Snowflake Eel- breathing difficulty

[hrdneglcry]

I'll try to describe this well without too much extra. I returned from vacation after being gone for 7 days. Prior to leaving my Snowflake was living in about 5 feet of 2" pvc with three entrances. I the shape of a "C". When hungry he would stick his head out and eat out of my hand every few days. So when I got back after 7 days and having the fish fed but probably not him he was no longer at his entrance. I rarely saw him there. This was not too unsual but that he wasn't waiting for food was weird. My white spot hermit was gone. This is a large growing crab and mine was golf ball size. I have had this Eel for years. I had a Barred Eel also. Bought them together. It died strangely around a year ago. I thought the Snowflake harrassed it to death but now I'm not sure. They lived together for years before I had them. I am not sure hes eating. A lot of the time even before his behavior changed I would stuff food into the pipe and he ould take it. But after I returned this is all he did. Before much of the time he would eat out of my hand. For years.
So I thought maybe hes is not getting enough air. I have two gyre xf300 on the ends of my 180. I have a skimmer in the 120 sump. I have chaetomorpha and mangrove trees in the sump. Two aquaclear 110's on the tank and an FX6 for filtration. Hundreds of pounds of live rock in the tank amd sump. This tank has been runming for several years.
The other fish are ok. Two Niger Triggers, a Pinktail Trigger, a Black Durgeon Trigger, a Domino Damsel, a Greysby Grouper, and a Clown Grouper.
No problems with them.
I just did a 120 gallon water change today. Did 50 gallons Sunday. And two weeks ago did 90.
Not sure how much water is in the system after the tank furniture. But its an 180g over a 120g.
Oy other thing is I tried to save a fish with epsom salt in the tank a few years ago It killed every single coral and I did over a 100% water change withing 3 days if trying. But coral will not grow in the tank. I had a few Palys trying to come back. But I diales the lights back from 100% to 40% and they disappeared. But I had bad hair algae before then.
Sorry so long. I just just added a Gyre 2k to the back wall going to the front to try to make sure air is getting to the bottom.

THIS IS HOW my other EEL acted before it died. I thought it needed air. I don't know what HAPPENED. HELP PLEASE?

i have 29 but i am not sure I can cath the eel and i have small clowns in there. i thought about putting him in there in case toxins are the problem. I am
running xeolite in all the 500gph filters.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'll try to describe this well without too much extra. I returned from vacation after being gone for 7 days. Prior to leaving my Snowflake was living in about 5 feet of 2" pvc with three entrances. I the shape of a "C". When hungry he would stick his head out and eat out of my hand every few days. So when I got back after 7 days and having the fish fed but probably not him he was no longer at his entrance. I rarely saw him there. This was not too unsual but that he wasn't waiting for food was weird. My white spot hermit was gone. This is a large growing crab and mine was golf ball size. I have had this Eel for years. I had a Barred Eel also. Bought them together. It died strangely around a year ago. I thought the Snowflake harrassed it to death but now I'm not sure. They lived together for years before I had them. I am not sure hes eating. A lot of the time even before his behavior changed I would stuff food into the pipe and he ould take it. But after I returned this is all he did. Before much of the time he would eat out of my hand. For years.
So I thought maybe hes is not getting enough air. I have two gyre xf300 on the ends of my 180. I have a skimmer in the 120 sump. I have chaetomorpha and mangrove trees in the sump. Two aquaclear 110's on the tank and an FX6 for filtration. Hundreds of pounds of live rock in the tank amd sump. This tank has been runming for several years.
The other fish are ok. Two Niger Triggers, a Pinktail Trigger, a Black Durgeon Trigger, a Domino Damsel, a Greysby Grouper, and a Clown Grouper.
No problems with them.
I just did a 120 gallon water change today. Did 50 gallons Sunday. And two weeks ago did 90.
Not sure how much water is in the system after the tank furniture. But its an 180g over a 120g.
Oy other thing is I tried to save a fish with epsom salt in the tank a few years ago It killed every single coral and I did over a 100% water change withing 3 days if trying. But coral will not grow in the tank. I had a few Palys trying to come back. But I diales the lights back from 100% to 40% and they disappeared. But I had bad hair algae before then.
Sorry so long. I just just added a Gyre 2k to the back wall going to the front to try to make sure air is getting to the bottom.

