blue eel
 

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.