spiny eel food?

[tanganyika1001]

hi everyone. im new here so sorry if this is in the wrong place...

i finally got a spiny eel tuesday! yay
but i have a problem and that problem is i cant get him to eat. ive tried frozen bloodworm, but to no avail. i know they like mostly protein and any advice here would be useful. im starting a culture of white worms, will these live creatures be of any use?

cheers guys and gals

 

[Paul_MTS]

it's still early days but keep trying with the froozen bloodworm and if you can get some live bloodworm.

does he have a fair chance to get it or other fish eating it all first?

feeding then turning the lights off is another good idea as they can be quite shy, stand by with a dull torch to check if he's eating.

all my eels come out eagerly for food and the fire eel will jump in the feeding net to get first dibs!!

 

[Arthur.Ave]

or feeders, if you trust your local supplier...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

ghost shrimp, livebearer fry -- I never get tired of recommending these

 

[Mr Miagi]

Live garden worms also tempted the two i have kept too eat.

What size tank is he/she in? I noticed you talked about a 20 g in another post?

 

[mellowserra]

I've had a spiney eel for two months and he/she has been a spoiled brat from day one. He absolutely will not eat non-live or previously frozen foods.

He loves to eat live blackworm (not tubifex), ghost/glass shrimp, and small fry. I've tried small mealworms too, but he doesn't take much interest, I guess there is not enough "action" in them. He is still a little bit too small to take chopped worm.

 

[tanganyika1001]

hes far too small to take earthworms at the moment. i have a rock in the back corner of the tank and he just sits there with his head poking out from about nine at night. but when i put the bloodworm in he doesnt come out to get it. i will try feeding him at night and alternative foods, but getting live food is a problem round here. he is in a 120l tank, with other peaceful community fish (apart from a irritable gourami).

 

[mellowserra]

.... i will try feeding him at night and alternative foods, but getting live food is a problem round here....

All the pet/fish stores where I live really suck, I have found it extremely helpful setting up a ten gal for clean feeders (guppy fry and shrimps). You can always give the pretty male guppys away.

Right now I am setting up a "worm farm", so I can harvest the ones sized just right for eating now, and I will always have clean nutritious worms for feeding. I got a little freaked out when I discovered that a local bait supplier gets their earthworms from a guy who goes to the park and picks them up when it rains.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Yes, that is strange?!?! LOL

I have a worm farm, and your very right. You get to choose which ones you use, so thats always good, and you know what uve put in their farm for them to eat.

 

[tanganyika1001]

hes started taking frozen bloodworm now, i guess he just needed time to get settled in. ive read that they can be tamed to be hand fed, is this true? also, is there any way of sexing them?i am not sure of "his" age but he is around 6-7 inches long and around maybe an inch tall.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Yeah, as they come more familiar with thir surroundings, and you for that mattter, they can take food from your hand. Mine did. Te one i have now is very small, so im not expecting great things just yet! But when he gets bigger he should start taking worms from my hand!

Its good to hear your eel is eating!