blue eel

[reeferious]

think i just fell head over heel in love with some blue ribbon eels at a local fish store. i was told these only feed on live fish but then i have hundreds of baby guppies and swordtails to satisfy eel's appetite. really appreciate anyone's feedback who has tried this eel before.

[The Grizz]

I heard that they don't have a good survival rate in home tanks but I could be wrong. I to love the color of them as well as Ghost Eel.

[naesco]

Grizz is right.
I hope you didn't buy it.
Please let the LFS know that they should not be bringing them in
Thanks

[toytech]

Talking about the eels at J and L ? Saw them the other day and wow , very cool . Ive also heard survival rate of ribbon eels is low , i didn't think they would be good general reef inhabitants . If you could start up a species tank though , and convert some mollies over to salt (so they dint die right away) as well as feed some of your fresh water fish your probably would be off to a good start . Nothing ventured nothing gained.

[naesco]

I am surprised that J&L would bring them in. They know better. We all have to remind J&L of there original commitment not to bring in species that have little chance of sucess in our tanks.

99% of them live less than one month.

http://wetwebmedia.com/ribbonmorayeels.htm

Toy I don't think you really meant Nothing ventured nothing gained when you speak of the critters we keep in our tanks.

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Those are some amaising eels especially when they go crossing the length of the tank.
About 17 yrs ago i use to sell corals and fish,and suppliers fill your order to its max,so i received a blue ribon eel.
Had it survived 2years in a 6ft tank amaising to view although it ate all the damsels in that tank and i fed it feeder gopies and feeder gold fish,and a couple frosen sardines a week.
Unfortunately the eel found its way over the tank and thats how it ennded up apox. 20 feet away from the tank :cry:
I don't recomend bying the eel as their survival rate is quite rare.I was one lucky dude.

[naesco]

Those are some amaising eels especially when they go crossing the length of the tank.
About 17 yrs ago i use to sell corals and fish,and suppliers fill your order to its max,so i received a blue ribon eel.
Had it survived 2years in a 6ft tank amaising to view although it ate all the damsels in that tank and i fed it feeder gopies and feeder gold fish,and a couple frosen sardines a week.
Unfortunately the eel found its way over the tank and thats how it ennded up apox. 20 feet away from the tank :cry:
I don't recomend bying the eel as their survival rate is quite rare.I was one lucky dude.

So often when the subject of almost impossible to keep coral and fish come up, two or three reefers boast how they have been successful in keeping them.
Sadly these posts leave the impression, especially to new reefers, that it is OK to buy them.

Thanks, Elias for recognizing that you were one of the very few lucky dudes and a BIG THANKS for your recommendation that reefers not buy them as their survival rate is rare.

[gobytron]

So often when the subject of almost impossible to keep coral and fish come up, two or three reefers boast how they have been successful in keeping them.
Sadly these posts leave the impression, especially to new reefers, that it is OK to buy them.

Thanks, Elias for recognizing that you were one of the very few lucky dudes and a BIG THANKS for your recommendation that reefers not buy them as their survival rate is rare.

You really love to get up on that soap box huh?
Naesco, you have no right whatsoever to tell anyone what they should and shouldnt keep...let alone what a business like JL can and cant bring in.

Do you exclusively keep aquacultured specimens in your tank?
If the answer is anything but yes, you should wipe the egg off your face, take that stupid hat of that fish and focus all this time and attention on actually making a difference somewhere, rather than hypocritically making yourself feel like you are any bette than the rest of us when it comes tot he destruction of the reefs and ocean ecosystems.

[Coleus]

You really love to get up on that soap box huh?
Naesco, you have no right whatsoever to tell anyone what they should and shouldnt keep...let alone what a business like JL can and cant bring in.

Do you exclusively keep aquacultured specimens in your tank?
If the answer is anything but yes, you should wipe the egg off your face, take that stupid hat of that fish and focus all this time and attention on actually making a difference somewhere, rather than hypocritically making yourself feel like you are any bette than the rest of us when it comes tot he destruction of the reefs and ocean ecosystems.

Here we go again :-). I think we are all guilty unless we don't have saltwater tank.

