Peacock eel help

[Luke109]

So i got my Eel(peacock) 3 days ago and all he does is sit in his log. He won't eat anything i tried Bloodworms and shrimp. When he is out of the log he swims against the glass bending his nose swimming up and down. Please help :help:

[FastFly67]

What are your water parameters? What size tank is he in? Tank mates? Setup of the tank?

[Luke109]

What are your water parameters? What size tank is he in? Tank mates? Setup of the tank?
He is in a 55 gallon No tank mates. What's water parameters?

[FastFly67]

He is in a 55 gallon No tank mates. What's water parameters?
ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, water temperature

lemme guess, this is a brand new tank?

[Luke109]

Ya

[marinkafuschia]

don't worry too much. peacock eels are very lazy, shy creatures, mine hides under his driftwood all day and comes out at night. the not eating part does worry me a bit. they can be extremely picky eaters and since they are WC they almost certainly want live squiggly food. I suggest digging up some earthworms, they don't carry parasites and are very rich in fat!
try some live food and you may have some luck. If he still wont eat treat for parasites since he may have them.

[Luke109]

Well it was Gravel then i emptied it then filled it back up and added sand but everything is normal.

[Luke109]

I Got him 2 Days ago i tried feeding him bloodworm no luck and shrimp no luck either. I will try worms though. Can worms have pestatsites on them?

[marinkafuschia]

nope not earthworms. I have heard this from several sources and I have been feeding my eel nothing but worms since I got him. no lack in appetite or anything else to indicate parasites, just a very fat, happy eel.

Note: make sure your getting your earthworms from a place that doesn't use pesticides or herbicides!!!!!

[Luke109]

So tried feeding her or him worms but he she just ignores it and keeps swim. It bends its nose on the far back right corner and it swims up and down pushing against the glass. I was thinking maybe get another one and when the new one eats the other one will come over and possibly try.

[marinkafuschia]

thats a good idea, they do like the company of each other I think. not true schoolers but if you see pics of more than one in a tank they are alway in the same hide or cave together. it may just be restless, give it some time and keep offering food. it is a good thing that its swimming though. maybe try offering food at night when they are really active. and plase be sure to have an extreamly escape proof hood becasue eels will ALWAYS find a way out. mine has escaped twice so far!

[Madding]

Actually, most spiny eels don't tolerate their own kind for very long. Even if they pile together at the store, in a well-established aquarium two eels will begin harrassing each other when they mature.

Give your new eel time. My eel didn't even come out until after two weeks. They need to be comfortable before they start worrying about food. I mean really comfortable. He'll scavenge until then.

Now mine comes out whenever he sees me coming with the bloodworm squirter, and never takes his eyes off me.

[kyryah]

If this is a newly set up and not properly cycled tank, adding another fish will only exacerbate things, and I do not recommend that as a course of action.

You need to get a good test kit and find out what your water parameters are. There could be several things that are bothering and stressing your eel, but it is hard to diagnose without that information.

Kristina

[marinkafuschia]

oh thanks madding! I had no idea they didnt liek their own kind, thats very good to know.

[Hurley]

I've kept several peacock and zig-zag eels together for a very long time with no aggression. That being said, I did give them lots of hiding spots. Peacock eels are small so my guess is the earthworms are too big. Try and get some blackworms. They are live and small so the eel will be able to eat them easily. Also, as said above, eels are shy and they are generally noctornal so you won't see them much during the day.

Most importantly, you need to get a liquid test kit and cycle your tank. That way you can track the water and complete water changes as needed. Eels aren't the most hardy fish and a cycle isn't going to easy on it.

[jpappy789]

Luke, please read this: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

[Luke109]

?

[Hurley]

?


jpappy's link is on cycling. You should read it because it is quite likely your eel is acting funny because you tank is cycling and the byproducts of the bacteria are toxic and hurting it.

[jpappy789]

It's on cycling. Unless you transferred media from an established tank, your is not cycled. Your fish's waste and any other decomposing organics will break down into ammonia, which is toxic to fish. We need bacteria to convert that ammonia into nitrite (still toxic) and that nitrite into nitrate, which we remove with water changes. The process of building up an adequate colony of bacteria to process all the ammonia is called "cycling".

If I am misreading this entire thread and your tank is in fact already cycled, just say the word and I'll shut up. :)

[Luke109]

It is cycle

[jpappy789]

How did you cycle? You said it was a brand new tank, how old? A tank will not just cycle within a couple days or even a few weeks from scratch.

Have you checked your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels yet? If not, please get a trustworthy liquid test kit (I recommend the API Master Kit) and check the parameters ASAP.

[Luke109]

I got the Bio Balls From My older tank.

[marinkafuschia]

shouldn't that cycle it pretty quickly then? I seriously doubt the eel's lack of appetite is due to the tank being too new, they have always seemed like tough little sob's to me.
I think this is more of an issue with the eel it's self, they are just plain hard to feed sometimes. IMHO

[jpappy789]

It should, but you should still be monitoring the water params daily for any spikes.

[Luke109]

Ok

[Luke109]

i still havent seen him eat