Beginning thoughts of possibly collecting myself a pair of Ribbon Eels

[OldManOfTheSea]

Many already know of my long wait in order to start one of my SPS reef tanks. Also, I been waiting in planning too when I might replace the pair of dragon eels which I sold too an aquarium zoo. The price for replacing the sold pair is $1,200.


Now I a good few times when responding too the topics on either the yellowhead or blackedge morays, I often said that these two can be manageable in a very large tank, with feeding every other day with huge water changes, for the two equals when adults in their aggressive abilities.

Now after responding to a ribbon eel topic else where, im now considering in maintaining a pair of ribbons, other then get myself a new pair of dragon eels, and I already have a price quote for the pair of $1,200.

Now one of the biggest issues in keeping ribbon eels is that they are difficult to be maintained on a non live food diet and live feeders in this case is not an option.

Now my idea is simple, I would first need to redo the setup inside the tank by first removing a good amount of LR and in adding a DSB. This would be one of the only times that I would have a DSB for any eel. Also, I would make this tank up with a number of soft corals by adding VHO lighting.

In all the years from the time I moved to NC from NY, and had this system setup, I had the tanks nitrate levels at untraceable levels at all time since after the cycle. Also, I would have to do is keep and maintain a small fish stock for the ribbon eels. Understand something in this, for you all know that eels in the wild are extremely healthy for they not feed all as often and must hunt for themselves. And in a home aquarium, this option is lost to all these eels and are also being feed more often then they would feed in the wild.

This idea will be put into plan, for after the holidays are over, sometime following after X-Mas, I will begin talk of this project with the new person I found to help me do my tanks right. Without the lighting cost I will need to do over, all the other work to be done on the 40 gal breeder and 180 is more then $1,800.

So the whole idea to this will be is that the ribbon eels will hunt for themselves, they will be feed no feeders for which was something I never done, but yes, only at the beginning, in my starting years did I do this, feed feeders. We all done some of the same things in starting our marine hobby and if some one not admit to it, their a person who you shouldn`t be listening too.

SO yes, I will begin plans on doing this and later get a total cost to what it might cost to kick it off. I will as well be needing a small tank for the live marine foods the ribbons will hunt for. I not know if I will be able to do all this in the 40 gal QT with housing corals and fish for the 180.

I feel that I have a huge step a head in doing this hobby and understanding in what it be, what Im looking to do. I will post a update plan on the SPS tanks, when I know it will be done for sure, for I had too many let downs from others, but feel for sure that the person im now in touch for this, will do just fine by me.


Buddy ><{{{{">

 

[myerst22]

Waiting to learn. Please keep us updated... Can you describe more about how you plan to replicate natural feeding behavior? Thanks, Tim

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Waiting to learn

That not sound like a request for details, but rather a funny remark. Know this young person, im no average eel care taker

A minor discussion had came up with Keith at marine depot: My answer>

Hi Keith, No, I asked no questions into this, other then too announce it that instead of replacing the pair of dragon morays I sold, I will move into a far different area in this hobby. The thing be is within the idea of replacing the dragon eels, I already been there with great success of more then 14 years, and if I not sold that pair, I would had now had those eels for more then 15.5 years.

I know that if I can manage in putting together a wide enough live prey selection so that the ribbon eels I have would require to hunt prey themselves in order to survive. They would have the one true natural thing that all in a home aquarium deny them too have.

So in order for this to happen, it will depend much on how many different live marine species I could manage in order so that the eels could fair extremely well as to normal. I will have to limited the cost so that I could see which preys I may be able to get, also that the count of the number of marine animals I might be able to get. I will begin this search as soon as I know when im too move forward on the rebuilding of the 40 gal breeder and 180.
If I end up happy on what animals I might manage in getting, I would only move ahead on this idea, if im happy. My meaning in this is on how many different small marine animals I might get for about $150 a month. For now until the reef tanks are rebuild and completely with live stock, that is how high for now that im willing to go. When the reef tanks are completed, I would be willing to go double with it.

Yes, I do have a lot of dedication to do the right thing, to give these animals the very best I could manage for them. So next week, that 150 gal tank that I bought, will be pick up by another aquarium store owner, or marine business person, and then we are to sell it and take that money to go into the rebuilding of the 180.

