LONG TERM: Keeping eels alive

[InshoreAngler]

I have a 20 gallon aquarium with a good filter, a pump and an airstone, plenty of oxygen.
I was wondering, if I put some beach sand on the bottom, some rocks and crushed shells, and a few little aquarium hiding places, say I put 3 dozen eels in there.....and fed them little bits of frozen clam/bunker every few days.....
How long would these eels live, a season? Good way to buy a bunch and keep them in the tank, instead of running to the shop every time, also good "pet" , u kno something to look at....
Would this work, how long would they live??

[fishweewee]

I've always wondered what to feed the eels in extended captivity.

I do know that if you have a lot of eels in a relatively small amount of water, you're better off just changing the water every few days rather than bothering with a filter - especially since eels do fine in tap water.

-WW

[RockLobsta]

Well not to be a nay sayer, but you can't just throw three dozen of anything like that into a tank and have them survive for any length of time. When you set up an aquarium (basically thats what you're doing), you must follow certain rules that will allow benificial bacteria to grow and live off the load that you put in. A twenty gallon tank could never sustain that many eels. Even if you changed the water daily the work wouldn't be worth it IMO.

[Moron_Saxatilis]

Throw some goldfish in and turn out the lights. You will then hear some loud thumps coming from the tank in the middle of the night. I had one for years in a tank with a blue catfish. You never would even have known it was in there unless you started poking the gravel around.

[InshoreAngler]

thanks for the help guys. sounds like it isnt worth it.
But, if I get leftover eels from a trip im not gonna throw them out....should I just keep the leftovers in a 5 gallon bucket with small bubbles aereator, and change the water every few days?

[RockLobsta]

Do a search.....someone, I can't remeber who, had a great setup for keeping eels alive over several days.

[RockLobsta]

Found it

http://striped-bass.com/vbulletin/sh...ght=eels+alive

[InshoreAngler]

thanks rocklobsta.

As for taking them out there, how does a small soft cooler sound, with one of those flat flexible ice packs (all the little ice rectangles) with a dozen eels on top of it? Also carry a small sack made out of burlap bag, about 8" long, with a lanyard, to take in the water with me while I'm waiting....this sound good?

Also, to grab the eels, how would a rag from a burlap bag work?

[MakoMike]

If you go the aquarium route make sure you have a tight cover on it or you'll find dried eels all over you floor. I've kept 4-5 alive for about a year in a 30 gallon tank. You can feed them damn near anything that swims.

[redcrbbr]

i use my herring livewell (minus the pump)to keep my eels. do a 75% water change about every week-10 days and they keep going and going. actually had one survive the entire winter last year... had to have been frozen solid at some point.

[NJSurf]

I use a 15 Gal cylindrical tub made of thick plastic, filled to about 13 gals. I put a hose spount in the bottom, drilled hole a little smaller then threaded in spout, and epoxied both sides. Painted black inside. I ran a hose to the garage w/ quick connecters. I change water every day for 8 to 18 eels, or every other day if I have less than 8 eels left. Also use an airator on it. This setup makes changing the water very easy, and I have eels when I need them. It has worked out well, and I have lost very few eels.

I used to use the 5 gal bucket, but when I tried to put 16 eels in there, I lost most of them in one night. It seems the first couple of days home from tackle shop you really need to change water frequently. Since I dont feed them, after a couple days the water stays cleaner.

Even managed to "re-use" some eels, after fishing them w/ hook under chin & out eye, I brought them home, they lived, and caught me several nice fish on the next outing.

Make sure you have a good seal on to, or they will find a way to get out.

[InshoreAngler]

I saw my aquarium in the basement, about 20 gallons, and I couldnt just let it collect more dust. Simple Green'd it, love that stuff, scrubbed it out, rinsed it well, filled it 3/4 with water and added a small aquaclear filter, and small airpump with 1" airstone. Surface water is moving. Right in my room, cover and light, on the floor (my floors are rug over cement, no weight problems) added a little aquarium toy hideout log.
Going to let this run for 3 weeks, then add 2 eels to see if there OK. Will periodically every week or so, add a few peices of dried krill so they can eat. I have an oscar, I know this stuff doesn't cloud up the water/smell. Feeder fish once in a while to make them nice and fat. Just treated the water with NovAqua to stabilize it.
THANKS EVERYONE! Hope it works out well.....i'll reply when I get the eels in.

[Washrat]

Make sure the top is completly covered. I did the same thing a few yrs ago and all 12 got out. Didn't find them untill several weeks later under the couch.

Brings a new meaning to the term pencil eels!!

[InshoreAngler]

theres a little space where the filter is, going to tight wrap it with saran wrap.
the eels wont climp up the filter, into that pocket of water in the aquaclear filter, and then escape, right? lol i kno its funny, but i have no cover to that filter.....

[MakoMike]

If they can fit up the tube they just might try it. Put a strainer on the end of the tube to keep them out. And watch out, they will fight like the #^&#^&#^&#^&ens until they each establish their territories.

[StorFisk]

I tried the filter routine myself with less than statisfactory results. I found it too much work to keep it primed and sealed. I keep my eels in a big brown plastic garbage can in the cool corner of my basement with a cheap aquarium aerater strip in the bottom of the can as well. I was going on a long vacation once (away from the shore) so I thought it would be a good idea to set up and old aquarium filter to keep the ammonia levels down while I couldn't change the water for better than a week. Well the first night trial run told me this was not a simple solution. Yes those eels will find the smallest opening and squeeze out. ( kinda like mice...how can they do that) You'll find them at a some later date... And yes, they will swim up the filter tubes and even the water discharge if not covered with a suitable material/device. The eels somehow managed to knock off the strainer on my pick-up tube. I think my next attempt might be to try some type of all enclusive (cheap???) water pond type pump/filter but for now I've kept the slimy guys alive for more than a month at times by just taking a 5 gal pail and scooping out as much of the "old" water as I can and replacing it with new (well in my case) water every couple of nights. Of course if the power goes out like it did this last August you better remember to get those guys out of the water or you'll have a bunch of dead eels like I did when I got home that dark night.

[InshoreAngler]

bet you made alot of eel-skin plugs?

[OffshoreAngler]

Eel skin plugs are flimsy and do not hold up to harsh fishing conditions! Take it from me! I blew threw one too many of those things! There are much more useful things which can be done using eel remains!

[StorFisk]

Yea, into the freezer and out as BLUEFISH bait when the cigars start coming up and you can't get below them fast enough.

[OffshoreAngler]

Right ON!!