You cannot feed your eel freshwater fish forever.

[Newbie Aquarist]

From what I've learned they are easier to get eating while they are black than blue or yellow. Before mine went surfing I had it eating large krill and silversides.

[captngreg]

Newbie Aquarist

From what I've learned they are easier to get eating while they are black than blue or yellow. Before mine went surfing I had it eating large krill and silversides.

Never tried an older blue. Before these three I bought one six months ago & had it eating before I headed home to Peru. I did not have the space to take him so I gave him away. So that 4 out of 4 no problem on the eating issue. My tank is quit secure, but after the eels settled into there caves they seem to have stopped look to get out of the tank! It might be due to the size of the tank.
Two of the eels are sharing the same cave. Hopefully they have paired! I'm trying to get a good photo of them & will post

[dppitone]

That's funny that you posted this because just today I noticed on the Dream Aquatics site that they indicate care for these eels as - "Easy." I've never had one so can't say either way. Experience is the best teacher.

[captngreg]

Happily the three ribbon eels are doing fine. They have been weaned off of freshwater guppies and are now accepting a verity of saltwater shrimp, fish & clam. Two of the eels have taken up residence in the same cave! We just might have a pair! One of the two eels appears to be changing colors morph to the blue verity. I do not know if this is a sexual thing or is he or she just maturing.



The eels spend 98% of their time in their caves, occasionally one will come out for a swim.

[Curious George]

Do they freak your fish out at all?

How do the fish react when the eels swim around?

[hossa81]

When my snowflake swims around, my fish could care less. My blenny will just sit their while my snowflake slithers on top of him. The only fish that freaks out is my foxface who freaks out over everything like every foxface. I personally think the white ones are really cool. I see the white ones at my lfs for like 30 bucks each. The black ones and blue ones are also very cool but the white ones are my personal favorites.

[zabes]

here's a couple pics of mine.got him eating frozen silversides from tongs (i dont hand feed)

[captngreg]

Curious George

Do they freak your fish out at all?

How do the fish react when the eels swim around?

My fish pay no attention to the eel at all.
But;
Abraham the person how takes care of my tank while I'm at sea, has a five year old son. When he first saw the ribbon eel swimming, he came running to inform his papa that there was a sea serpent in the aquarium!

[vdub2013]

Currently building my first saltwater tank and have my eye on a blue ribbon eel!

I have lots of love an attention to give it..other than that can really use any valuable words of wisdom from more experienced ribbon eel owners!

[captngreg]

vdub2013

Currently building my first saltwater tank and have my eye on a blue ribbon eel!

I have lots of love an attention to give it..other than that can really use any valuable words of wisdom from more experienced ribbon eel owners!

First convert some of that love into a lot of patients.
Next get the largest aquarium you have space for and can afford. Larger aquariums are easer to keep stable. Eel require pristine water quality. Eels are also escape artistes, The hood & overflows need to be built in a way to not allow the eel to get out or through. Remember these eels can fit throw a very small opening.
Third set up your aquarium with a few hardy fish and live rock. Let it mature for a year. If you can keep your tank stable for a year you then have a chance with an eel.
Choose a juvenile male eel they are much more likely to get to eat. (Black & yellow) verse a mature Male (Blue & yellow) or a mature female (Green & yellow) Given time your black & yellow will mature into a Blue & Yellow
I have found that the easiest thing to get your eel eating is small freshwater guppies. These guppies are NOT a suitable food for your eel!
Once the eel is eating well using the same feeding stick or tongs start offering other saltwater derived foods like small pieces of fish or shrimp meat. The more varied his diet the better, squid and clam can also be offered. He will most likely except the shrimp meat first. But remember he is used to eating whole fish & shrimp, that head, shells, bones and stomachs so just feeding the meat of fish & shrimp is not a long term solution to his dietary needs.

[Norbytattoos]

Originally Posted by Eric the half-bee

Peter, and other intersted parties, my blue ribbon is doing great. He/she has been in my tank for 2+ years. I wish I'd bought 2 when I got this one. The supplier had great results with the ribbons he had.

Hi Eric just wondering how your zebra and your ribbon eel get along in the same tank ?I seen this tread was a while ago but I guess you have some useful advices about them....
Do you think a tank :120cm/4' length -90cm/3' with - 70cm/2.3' high....it's almost 700 liter would be ok for a zebra moray? Really like to get one but only if he would be ok in a tank like that ...
Ive got the ribbon already eat like a pig so I was thinking time to give a try and find an other eel as a tankmate....an eel what will not be problem because of the feeding habit....do you think they really reach only 3'+- as matured size?
Thank you,I really hope you will get this message

[Norbytattoos]

Any of you guys could give ma an advice?thank you