Lesions on snowflake eel

[Samira Waters]

Today I noticed my snowflake eel has some red sores on his side and on the end of his tail. We've had him for about 5 years. He's currently in a fowler tank with 2 puffers, butterfly fish and sailfin tang. They have always gotten along so I don't think its aggression. His color also appears to be dull and faded instead of that vibrant color. Nitrates are 75-100 but it has always been that. Salinity is 1.026, no ammonia. Does anyone have any idea of what it is and how we can treat it?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

That sure looks like bites from another fish. What species of butterfly & puffer do you have?

The redness implies a bite, while if the lesions were all white or gray, a bacteria would be more suspect.

Fish compatibility can change over time, and eels are not very good at reacting to that - they have trouble staying out of the way. However, the color change could indicate an underlying health issue that is making the eel even more open to attack.

Jay

 

[Samira Waters]

Thank you Jay for your reply. We have a raccoon butterfly, porcupine and Stars and Stripes puffer.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you Jay for your reply. We have a raccoon butterfly, porcupine and Stars and Stripes puffer.

Well, I’ve seen all three of these fish take bites at eels. You may never see it happen - it might only happen when you are out of the room, and even then, it could be one or two bites in a 24 hour period.

Do you have any way to put a tank divider in?

Jay

 

[Samira Waters]

Well, I’ve seen all three of these fish take bites at eels. You may never see it happen - it might only happen when you are out of the room, and even then, it could be one or two bites in a 24 hour period.

Do you have any way to put a tank divider in?

Jay

Not able to put a tank divider but the next day he was sluggish and I did notice my butterfly picking at him. We got him out of the tank and placed him in a quarantine bucket with methylene blue. We matched the temp, pH. He did better for a couple of days but stopped eating. We did several water changes to keep ammonia down then noticed the red spots were back. Since he’s now alone I don’t know why these lesions are popping up.

 

[lion king]

Yep, agree with Jay, looks like someone has nibbling. Can't answer to your remedy. Without a proper tank of optimum water quality couldn't answer to his outcome. When promptly addressed in the proper conditions, injuries like this would heal on their own, as long as the eel is in good health, meaning a fresh, healthy diet.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Not able to put a tank divider but the next day he was sluggish and I did notice my butterfly picking at him. We got him out of the tank and placed him in a quarantine bucket with methylene blue. We matched the temp, pH. He did better for a couple of days but stopped eating. We did several water changes to keep ammonia down then noticed the red spots were back. Since he’s now alone I don’t know why these lesions are popping up.

So - it wasn't clear to me - the fish is still alive, but is being housed in isolation and the spots are still there?

It could be that the injuries led to secondary bacterial infection, or that there is a primary bacterial infection and the butterfly was just picking on the weakened eel.

Either way - can the eel be treated with antibiotics in its current tank?

Jay

 

[Samira Waters]

Yea he’s still alive. He is in QT. The spots initially disappeared but then came back.

I’m not sure which antibiotic to use since I don’t know what I’m treating.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yea he’s still alive. He is in QT. The spots initially disappeared but then came back.

I’m not sure which antibiotic to use since I don’t know what I’m treating.

Without doing s sensitivity test )like they do with people) there is no way to know which antibiotic will work best. I would just try a general broad spectrum gram negative antibiotic - Neomycin, Kanamycin, or even a Furan drug.

Jay

 

[Samira Waters]

Thank you. Hopefully one these antibiotics works.