Get a couple of big fat female mollys. Acclimate them slowly, and they do really well in salt water. The are livebearers and provide tasty snacks.

I am going to try these Molly's some day. Good suggestion. :idea:

So do the mollies actually survive in SW? Or do they just not die right away?

My understanding is they can be acclimated to SW as their natural habitat is brackish estuaries or something like that.

I have kept them in SW and they did very well. I had them for 1.5 years then gave them away.

JACKPOT!!! .. on day 37. Tonight he totally ate the squid I offered him. I stuffed it into the entrance (well, one of the entrances) into his burrow, took about 5 minutes but suddenly I saw it get pulled in. I cautiously peeked closer, and saw the eel munching away. Waited a few minutes, tried again with squid-on-a-stick, and he took it off the stick and ate that too. W00ty!!1!!one!! (<-- translation: me happy)

Tony
I bet you are very happy and relieved. I still want to see more pictures from everyone.
I am starting to get interested in these eels. Keep up the thread.
Shane

That's awesome Tony. He went on quite the hunger strike hey??

Anyways, congrats!

Anyhow, mine has hit the sad ending of its story. Haven't seen it all week so finally decided enough was enough and took apart the tank. He's not in there. Not in the sump either. Either he perished and was scavenged (found a nasty large red eyed crab while taking the rocks out) or he's managed to find his way out of the tank. Either way, no more eel. :(

This has been a rough stressful ride the last 4 months trying to keep this thing happy. I don't think I'll get another.

Awhhh, that sucks :sad: Sorry for your loss.

Yeah, I'm really sort of depressed about it actually. Thing that is driving me crazy is not knowing what happened. Do I tear my basement apart looking for a long thin carpet jerky that might not be there? It's always amazing to me how fast caracasses disappear in a reef tank, but I would have guessed in a smaller tank that there would be some evidence one way or the other.

OH NO...sooo sorry to hear Tony!

Hmmm, well, at least I don't have to wonder any longer. I found him. :cry: He did get out after all. Pretty gruesome.

This is what he managed to get out of:
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...s/P1020001.jpg

He either got out through the little uncovered gap by the locline or the right hand side because the acrylic was starting to warp and lift a little on that side. I've been wondering all week how to fix that warp but .. well I guess I don't need to worry about it anymore.

Guess if I every try again I'll have a huge box built around the tank top so that there is ZERO chance of escape. I won't put any eels into my 280g now because as an inwall tank I don't know how to enclose the tank 100% AND still be able to feed the fish on a daily basis (and not make it a huge burden for anyone taking care of the tank when I'm away on vacations or work or whatever).

I feel so ... unbelievably affected right now. :( Part of me wants to feel sad about the eel (and does), part of me is like ... I should be relieved it's not something worse, .. and I feel for my friends at the restaurant. They are going to be so traumatized.. I .. feel so incredibly heavy hearted today.

Yikes, that sucks. I'm sorry for your loss. You had a rough go with that little guy.

What an escape artist he must have been, your tank is sealed up better than mine is right now.

Aaw..cutie.

What do you feed him and how?

I feed fresh oyster and clam....he either fights his way to the open seafood left for the copperband and other residents or I give him a chunk on a pair of long plastic tongs...he eats well..and is fairly social. I quite enjoy him!

do you have many boisterous fish in with him?

I have a Copperband Butterfly, 5" Harlequin Tusk Wrasse, 5-6" Coris Wrasse, pair of NASTY Maroon Clownfish, Rabbitfish and that's it...so they are boisterous...and very very fast!

I am the proud owner of Edmonton Eskimo's now and I have to say they are one of the coolest things in my tank. He hides a lot but when any food hits the tank there he is poking about. Mine eats everything except silversides :surprise: but then again I can't get anything to eat them (maybe I got a bad batch or something) I mix up his food from clams, scallops, octopus, squid, krill and prawns. They are amazing animals!!

Any pictures? :)

I'll get some at feeding time! not the easiest thing to photograph though:neutral:

Here's a pic:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...1/IMG_6308.jpg

Awesome!!

Thanks!
I was sorry to read about yours I've been very lucky with mine he ate the night i put him in! I guess I have Jason (edmonton eskimo) to thank for that though.

thought I would update this....the tank the eel has been in was slowly taken down as I sold it and was hoping for a very large upgrade to replace it...but that's a whole other story. So the eel, Coris Wrasse and a Convict Tang were the only fish left in the tank....the rest had been sold or transfered to the 150g. The eel would NOT eat. We tried oysters, mussels, shrimp, prawn, clams, you name it we tried it with no luck. So, were getting ready to go on holidays for 3 weeks and decided to transfer the remaining fish to the 150g and take down the 120g so there would be one less tank for our fish sitter (who by the way was AWESOME and the tanks look great!) The next day we left....so come home yesterday and no losses no problems.....and not sure if the eel would have survived the move and the fact that he hadn't eaten in over 6 weeks.

Tonight I was feeding the very stocked tank...out pops the eel in many different hidey holes...and is eating MYSIS!!!! Searching it out and eating it!!!! Now that is something I've never heard of and thought I would share...so not only did he survive the starvation, move to the other tank and no target feeding for the time we were away, he actually likes to eat mysis!!! I am thrilled.

Oh yeah, also my Achilles that I got several weeks ago that eats only algae also ate mysis tonight! I am thrilled!!! Just thrilled!!!

Oh yeah, also, the Spotted Mandarins are spawning AGAIN! They are doing the dance at the top of the tank like crazy and she is soooo fat! I've seen them do it before but they are starting tonight before lights out!

that is great news Sarah, glad to hear that the achillies is easting mysis, and the eel too.

Awesome!!! I have been considering adding one of these eels to my reef too. Not sure I have enough hidey holes though, and whether the eel will get along with the 4 jawfish.

I would recommend one as long as you find one that is eating well. They are neat and mine is actually very visible now...with his "hunting" behavior of mysis! He was out ALOT last night!

I have no jawfish but do have several bottom dwelling small fish.....sand perch, pair of mandarins, etc. He's not on the bottom much, just in the rock holes.

+1 If you can find one thats eating scoop it up! They are a beautiful addition to any tank.

That's Great News Sarah! Good to hear.