Snowflake eel not eating?

[ArnoldosAquariums]

This is his third day in the quarantine tank. I’ve tried krill and silver sites… It will not eat from the forceps.

I tried leaving the food there, it doesn’t even swim towards it.

Otherwise looks plump.

I figured maybe she just want some time to acclimate and get used to her surroundings… But many people are saying they eat on day 1.

 

[Fishurama]

They have very bad vision so leaving the food out wont help it. They smell there food out more so. If you have bought it from a LFS id go back and ask what they were feeding it and try that. Mine sometimes doesn't eat for a day or two, and i also feed it krill, yours being new could definitely add to that. I would just keep trying, but i would definitely call the LFS(if you bought it from there and not online) to find out what they were feeding it.

 

[HB AL]

Back when I used to have snowflake eels they would regularly go on hunger strikes, even ones I had for years. In your case it's in one of those hunger strikes probably in this case since it's in a new environment. I wouldn't worry about it as it will eventually eat. They can go a long time (weeks) without eating. If it comes out and starts swimming around the tank then most of the time they want food at that point. In the future just remember that it might eat everyday for a couple weeks then for whatever reason it will stop eating for a couple weeks. If you really want to try and get it to eat right now try a live goldfish, they usually cant resist a twitching goldfish.

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Don’t give up, I have had had success feeding my snowflake pieces of shrimp from tongs. I have also had success feeding octopus. You can find it at most Asian food stores. I bought a frozen package for seven dollars two weeks ago. I simply pull out a frozen octopus and cut off a piece. Thaw it in water and feed it with my tongs. My eel seems to go crazy for it. Also you may want to provide more hiding places to make it feel secure. Then it may start eating.

 

[lion king]

Sometimes new additions need something live to get them settled. Try some live ghost shrimp, that usually does the trick. After they start eating they are usually good about accepting a variety of foods.

Are you treating the qt tank with anything? If he doesnt eat the live food, treatmemt with general cure wouldnt be a bad idea, they do come in with internal parasites frequently. A good observation for stingy poo. No other meds is advised.

 

[HB AL]

Sometimes new additions need something live to get them settled. Try some live ghost shrimp, that usually does the trick. After they start eating they are usually good about accepting a variety of foods.

Are you treating the qt tank with anything? If he doesnt eat the live food, treatmemt with general cure wouldnt be a bad idea, they do come in with internal parasites frequently. A good observation for stingy poo. No other meds is advised.

Even though I haven't had a snowflake eel in a long time(like 20 years), what you said about them often coming with internal parasites brought back an experience I had with one that hadn't eaten in almost a month. It started with a red spot on it then a few days later it looked bigger even opening some where it looked like I could see inside. Doing what some do with a sick or odd thing on a fish I stared at it nonstop, then a couple days later while feeding the fish (triggers, groupers and a volitan lion) I was naturally watching the eel to see if it showed any interest in the food aroma in the tank and this large penny size parasite came burrowing out of the spot. Luckily the groupers didnt eat it whole but the triggers bit it into pieces as they are it. Most likely not your issue but the possibility of internal parasites coupled with a new environment is probably the issue. I would give it a little more time or as mentioned get some live food like ghost shrimp or a goldfish and see what happens. I wouldn't sweat it with a snowflake it will eventually eat, not like some exotic fish that's picky and could have a myriad of diseases. Fearing infection I got some meds and treated the big open wound on the eel and it went on to live a long life and never saw that happen again in an aquatic creature.

 

[ArnoldosAquariums]

Sometimes new additions need something live to get them settled. Try some live ghost shrimp, that usually does the trick. After they start eating they are usually good about accepting a variety of foods.

Are you treating the qt tank with anything? If he doesnt eat the live food, treatmemt with general cure wouldnt be a bad idea, they do come in with internal parasites frequently. A good observation for stingy poo. No other meds is advised.

It’s an observation and training QT. I want him to eat from the tongs and not get used to hunt for his/her food.

Also, any easy way to sex an eel?

 

[ArnoldosAquariums]

I’ve tried silversides and krill. I’m definitely thinking hunger strike.

 

[lion king]

I’ve tried silversides and krill. I’m definitely thinking hunger strike.

The reason I suggested live ghosties is because predatory eels not too long from being captured will sometimes initially be hard to take dead food. Snowflakes are usually pretty good about taking dead food, sometimes they just need a jumpstart. A live fiddler crab can also help get him settled in Squid and octopus usually gets a good response also. Just be careful with krill, a dominant krill diet will lead to nutritional defiencencies which can be deadly. Many people start their eel off with krill, then thats all they will take, and in a years time they have lockjaw due to a vit B1 deficiency.

Look carefully around the tank for stringy poo, it can kind of look like white shredded plastic.

