Snowflake Eel Won't Eat

[Kunala6]

Hi
About a month ago I broke down my aquarium. We are renovating the house and my contractor left us
high and dry and has not finished the renovations, so I put all my fish and corals in plastic bins they were only
suppose to be in there at most a week. Unfortunately I lost all my fish except for my snowflake eel. My corals
were all in the same bins and they are thriving, not sure what caused the fish too die. I had good air circulation,
I had 3 fish and some corals in 1 bin and 2 fish in corals in another, so I am sure the oxygen levels were just fine.
Thought maybe bad water quality but it all checks out, zero nitrates, nitrites and ammonia. Something is keeping
the corals alive and they are growing surprisingly. Water changes weekly. But now my may concern is my snowflake eel,
I hand feed him so I know when the last time he ate, which was a week before I broke down the tank about 5 weeks since
his last meal. He goes on his usually hunger strike every so often, usually for a couple of weeks or so. I have tried to feed
him since I put him in the bin he just won't take the food. He doesn't show any signs of sickness. There is
nothing in the bin for him to eat. He is about 2ft, does any one have any advice on how to get him to eat, I have tried
various food, from squid to silver sides, which he always ate, and even live fiddler crabs which he enjoyed every now
and then. I even tried soaking the food in garlic and nothing. How long can he go without food? I use to feed him every
other day when the aquarium was set up.
Thank you
Kunal

 

[lion king]

It's not uncommon for an eel to go on extended hunger strike under those conditions. What size container is he in and how long before you have him back in his home. He can easily go a couple of months and I had a friend's snowflake go almost 3 months if I remember correct. Sounds like you are doing every thing you can, including offering live food. If his temporary home is too small that could be an issue.

 

[Kunala6]

It's not uncommon for an eel to go on extended hunger strike under those conditions. What size container is he in and how long before you have him back in his home. He can easily go a couple of months and I had a friend's snowflake go almost 3 months if I remember correct. Sounds like you are doing every thing you can, including offering live food. If his temporary home is too small that could be an issue.

The container is 3 ft x 2ft. it is on the smaller size. Unfortunately I am not sure when we will get him back into an aquarium. I am looking for a new contractor to finish the job. If I don't have any thing maybe I can set something up for him in my garage.

 

[lion king]

Do you have rock formations set up to give him a home, adding a light cycle may also get him back into equilibrium. Him not being able to see out isn't pleasant either, you likely noticed while in the tank how observant these guys are. If you could get him in a glass container no matter how low tech it would help. A glass cage on the floor with the same fiktration you have on the container would help immensely, paint or cover the back wall and add some rock so he can feel secure.

 

[S2G]

Morays are tough as they come. Your other fish dieing makes me worry something leached in. However your corals are fine. That's a lot to go through so it's probably not feeling secure. My old chainlink did the same when I moved it.

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

put in a length of tube for him to hide and rest in, this will make him feel more secure, knowing he has a hidey place to go to will help him come out to feed.

 

[Kunala6]

Do you have rock formations set up to give him a home, adding a light cycle may also get him back into equilibrium. Him not being able to see out isn't pleasant either, you likely noticed while in the tank how observant these guys are. If you could get him in a glass container no matter how low tech it would help. A glass cage on the floor with the same filtration you have on the container would help immensely, paint or cover the back wall and add some rock so he can feel secure.

Ya I do have rock formation in there, and the light cycle is the same as the tank. The container I have him is clear. I am hoping to have a tank all set up by the weekend.

 

[Kunala6]

Morays are tough as they come. Your other fish dieing makes me worry something leached in. However your corals are fine. That's a lot to go through so it's probably not feeling secure. My old chainlink did the same when I moved it.

I am thinking something leached in to but I would that thought that the corals would go first.