THIS IS HOW my other EEL acted before it died. I thought it needed air. I don't know what HAPPENED. HELP PLEASE?

i have 29 but i am not sure I can cath the eel and i have small clowns in there. i thought about putting him in there in case toxins are the problem. I am
running xeolite in all the 500gph filters.

Gyre will provide good movement, not so much Oxygen. Add air stone
High nitrates often cause issues with this eel, something to check. Is the skin clear or have brown spots especially belly?
Eel is already in salt and you dont want to add epsom which is Magnesium sulfate already contained in your salt mix

 

[hrdneglcry]

Gyre will provide good movement, not so much Oxygen. Add air stone
High nitrates often cause issues with this eel, something to check. Is the skin clear or have brown spots especially belly?
Eel is already in salt and you dont want to add epsom which is Magnesium sulfate already contained in your salt mix

The epsom was for a grouper that could not pass waste. It was few years ago and I read a thread on here saying it was reef safe.
I have an airstone in the tank also I directed one side on each gyre on the side to point more down towarda the eels openings. It pipe is raised about 2-3 inches off the bottom and it has been hanging out and with its head towards the bottom while laborously breathing. I have been getting back towards being better about water changes. I have a lot of filtration, live rock and cheato and mangroves. Lots of hermits. I think he will die. My last one got like this before I found him sprawled out. I went in to net him and he was lying on his belly in the front center. I did know he was dead until I netted him. But he got lethargic like this. And reclusive. I thought he eating but he was not. I think this ine ate from me a few days ago. But he misses a chunk yesterday that he would normally get.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The epsom was for a grouper that could not pass waste. It was few years ago and I read a thread on here saying it was reef safe.
I have an airstone in the tank also I directed one side on each gyre on the side to point more down towarda the eels openings. It pipe is raised about 2-3 inches off the bottom and it has been hanging out and with its head towards the bottom while laborously breathing. I have been getting back towards being better about water changes. I have a lot of filtration, live rock and cheato and mangroves. Lots of hermits. I think he will die. My last one got like this before I found him sprawled out. I went in to net him and he was lying on his belly in the front center. I did know he was dead until I netted him. But he got lethargic like this. And reclusive. I thought he eating but he was not. I think this ine ate from me a few days ago. But he misses a chunk yesterday that he would normally get.

Trying to follow this - could the eel have tried to eat the hermit and gotten an obstruction? The hermit AND shell are gone or just the hermit?

 

[hrdneglcry]

the shell is there. the white spot hermit is gone. the triggers could have gotten him but they were being fed daily so i doubt it. today i caught him very easily as he was laying on the bottom. i put him in a 29 thinking maybe there is a toxin as i lost my barred eel like this 6-8 months ago. he has a string hanging off of him. he is barley moving. all of the crabs and fish are fine in this tank but coral will not grow. for at least a year. chaeto and mangroves are growing. it could be that he ate the crab and is messed up. it happened when i was on vacation and i could not ask the person to hand feed him. i thought he would be ok for 7 days. i fed him well before i left. thank you guys who take timeout from your day to answer these over the years. here is a pic. He has a mucous string hanging off of him. the glass is dirty on the 29. the string is haning off of him on the right side where his tail turns toward the left. I took this pic on my break as I went home from work. My last eel died similarly. But it was before I knew something was very bad. i had thought he bullied it out of the tube but by the time i found out it was serious it was too late. he has been in this tank for a few years a 180 before I put him in the 29 this morning. The Barred Eel ended up laying like this and when I went to net it it was actually dead.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