 

[DaddyFish]

Don't sweat it as long as the eel eats within a week or so. Try pieces of raw shrimp. People grade, uncooked, frozen raw shrimp from the grocery store. Let it thaw in a cup of tank water and hold it deep with tongs. Helps a lot to kill the pumps and let the smelly shrimp fluids ooze down to the eel.
Just be careful and keep your fingers well above the waterline at all times.
As said above, watch for it to go swimming around the tank at nightfall. Also watch for it to explore every conceivable escape path during this time of adjustment. Carpet surfing is a very real possibility.
Don't be afraid to experiment with decor, rocks etc. for a good hiding place. I've had several things in my predator DT, but the eel prefers a simple sunken submarine decor piece above all others. So much so that you can lift it out of the tank and the eel stays inside.
Patience and watch it for signs of parasites. I used formalin to treat my eel after Brookynella wiped out the entire tank except for the eel and a Goby. Pretty sure the Brook came with the eel.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Not much I can add that hasn't already been said, but here's my two cents.

Don't worry about it, eels can go weeks without food as long as they are healthy.

If it hasn't eaten for a week or two, try live food, ghost shrimp is a good bet. If you can't find those, the cheapest saltwater crab or shrimp (be sure to QT first!) would suffice, if not ideal. If you're going to use fish, use mollies instead of goldfish. Better nutritionally, and can survive in salt water.

 

[DaddyFish]

The reason I suggested live ghosties is because predatory eels not too long from being captured will sometimes initially be hard to take dead food. Snowflakes are usually pretty good about taking dead food, sometimes they just need a jumpstart. A live fiddler crab can also help get him settled in Squid and octopus usually gets a good response also. Just be careful with krill, a dominant krill diet will lead to nutritional defiencencies which can be deadly. Many people start their eel off with krill, then thats all they will take, and in a years time they have lockjaw due to a vit B1 deficiency.

Look carefully around the tank for stringy poo, it can kind of look like white shredded plastic.

Just watched your video. One suggestion...
You need something in that tank that the eel can wrap around. They will not bite at food unless they feel securely anchored. Try adding a "T" to that pipe section and make sure the pipes are short enough for the eel to reach out 6+ inches and still be able to "hold onto the pipe".
They really don't come out and feed. Instead they poke out their heads, extend maybe half their body to reach their prey and then latch on, pull back and rip it to shreds. A starving eel will take more risk, but a healthy and well-fed eel isn't going to risk an all-out assault on anything outside of its comfort zone.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Just watched your video. One suggestion...
You need something in that tank that the eel can wrap around. They will not bite at food unless they feel securely anchored. Try adding a "T" to that pipe section and make sure the pipes are short enough for the eel to reach out 6+ inches and still be able to "hold onto the pipe".
They really don't come out and feed. Instead they poke out their heads, extend maybe half their body to reach their prey and then latch on, pull back and rip it to shreds. A starving eel will take more risk, but a healthy and well-fed eel isn't going to risk an all-out assault on anything outside of its comfort zone.

I didn't know that's why, but that is exactly what my eel does during feeding. Comes out halfway, snatches food and immediately withdraws into cover.

 

[DaddyFish]

I didn't know that's why, but that is exactly what my eel does during feeding. Comes out halfway, snatches food and immediately withdraws into cover.

I've seen my snowflake do the writhing snake ball 2-3 times when I give it an oversize piece of shrimp. It freaks me out!!!
Looks like one of those snake breeding balls you see on TV, but just one critter involved. Eel used its balled-up body to rip the food as it pulls its head backwards. I'm telling you man, you will NEVER look at an eel that same way after seeing that in person.
Most of the time it prefers to grab, retreat, bang and swallow. Makes perfect sense when you think about eels being dragged out into the open water after snatching a strong swimmer prey. If you have your tail anchored you can't be dragged out, and banging the prey on coral etc. is certain to render your meal motionless.

 

[Hugh Mann]

That is very cool, and makes me love eels more than I already do.

 

[ArnoldosAquariums]

I put a shrimp and he won’t touch that either… This is day four now. I know they go on long hunger strikes, but I would love to get him to eat so I can train him to eat from the forceps.

once he knows to eat from the forceps and not free eat, then I will move him into the display tank. He’s currently in a quarantine tank.
Will garlic entice him to eat?

 

[DaddyFish]

I put a shrimp and he won’t touch that either… This is day four now. I know they go on long hunger strikes, but I would love to get him to eat so I can train him to eat from the forceps.

once he knows to eat from the forceps and not free eat, then I will move him into the display tank. He’s currently in a quarantine tank.
Will garlic entice him to eat?

I can't say that garlic has near the effect of smelly shrimp. Shrimp, kreel then garlic in descending order of interest.

 

[lion king]

Although eels are known to go on hunger strikes, it is very risky to allow a new eel to go very long without eating. Not eating can also be indicative of internal parasites, and the longer one goes without eating, the more risk.

When you say you added shrimp, did you mean live ghost shrimp. I would not let a new addition go more than a couple of days without eating, before I would treat with general cure. Most times eels haven't eaten in a while and a healthy eel should have no problem eating within a couple of days. A few ghosties overnight and they should be gone in the morning.

 

[WVNed]

At first mine would not come near metal tongs so I fed him from the end of bamboo skewers. I have seen mine eat live fish but it has always eaten almost whatever I give it.
SIlversides, tilapia strips, salad shrimp, squid, clam on the half shell and they go after the big pieces in the LRS.

 

[Hugh Mann]

All this makes me feel like I got lucky. Mine are dead from tongs from Day 1.

Best of luck, I'll be following this as I intend to get a snowflake in the future.