Huge Eel Problem

[Ricewater]

Hi everyone,

I present you a huge problem I've been having for practically a month now I don't know where else to go but on the forums now. My golden dwarf moray eel wont eat ANYTHING I give it. What's so strange is that it has eaten before (silversides only) and consistently, now its on this HUGE hunger strike and I don't know what to do! I suspect its because I may have given it a bad silverside and now it doesn't trust what I give it.
The following is what I've done to try to fix the issue but have no results. (You can see in the video below that it ran it's head over a frozen octopus and did not want it at all)

Dietary:
- frozen Silversides with and without garlic and even stuffing food pellets in them
- Mysis shrimp
- Frozen shrimp from Costco and from my local seafood market and with and without garlic
- Krill
- Frozen raw Oyster
- Frozen raw Octopus
- Frozen raw Squid
- raw Silverfish
- Live Ghost shrimp
- Live Mollies
None of those work with using a tong and holding close to its face either steadily or shaking or leaving it there. It just sits and rots away. I tried to keep the lights off or on with both of the previous methods and nothings worked.

I double checked all my parameters salt is 1.024, ammonia and nitrates are either 0 or close to it, PH is low and phosphates. I even did water changes small and large. I don't dose anything and I even changed the rock work and added a pipe to hid in now which I think it likes.

I took out the biggest bristle worms there (assuming they're the hostile cause as to why it's scared). I don't have much living with it only a sea horse, 2 clowns, 2 emerald crabs, duncans, zoas and its in about a 20-25g tank. Probably a 10-12" size now.

The most it's done is vigorously shake its head back and forth indicating that it's just sniffing what I've given it. I've had the guy for more than a year now and it's so sad because I love the guy but he doesn't love me back anymore . I always catch it in the act of trying to leave the tank but can't because of the lid and he just stares back at me like how a kid does when they feel guilty after doing something wrong. How does an eel just suddenly stop eating like this?!?!

 

[Unregistered1]

I think it will be hard to determine the cause of its lack of hunger. It looks healthy from what i can see. Is it the only eel in the tank?

Full water parameters and temp?....What test kits are you using. Last water change was?

 

[Ricewater]

I think it will be hard to determine the cause of its lack of hunger. It looks healthy from what i can see. Is it the only eel in the tank?

Full water parameters and temp?....What test kits are you using. Last water change was?

Yes it is the only eel in my tank. Last water change was yesterday and I was using API testing. Haven't had the time to get myself a salifert test kit but does alk, mag, and calcium really make that big of a difference? I don't touch the tank at all.

Ammonia and Nitrates are 0 or near to 0, PH 6.8-6.9, Phosphates are like 1-2 so I did a water change to maybe change that? Temp is 75 room temp.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

How long has it been since he last ate?

 

[Unregistered1]

well it does make a difference to some degree not as much without corals but its always nice to see hobbyist know the numbers so we can determine water quality. Its hard to say what could be the problem. Since your keeping up with water changes . You could always have a local fish store test your water. Temp is a bit low...no heater? I have had eels swallow silversides backwards and get the silverside stuck because the dorsal fin on the silverside . Ph is low need to have water tested at lfs or get new tests

 

[blueface]

Your PH is way to low should be in the 8 range.

 

[N.Sreefer]

The longest ive seen a morey to go off eating and be okay after was 5 months, they might be able to go longer than that without food but I don't have alot of experience with them so I'm not sure. Not saying ignore the issue just saying you probably have some time to figure it out.

 

[Ricewater]

How long has it been since he last ate?

Now longer than a month for sure

 

[Ricewater]

well it does make a difference to some degree not as much without corals but its always nice to see hobbyist know the numbers so we can determine water quality. Its hard to say what could be the problem. Since your keeping up with water changes . You could always have a local fish store test your water. Temp is a bit low...no heater? I have had eels swallow silversides backwards and get the silverside stuck because the dorsal fin on the silverside . Ph is low need to have water tested at lfs or get new tests

You're right, I think my PH test was off I should get it, thanks for the advice. If the ph is better do you think it would eat?

 

[Ricewater]

The longest ive seen a morey to go off eating and be okay after was 5 months, they might be able to go longer than that without food but I don't have alot of experience with them so I'm not sure. Not saying ignore the issue just saying you probably have some time to figure it out.

I see, man I hope it does eat! So weird ;_;

 

[Suohhen]

Yep ph could definitely be a huge problem especially depending on what is causing it. Improve aeration and locate any potential co2 sources asap.

 

[resortez]

Yea, double check that PH number. 6.9 is extremely acidic for marine fish. If that number is correct, the eel will feel very irritated by the acidity of the water. The water should be reading above 8.0. Another concern is 0 NO3, have to be very careful having no reading because it puts the tank on a thin wire, sending the tank into an anaerobic state, reversing the nitrogen cycle & usually affecting PH levels. I would bump up NO3. Have you also tested nitrites? If the cycle is reversing, NO2 will flash on the test. Hope it helps. Good luck.

 

[Billdogg]

I kept a Gymnothorax Undulatus for a little over 25 years. He would go on hunger strikes occasionally. The longest was about 6 months. Just keep offering a variety of meaty foods. I would go to the seafood counter and buy a couple shrimp, maybe a scallop or two, and whatever ocean fish fillet they had. When he was small he'd eat maybe one shrimp a week, but as he grew it became more and more. The last 10 years or so he'd gobble up 2 or 3 hand sized fillets weekly.

As others have mentioned - get and keep your parameters in check, and give it time. It will eventually get hungry.

Here's Hannibal when he was just a little guy - 2'+. He grew to a length of 4' and was as big around as my arm.