Freshwater Moray Eel

[FEED Rocket]

Hi guys! Just purchased a freshwater moray and was wondering does anyone have any advice in regards to feeding etc? Any advice is most appreciated!

 

[andywg]

The eel is most likely Gymonothroax tile]/i] and despite its common name, will need brackish water to survive.

Most will feed on small fish meat or marine inverts (mussels, prawns etc.)

 

[FEED Rocket]

I've had a look at the snowflake moray and its not that one, its far smaller. Its kind of gold coloured with little white patches on its head. I have no salt in the tank but i've been told they are fine with that. I have a purple spotted gudgeon, a senegal bichir and a bgk in the tank with it at the moment, if i introduce salt won't they die?

 

[STD]

I don't have a freshwater moray but do have 2 Marine ones

Morays should be fed large meals a couple of times a week

as andywg said feed fish, mussels, prawns and aqid

I have found that the best way to feed them is by using tongs

They are escape artists so make sure it can't get out of the tank

Once they have settled into the tank they will usually stay put but the first 48 hours is the danger time

Also make sure they have plenty of hiding places - they like pipes

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Yep, your other fish cannot be kept long term with a moray--any moray.

All of the morays need to be kept in strongly brackish water. Young ones can be kept in fresh or lightly brackish water but they will ultimately stop eating and die after a while. Since its tricky to figure out the maximum time that your moray will be ok in freshwater, it's probably for the best to move him to a brackish tank right away.

See the brackish forum for a good pinned article on how to acclimate fish from fresh to brackish water.

 

[Fella]

And the bichir and BGK won't appreciate salt in their water at all unfortunately.

 

[Straydum]

like everyone mentioned above, your moray needs salt in the water. something that isnt welcomed by your other fishes in the tank. maybe you could return the moray, or if u have a spare tank (which is big enough) keep it there under a brackish environment.

 

[FEED Rocket]

Thanks for the tips guys! The Moray is very very young at the moment and doesn't seem in any stress. He eats the lance fish and cockles i feed him which i place near where he hides. I've been told he will be ok in the freshwater until he gets bigger, then i will find him a new tank. If he stops eating should i tranfer him to my marine tank? Its currently being setup for full marine fish but has no fish in as of yet.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

If I recall correctly, once the moray goes off his food, things generally don't get better.

Since you're setting up a marine tank anyways, I'd suggest that you go on ahead and move the moray over within the next month or two. Fish hit maturity in pretty short order, so you'd only have 6 months at most before needing to move the moray. That's really not very long.

Have you considered doing a high-end brackish tank instead? Nmonks (our beloved resident brackish expert) has listed in the past several "marine" species that can be easily adapted to high-end brackish. The only drawback is that there's not much to do with inverts in brackish; you'd really be looking at a fish-only tank. But you'd be surprised at how many options you would have.

 

[FEED Rocket]

Cool. Well 6 months is plenty of time to get hold a a fairly large setup. For now i'll keep a close eye on the fella. Its hard to see whether he is eating or not though as he really only comes out late at night. I'll kee you all posted on what happens.

 

[Earthling84]

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[Earthling84]

Thanks for the tips guys! The Moray is very very young at the moment and doesn't seem in any stress. He eats the lance fish and cockles i feed him which i place near where he hides. I've been told he will be ok in the freshwater until he gets bigger, then i will find him a new tank. If he stops eating should i tranfer him to my marine tank? Its currently being setup for full marine fish but has no fish in as of yet.

I would suggest getting some marine salt and making your tank a very low brackish. Do this slowly. He is diong fine in frsh now as a juvinile, but maybe once or twice a week throw in a half cup of salt. Keep doing so until you reach SG 1.005. Then as he ages, and when you change the tank, keep raising the SG higher and higher till you reach what you want to settle at.

I used to purchase puffers when I had a freshwater tank, and was always told they would be ok in freshwater, but they always died in under 1 month. Puffers in my brackish setups haven't had any problems/deaths yet. I wouldn't want you to lose the moray eel as i lost my puffers.