[fishoholic]

You really love to get up on that soap box huh?
Naesco, you have no right whatsoever to tell anyone what they should and shouldnt keep...let alone what a business like JL can and cant bring in.

Do you exclusively keep aquacultured specimens in your tank?
If the answer is anything but yes, you should wipe the egg off your face, take that stupid hat of that fish and focus all this time and attention on actually making a difference somewhere, rather than hypocritically making yourself feel like you are any bette than the rest of us when it comes tot he destruction of the reefs and ocean ecosystems.

No egg on anyone's face for stating the truth and trying to inform people on making the right decision not to keep an animal that has a very poor survial history. Naesco isn't acting like he's better then anyone else he's just trying to keep others informed, and personally, I believe naesco is making an important difference by keeping newbies and others educated and informed on hard to care for fish and by letting people know about the proper tank environments to keep fish in.

Personally I am grateful naesco has the guts to still inform others about these things dispite the people who ridicule him for it.

[Madreefer]

Personally I am grateful naesco has the guts to still inform others about these things dispite the people who ridicule him for it.

It's just the way he goes about it that bothers people.

[Ryan7]

You really love to get up on that soap box huh?
Naesco, you have no right whatsoever to tell anyone what they should and shouldnt keep...let alone what a business like JL can and cant bring in.

Do you exclusively keep aquacultured specimens in your tank?
If the answer is anything but yes, you should wipe the egg off your face, take that stupid hat of that fish and focus all this time and attention on actually making a difference somewhere, rather than hypocritically making yourself feel like you are any bette than the rest of us when it comes tot he destruction of the reefs and ocean ecosystems.

The post wasn't about a soapbox, it was about ribbon eels. At least naesco and the other posters are giving advice on the subject, not an attack on someones post.

I agree with other posters that these eels should not be kept in our aquariums.

p.s. Your tank is probably under hair algae attack because you are spending too much time attacking peoples posts. Maybe you should ask naesco for advice?

[Samw]

The OP was asking for people with experience. He wasn't asking if he should go to the LFS and tell them what they should and shouldn't sell.

[monocus]

i agree about not bringing the blue ribbon eels in.i also heard that there is a deficiency in the diet of feeding mollies.i picked up a black(juvenile) ribbon eel and kept it for 14 months(then had a tank crash).the adult (blue and green)ribbon eels are set in their diet and will slowly starve in a tank.if you must get a ribbon eel get a black one(it will turn blue as it ages)

[toytech]

I do mean nothing ventured nothing gained when i said it but in the context of experienced people willing to learn and ask advice . Nothing in this hobby is easy and some things are harder than others , if someone is willing to put in the effort to take on a challenging fish or coral then i say go for it . I don't agree with people buying fish plunking them in their tanks without knowing what there in for , and then asking why did my fish die .

[The Grizz]

I am not sure but even if someone was to spend a lot of time & effort into the blue ribbon eel that it would survive. There is always the luck few that can make it work like Eli did but I haven't seen anyone here posting that they have one & have had it for a while. To me it like the CCB & PB Tang I have tried a couple with no luck but there are others that have no problem at all.

I guess I would feel better about saying get it if the new care giver was someone who has been in the hobby for a very long time & know's some real good tricks to making things work & survive.

Please don't take this the wrong way, in no way am I saying that you don't know anything or enough about this hobby & in no way am I saying I know everything either about this hobby as there is new things to research & learn about every day.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

[silentcivilian]

Things change everyday, we get better and better equipment. I mean times change.. example: remember gathering around the radio to hear your favourite show.. no I dont, remember first black and white image on a TV box.. I dont, I know we have gone from tube, to projection, to HD, to HD3D, and whats next I have no idea.. aquarium tech is moving as fast as everything else and alot of dont keeps are becoming keep with caution.

SO try to remember, post your caution on success rate, but then if you have information to post that can be of assistance to the possible buyer, you have done two goodthings instead of a double negative. I can name alot of dictators that got up on boxes and had nothing good to say.