Once I know that the tank was finally picked up by my new lfs person, I will then begin to chat with the main lfs in order to see what options I will have in this project.

As much as I love the beauty of the dragon moray eel, I had them, and enjoyed them for nearly 1.5 decades. The discussion with another over his (their) Ribbon els, had giving me another all new project to think of. Well, first is the planning for the ribbon eels, before making the change in the tank itself, I need to first touch base on what will be in their diet, and how much it will cost.

If I can find that it be feasible and within reach, I could then move into discussions with my lfs person to deepen first the sand bed and add two 3" PVC for tunnels with an additional DSB of another 4" in which should make it then at 5.5"

Just like everything else in my marine hobby through the years, I first plan before moving a head with it, and my very first concern be is what their diet will consist of. I will first need to be happy to what that will be before anything else. If the reef tanks were done right in the first place and the live stocking of these tanks were completed, I would then feel free enough to not feel that I have to limited myself in how much I can manage from one month to the next on food spending.

The same when feeding the dragon eels, I feed them once a week and spending I now will be much more then it took with the dragon eels. Im sorry Keith, for I never asked any questions on any eel, only letting you know that I will attempt to do what no one ever really tried. I will not get these eels to simply try and feed them non live foods. For even that it might work for a period of time, the ending with the starvation will be no different then most who tried.

It wouldn't as well surprise me by even in buying them the best I could and in that, allowing them to hunt their own prey and in that, giving them their near to normal ex cerise in the hunt, but most in this I have to believe will be a mistake on my part to think this will be all as true as that.

The reason for me in saying something as that is rather simply, the ribbon eels preys will be in a contained area, with no possible route for escape, so it only will be a matter of time before any and all meting up with their demise. So the exercise part in this will not be anything near too what their get while in the wild. The only difference will be is that they will never have a feeder, never have any none living foods.

Am I missing anything here? So the best I can put into their diet is $150 a month, it would be nice if I can do it with less, but I must work around the highest figure I can do this. In the next few weeks sometime, I will go talk to the lfs owner and see if any arrangement could be reached.

I think I will ask a question, but it not be on the blue ribbon eels im afraid. If the cost moves this project out of my reach, what other project I might look into?

Another factor in this is, I never look to placing my hands into my tanks, only sparingly and when required.
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(Quote) live feeders like mollies or guppies may get them on the path to eating.
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That is like others who say to try silversides or even a feeder fish, I never touched these for many years, and even when I first gotten those dragon eels, I gotten them to feed before the end of the third day, it was only much later on where one or the other gone on a 5 to 5.5 months hunger strike, and it happen often. I never concerned myself of those eels survival. If I do end up having the ribbon eels, my hands will never be near to them. I enjoyed all the other eels I keep through the decades.

Keith, please do take into account that im no average eel care taker, And realize that the unexpected could and can happen.

Buddy

Waiting to learn

PS: myerst22, I will not just jump into as if it be a pet I simply wanted. I on the other hand had far too many years to gained much knowledge and act stupid about it, that is not I!! So many hobbyists jump at the thought, without thinking of what will be the final outcome of it.

Like those who collect themselves eels like the green or tess morays, In so few short years, their looking into how they can pass those eels on to others. The same with those who gone into sharks and rays, they no long term thoughts to what would be the final outcome. In the many years I done this hobby, I first giving thought to what the project will be, and after that I research it and plan it out, I never from the time I turned a teenager, had jump in head first and as the year moved on in this I became more and more serious.

It is just like my 180 reef tank, I had the first thoughts about it more then eight years ago and been waiting five years to start the SPS 180 gal tank. So im a very serious hobbyist who has a great deal of patience.

So often I see in time their (others) posting of that ribbon eel suddenly ended one day just like the ones who had a green or tess, or even any other eel for that matter.

I will only proceed with this kind of project if im happy with what live stock I can get for them, if im not, I will either go back within the idea of the dragon eels or look for some other new project to give thought too. For the ribbon eels idea, there must be a wide variety in their diet so that I can feel happy about it in order to move a head with it.

I am speaking seriously about this idea, there be nothing funny about it

Buddy