the shell is there. the white spot hermit is gone. the triggers could have gotten him but they were being fed daily so i doubt it. today i caught him very easily as he was laying on the bottom. i put him in a 29 thinking maybe there is a toxin as i lost my barred eel like this 6-8 months ago. he has a string hanging off of him. he is barley moving. all of the crabs and fish are fine in this tank but coral will not grow. for at least a year. chaeto and mangroves are growing. it could be that he ate the crab and is messed up. it happened when i was on vacation and i could not ask the person to hand feed him. i thought he would be ok for 7 days. i fed him well before i left. thank you guys who take timeout from your day to answer these over the years. here is a pic. He has a mucous string hanging off of him. the glass is dirty on the 29. the string is haning off of him on the right side where his tail turns toward the left. I took this pic on my break as I went home from work. My last eel died similarly. But it was before I knew something was very bad. i had thought he bullied it out of the tube but by the time i found out it was serious it was too late. he has been in this tank for a few years a 180 before I put him in the 29 this morning. The Barred Eel ended up laying like this and when I went to net it it was actually dead.

If the trigger got the hermit, I would think would see pieces of the shell on the tank.

The white mucus, if coming from the fish's anus can be a sign of an internal infection of the gut, but can also be mucus from no food going through the GI tract.

 

[hrdneglcry]

If the trigger got the hermit, I would think would see pieces of the shell on the tank.

The white mucus, if coming from the fish's anus can be a sign of an internal infection of the gut, but can also be mucus from no food going through the GI tract.

He died. Not sure what happened. It all started after my trip. Normally I fed him by hand. He only ate krill and it was his favorite. He would eat other stuff but only at first. He always wanted Krill. So he was not fed for a week. I was suprised the white spotted hermit was gone when I returned. Those are predator crabs. I have a white striped hermit that was about the same size. But its possible the eel was very hungry and ate that crab.
Not sure if I should keep trying Eels. I had he and the Barred Eel for a few years. I bought them togther from a private seller who had them together. They got along but this Eel would not allow any other Eels than the Barred Eel to be added. But I lost the Barred Eel under similar circumstances in May. This guy was getting big.
I have some blue gravel in the tank to add color to the white aragonite.
I used Epsom salt over a year ago to try to save a grouper that could no pass waste. I followed the instructions from the post I found but it killed all of my corals. This was even after I changed over 100% of the water within 3 days. And now no coral will grow. GSP and eveything dies if I put it in the 180. The fish are living, the crabs and worms are alive. Chaetomorpha Algae grows. Mangroves grow. I run Xeolite in three filters and have a skimmer. I have a 120 sump with over a hundred pounds of LR.
I mention all of this as I do not know what happened. I may have to consider getting rid of hundreds of pounds of LR and maybe removing the substrate and starting over with different rocks.
Aiptasia grows fine.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

He died. Not sure what happened. It all started after my trip. Normally I fed him by hand. He only ate krill and it was his favorite. He would eat other stuff but only at first. He always wanted Krill. So he was not fed for a week. I was suprised the white spotted hermit was gone when I returned. Those are predator crabs. I have a white striped hermit that was about the same size. But its possible the eel was very hungry and ate that crab.
Not sure if I should keep trying Eels. I had he and the Barred Eel for a few years. I bought them togther from a private seller who had them together. They got along but this Eel would not allow any other Eels than the Barred Eel to be added. But I lost the Barred Eel under similar circumstances in May. This guy was getting big.
I have some blue gravel in the tank to add color to the white aragonite.
I used Epsom salt over a year ago to try to save a grouper that could no pass waste. I followed the instructions from the post I found but it killed all of my corals. This was even after I changed over 100% of the water within 3 days. And now no coral will grow. GSP and eveything dies if I put it in the 180. The fish are living, the crabs and worms are alive. Chaetomorpha Algae grows. Mangroves grow. I run Xeolite in three filters and have a skimmer. I have a 120 sump with over a hundred pounds of LR.
I mention all of this as I do not know what happened. I may have to consider getting rid of hundreds of pounds of LR and maybe removing the substrate and starting over with different rocks.
Aiptasia grows fine.

Sorry to hear.
A fish that only eat krill will end up with a nutritional deficiency. Some people say it’s from low thiamin, other people say it is something else. I’m not sure the cause, just that krill as a some diet isn’t good. Read my post #5 on this thread:

EMERGENCY - Is it Ich?

so I have a few damsels that I use as feeder fish and one looks like it has ich. Picture is low quality got its a fright white lump above its eye. I don’t want my angler to contract ich so what should I do?

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