Moray eel- want's to be a vegan

yakfishin · #1 09/25/2007, 02:22 PM

I have a yellow morphed- yellow tail moray that eats veggie sheets from a clip. I'll need to post a picture of the event or perhaps no one will believe me. Each time I try to offer algae sheets to my foxface and hippo tang the eel gets to it first. If the algae is still somewhat hard from just being added into the water, he usually ends up twisting the suction cup holder off the aquarium and swimming with it into the rock work- a real pain in the tail this guy. I hate not to offer the veggie sheets to the tangs but this eel just won't give up eating it. I've never read anything about eels wanting anything to do with vegetable matter, anyone else ever experience this??

Dischirm · #2 09/25/2007, 04:03 PM

IMO The eel is not getting enough to eat. Feed the eel until it will not eat anymore once every two to three days. Eels will NOT overeat. Feed until it is satiated.

FishyMel · #3 09/25/2007, 04:48 PM

That is fine as long as that isn't the only thing in his diet. Despite the common opinion, moray eels will over eat if given the chance. My banana eel will eat all day, but it is important to know when to stop feeding. The common rule of thumb is for the fattest portion of the body to be no fatter than the head. Morays are generally long lived animals with a life span exceeding 20 years in the wild but if they're overfed it can signicantly decrease their lifetime to about 5 years.

Ranzan · #4 09/25/2007, 09:28 PM

^^ true true if your eel is fatter than its head it usualy means its been over fed and they can die easily from over feeding try direct feeding with tongs get him eating other things

yakfishin · #5 09/25/2007, 10:54 PM

Trust me, he is not being over or under fed. I feed him on average about twice a week. I catch my own bait fish from the ocean and vacuum pack them after I go fishing and I get fresh squid and shrimp whenever I'm at the beach, which is pretty often. Like most fish and animals, eels are quite willing to over eat if your willing to overfeed. Just because they would eat everyday if given the chance doesn't mean they should. Every third feeding I will soak his food in garlic and selcon or something equivilant. I will also occasionally soak the algae sheets in the same mixtures- I think the eel had just grown to associate the smell of garlic with being his food. He now eats the veggie sheets wether it has been soaked in supplements or not. It's gotten to the point of where I don't use the veggie clips and algae sheets unless it is his day to eat and he has just had a good meal. After a few good chucks of meat he'll usually leave it alone, but after an hour or two he would gladly help himself to a bite of greenry if given the chance.

jda · #6 09/26/2007, 03:37 PM

I had a snowflake that would eat some nori. I believe it.

Like others said, get it some meaty foods.

wshive · #7 10/03/2007, 10:37 PM

I don't think this is uncommon at all, especially for Snowflake eels. I've had the same problem and realized that my eel wasn't getting enough to eat (though he was still pretty fat). As soon as I upped his feeding, he stopped going after the clipped nori.

I also have a friend who has a larger one (20" maybe), and it eats nori b/c that's the only thing he feeds in his tank. (Something I don't condone...)

thor32766 · #8 10/04/2007, 11:36 AM

just keep trying to feed him his meats. One day he will change his appetite.