Zebra moray eel suffering shipping stress. Help/advice requested.

[Jay Hemdal]

It has now been almost a week and I've not been able to get him to take food yet. He's still moving though, mostly when other tankmates or me with my hands up to my elbows in the tank prod him, but not much of his own will.

Hunger strikes are really common with this species - sometimes for months, and it can eventually prove fatal.

Try searching for hunger strike + zebra moray, I’ve heard people overcoming this, but I can’t recall the details. In some cases, they were able to start them on live crabs.

 

[Monadologist]

I finally got him to eat a little something, just a little frozen block of mysis, by feeding the snowflake eel (who is a little greedy guts) off tongs right in front of his nose. We'll see how well I can replicate this feat going forward.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I finally got him to eat a little something, just a little frozen block of mysis, by feeding the snowflake eel (who is a little greedy guts) off tongs right in front of his nose. We'll see how well I can replicate this feat going forward.

Aren’t mysis too small once they thaw out? I usually start these on raw shrimp tails with the shell removed.

 

[Monadologist]

I was feeding the (tiny) 7" long snowflake eel next to him the mysis and the zebra reached over and took a chomp and I just let him have it. The snowflake has a crazy appetite but his head is only maybe 1cm wide so he cant take in anything big yet. I've been tong feeding him while distracting the puffer with krill and clams at a feeding station at the other end of the tank.

 

[Monadologist]

He just ate a big diced-up chunk of a jumbo shrimp, so I'm officially not worried about his appetite any more. It seems mostly that he's just generally phobic of the tongs. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Justdabubbletip]

How’s the guy doing?