Young Fire Eel refusing to eat

[Vaan2931]

Hi there! Need some advice.

I recently obtained a young fire eel about four days ago but I have had difficulty getting him to eat. I understand that it is normal for them to not eat for the first few days or even weeks but I just really want him to start so that I can stop worrying so much.

He's currently in a 180 litre tank but will be moved up to an 785 litre once I get it started up. He's approximately 22cm (9"?).

I've offered raw shrimp cut into small pieces, frozen blood worm and live earthworms. I'm also going to attempt frozen brineshrimp later too. I've got some brineshrimp eggs currently hatching but I think it's going to be at least three days before they are ready.

I'm wondering if it will take him longer to eat as he had a rather traumatic experience on his first day when he got stuck in an ornament and I had to break it open with pliers (in a bucket outside the tank). The tank is now eel safe though. :) Half the tank is fake plants on one side to provide cover for him, which he uses and there is also a black pvc pipe which he also uses.

To anyone who has kept these eels before, what do you recommend? Should I leave him a few more days to see if he eats? Is there any other foods I should try? (i refuse to feed him feeder fish though)

[superdart]

Any idea what it was feeding on before you got it ??? I would personally keep on with the blood worms or live white worms if you can get a culture going.

[Vaan2931]

We have no idea what it was fed on as it's actually my parents who own the store I got it from and as soon as it was delivered by the supplier, I took it home. It didn't even touch any of our tanks as I was there to collect when it arrived.

However, I could perhaps contact the supplier and ask them what they were feeding it on.

[malakye]

It may be worth contacting them to ask if they fed it and what on, sometimes however they go through their tanks so quickly they never know.
Keep trying with the bloodworm if you can get live even better as it may just still be trying to acclimatise.

[Vaan2931]

He ate some frozen brineshrimp today! Still refusing bigger shrimp but just glad he's eating something.

[malakye]

Glad he ate something.