Golden Dwarf Moray stopped eating

SashimiTurtle

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I've had my Maui for about 6-7 months now. When I first got him he was healthy and started eating right away, something you eel keepers will know doesn't happen often with new eels. He stayed in a 10g tank with live rock and macros for a month or two while my display cycled. Once the display was ready the 10g was taken down and turned into a QT tank. The entire time in the 10g he was a voracious eater, and would get excited when he saw me. Once in the 35g cube display he continued to be a very good eater up until around mid December I stopped being able to get him to eat frozen foods. Around this same time I lost several fish. All of these fish could easily have been eaten by the eel, but I never saw him show any interest in eating live fish, they swam around him often and he never tried to snap at any of them, so I can't say 100% it was or wasn't the eel who was responsible for the disappearing fish.

After all the fish went missing over about two weeks I moved my eel to his own tank. An Innovative Marine 14g peninsula tank. He is in there with a coral banded shrimp, who likes to try and catch fish but leaves Maui alone, and one single black mollie. The mollie was acclimated to salt water and added to see if he in fact preferred live food. It has been 2 weeks now since adding the mollie and all that has happened is it is eating algae off the rocks and frag racks. The last time I've actually fed him was mid December. It's been 3 months with no interest in food at all.

I've offered squid tentacles, scallop, shrimp, pieces of cod fillet... Nothing interests him. He might look at it, but does not shake his head to smell or get that excited look he used to.

Next week my QT will be empty. I've tried Prazipro in the 14g. I will be using Metro and Kanaplex in QT for any parasites that may be ailing him. Any ideas on what could be the problem, or what steps to take to entice him to start eating again?

Pictures coming in second post.
 
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SashimiTurtle

SashimiTurtle

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scuzy

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They sometimes go on hunger strike and won't eat for a week or two. I have two. Mine never went longer than that though.
 

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I'd chalk it up to a hunger strike and wouldn't worry too much till it hits 6 months but nobody enjoys hunger strikes. Few things to try: I'd replace the tongs with high test fishing string that is stiff enough it can impale the food and work food like a jig. Sounds stupid but I've had many eels shy away from tongs but go after the same food when using fishing string. Salmon(wild caught) usually garners interest when other frozen does not. If both of those fail I'd add a Firefish, Dartfish, small Goby, or any small cigar shaped fish.- would remove the CBS for this. Those fish tend to reside in the same area of the tank as the eel where, ime, Mollies tend to hang out near the surface.
 
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I'd chalk it up to a hunger strike and wouldn't worry too much till it hits 6 months but nobody enjoys hunger strikes. Few things to try: I'd replace the tongs with high test fishing string that is stiff enough it can impale the food and work food like a jig. Sounds stupid but I've had many eels shy away from tongs but go after the same food when using fishing string. Salmon(wild caught) usually garners interest when other frozen does not. If both of those fail I'd add a Firefish, Dartfish, small Goby, or any small cigar shaped fish.- would remove the CBS for this. Those fish tend to reside in the same area of the tank as the eel where, ime, Mollies tend to hang out near the surface.

Thanks @Bob Loblaw. 6 months seems excessive for a hunger strike... crazy eels. I'll go look for salmon, actually I might have some in my freezer. Probably farm raised tho. Fishing line will be easy enough to find. 60lb test or so should be enough. I used to feed with those stainless metal tongs, but I now use 3d printed ones(no rust) that a are good bit bulkier.

Feeding gobys and dart fish does not sound fun... or cheap. One of suspected fish eaten by the eel was a hi fin goby. Added a pair and they went and hid, the next day only one came out to eat. Never saw the other one again.
 
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Sorry to hear Maui isn’t eating.
That skull pic is awesome. You have anymore pictures of Maui inside it?

Yea I have a few. He likes curling up in the bottom of it so it's hard to get pictures. It's got the two eye holes, of course, a "wound hole" in the back like he got shot or something, and the base is open. This allows sand in the bottom of the skull and he lays in it. Check my signature and follow my Miniature Moray Menagerie to follow Maui.

Super blue pic right before lights out...

20180228_225811.jpg


Hanging out under the live rock...

20180307_205957.jpg


A little cyphastrea experiment I have going on...

20180301_200936.jpg
 
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So, good news. I went and picked up some ghost shrimp today. After a few minutes of checking them out he went after one. I'm not sure if he ate it, or it got away. He definitely struck at a shrimp. Looking at the tank a while later I do not see as many in there, but they very well could be in the rocks.
 

Kirschy17

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So, good news. I went and picked up some ghost shrimp today. After a few minutes of checking them out he went after one. I'm not sure if he ate it, or it got away. He definitely struck at a shrimp. Looking at the tank a while later I do not see as many in there, but they very well could be in the rocks.
Im having a similar situation than u had back then with my gdm. Any updates? Is your moray fine? Did it eat again, if so what did it eat?
 
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SashimiTurtle

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Im having a similar situation than u had back then with my gdm. Any updates? Is your moray fine? Did it eat again, if so what did it eat?
Hey, unfortunately I lost this moray. It was due to metal contaminated substrate. Once I discovered the issue, I removed him to a hospital tank with clean water, but he never recovered and passed.

If you give me some details on your setup and what foods it has or hasn't eaten I may be able to help.
 

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