Ribbon Eels:Feed all kinds of live fish and meaty foods. Use a poker if necessary at first to place the food right in front of their mouth. Don't worry if it doesn't eat for a while at first, they can go for several weeks without food and often do. Try all kinds of seafood, squid, shrimp, krill, and live food like guppies. They will also eat ghost shrimp if they are available. Dont give up, to have sucess with this community eel you have to dedicate alot of time to them to have them survive, a halfassed effort or giving up will likely result in its death.

[The Grizz]

Things change everyday, we get better and better equipment. I mean times change.. example: remember gathering around the radio to hear your favourite show.. no I dont, remember first black and white image on a TV box.. I dont, I know we have gone from tube, to projection, to HD, to HD3D, and whats next I have no idea.. aquarium tech is moving as fast as everything else and alot of dont keeps are becoming keep with caution.

SO try to remember, post your caution on success rate, but then if you have information to post that can be of assistance to the possible buyer, you have done two goodthings instead of a double negative. I can name alot of dictators that got up on boxes and had nothing good to say.

Ribbon Eels:Feed all kinds of live fish and meaty foods. Use a poker if necessary at first to place the food right in front of their mouth. Don't worry if it doesn't eat for a while at first, they can go for several weeks without food and often do. Try all kinds of seafood, squid, shrimp, krill, and live food like guppies. They will also eat ghost shrimp if they are available. Dont give up, to have sucess with this community eel you have to dedicate alot of time to them to have them survive, a halfassed effort or giving up will likely result in its death.

Very well put and totally agree.

[naesco]

Things change everyday, we get better and better equipment. I mean times change.. example: remember gathering around the radio to hear your favourite show.. no I dont, remember first black and white image on a TV box.. I dont, I know we have gone from tube, to projection, to HD, to HD3D, and whats next I have no idea.. aquarium tech is moving as fast as everything else and alot of dont keeps are becoming keep with caution.

SO try to remember, post your caution on success rate, but then if you have information to post that can be of assistance to the possible buyer, you have done two goodthings instead of a double negative. I can name alot of dictators that got up on boxes and had nothing good to say.

Ribbon Eels:Feed all kinds of live fish and meaty foods. Use a poker if necessary at first to place the food right in front of their mouth. Don't worry if it doesn't eat for a while at first, they can go for several weeks without food and often do. Try all kinds of seafood, squid, shrimp, krill, and live food like guppies. They will also eat ghost shrimp if they are available. Dont give up, to have sucess with this community eel you have to dedicate alot of time to them to have them survive, a halfassed effort or giving up will likely result in its death.

I agree and that is why I posted the wetwebmedia.com site on the eels so that the readers of this thread can base there decision not only on other posters, my post but the opinion of experts.
Thank you for your post.

[silentcivilian]

I just didnt like that link, cause it had nothing to do with care of the animal "if" you do have one.

Followed by So often when the subject of almost impossible to keep coral and fish come up, two or three reefers boast how they have been successful in keeping them. Sadly these posts leave the impression, especially to new reefers, that it is OK to buy them.

Again, nothing of care for the animal.

Its like saying: Dont drive cars, a friend of mine got in a accident once.

This forum is here to share information of the care of fish and coral alike. With the way some of us talk, anyone out there with a new tank should be restricted to only colt coral and clown fish for 6 months, then you will recieve your licence to own zoas in the mail, and every 6 months following as your tank and your experiance grows we will grant you permissions to own a broader selection of equipment and livestock. Maybe one day when your gold star of permission arrives you too can own a blue whale!

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience." Henry Miller - US author (1891 - 1980)

"Our failures now define our future sucess" SilentCivilian - Mechanic (This forum now)

[sphelps]

I would avoid blue/black ribbon eels, often it's survival has little to to with experience, I've seen many that may have been injured or show signs of cyanide which seems to eliminate all chance of sirvival. If one was eating frozen well it may have a decent chance but this is very rare.

You can get a ghost ribbon eel which actually has a good survival rate and is typically a hearty specimen. I've kept these before with nothing but success although they do sometimes still require a bit of work to ween onto frozen.

[whatcaneyedo]

Our LFS hasn't been able to keep them alive for very long or sell them so they stated a year or two ago that they will no longer bring them in. However with all of the staff turnover in there that could change... A snowflake moray on the other hand is pretty easy to take care of if its basic needs are met. I think I've had mine for 6 years now.