Eel won't eat in QT

[jasonrusso]

I've had my dwarf golden moray for 6 years. I recently had a velvet outbreak so I had to remove all the fish. They are in a 75G with PVC pipe. The only fish in the tank are a big foxface and tomini tang. I treated them with Chloroquine Phosphate, and the treatment ended a week ago. I put in carbon and changed 15 gallons two times.

When I first got this eel, I had a velvet outbreak and he didn't eat for at least 5 weeks. He eventually did eat after the medication was removed (I attribute it to the eel's very sensitive sense of smell and the metallic taste of Chloroquine) I remembered this, so I made sure he was fed before I removed him. I'm beginning to get concerned. It's been about 5 weeks again. He won't eat silverslides, salmon, clams, etc. Everything he has been eating for 6 years he turns down. He even refused a live ghost shrimp today.

Will he let himself starve to death? I am considering moving him by himself to a 20G with rock and sand, but the smaller tank might stress him out more. I put a rock outside his pipe and he seems to like it, but won't eat. He's VERY active at night swimming all around, so I thought he was hunting, but he didn't eat the shrimp.

How long can he go without eating?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've had my dwarf golden moray for 6 years. I recently had a velvet outbreak so I had to remove all the fish. They are in a 75G with PVC pipe. The only fish in the tank are a big foxface and tomini tang. I treated them with Chloroquine Phosphate, and the treatment ended a week ago. I put in carbon and changed 15 gallons two times.

When I first got this eel, I had a velvet outbreak and he didn't eat for at least 5 weeks. He eventually did eat after the medication was removed (I attribute it to the eel's very sensitive sense of smell and the metallic taste of Chloroquine) I remembered this, so I made sure he was fed before I removed him. I'm beginning to get concerned. It's been about 5 weeks again. He won't eat silverslides, salmon, clams, etc. Everything he has been eating for 6 years he turns down. He even refused a live ghost shrimp today.

Will he let himself starve to death? I am considering moving him by himself to a 20G with rock and sand, but the smaller tank might stress him out more. I put a rock outside his pipe and he seems to like it, but won't eat. He's VERY active at night swimming all around, so I thought he was hunting, but he didn't eat the shrimp.

How long can he go without eating?

Eels can go quite a bit of time without eating and it may be due to lack of sand and hiding. Just assure Nitrates stay low. You can try a couple of live grass shrimp to see if it takes those

 

[jasonrusso]

Eels can go quite a bit of time without eating and it may be due to lack of sand and hiding. Just assure Nitrates stay low. You can try a couple of live grass shrimp to see if it takes those

I did. He either didn't see it or didn't want it.

 

[Dave1993]

you don't have the eel in copper do you?

 

[jasonrusso]

you don't have the eel in copper do you?

The post says Chloroquine Phosphate and carbon was added a week ago.

 

[SaltyT]

Hopefully the eel expert can help you out

@lion king

 

[lion king]

The cp has a definite hand in throwing off their feeding, how they will recover from that is your guess. Also disrupting their home, so the more at home you can make them, like preparing the 20g into more of a home. After being on a dead diet, triggering with live foods many times don't work, but these guys are more of a fish eater rather than crustaceans, so maybe in his new home offer him a live guppy or molly. They can literally go a couple of months without eating, but yes they can starve themselves to death, there does become a point of no return.

 

[jasonrusso]

The cp has a definite hand in throwing off their feeding, how they will recover from that is your guess. Also disrupting their home, so the more at home you can make them, like preparing the 20g into more of a home. After being on a dead diet, triggering with live foods many times don't work, but these guys are more of a fish eater rather than crustaceans, so maybe in his new home offer him a live guppy or molly. They can literally go a couple of months without eating, but yes they can starve themselves to death, there does become a point of no return.

Thanks for the response. I put a big ghost shrimp in there again tonight. He may have taken it, because he was poking around the last place I saw it.

The guppies I put in last night were dead on the filter when I got home.

 

[jasonrusso]

Let's see how this goes. If he makes a home under the rock I will remove the pipe.

 

[lion king]

Let us know when he starts eating again.

 

[jasonrusso]

Let us know when he starts eating again.

He went back into the DT today. He immediately found his favorite burrow. I'll try to feed him tonight.

 

[jasonrusso]

Let us know when he starts eating again.

The antenatta took the 20G tank for now. He's still eating live and stick training is coming along.

 

[jasonrusso]

@tyler1503 anything to add?

I bought some mollies today and I'm going to zonk one out in the freezer tonight and place it by his cave.

 

[jasonrusso]

I have had a feeling that Bobby was eating, but until I see it myself I can't be sure.

Tonight I FINALLY saw him eat a silverslide. It is such a relief, because I know he's going to be ok. It has been exactly 8 weeks since I last saw him eat.

My wife and I did a celebratory shot of Jäger.