Moray not eating

[cdawson]

I've read that FW morays should eat at least once a day, however if eating feeder fish does the same still apply?
my moray hasn't eaten since getting him, I'm starting to get worried. can anyone help me?

[rohai]

call the lfs you got him from to make sure, BUT...

my old roomie had a snowflake moray eel (SW) that he had kept for over 10 years, and I know there were several times over the course of the four years I lived there that the eel would not eat for a week or more. Then he would start eating again and be ravenous.

[Shikkapow]

how long have you had the eel?
some fish can take a while to eat.. est. territory, get used to the water chemistry etc etc...

[cdawson]

I've had him for just under a week, last night I noticed him kind of staking ground on a large pile of rocks for him (oddly he ignored the pvc pipe I disguised with rocks for him) he winds himself in and out of the rocks...but I'm worried he won't eat being that in the LFS there were quite a few other eels. he may or may not have gotten accustomed to eating feeder fish. I've even held a live fish in his face (by the tail).

[mytosis_matth]

As some of the others have said, morays will often go on hunger strikes for weeks. The so-called "freshwater" morays often come into stores very malnourished and stressed out. They are also often injured or sick, so it's no surprise that they don't eat. Stop trying to feed your eel feeder fish (which have no nutritional value unless they are gut-loaded livebearers like mollies/platies). Keep live ghost shrimp in the eel's tank until it is eating regularly, then try frozen krill, silversides, etc. These can be offered from the end of a food stick.
Incidentally, it will benefit your eel greatly if you make its tank brackish or eventually marine (if you haven't already). This will help it avoid stress and sickness, especially fungus.

Good Luck,
Matt

[cdawson]

Well all your efforts were for nothing now,
because my moray turned out to be VERY sick. I'm trying to identify exactly what he has but I have a very good idea that it may be the edwardisella tarda virus. Frequent in eels, the LFS had several eels with strange marks on them (the guy said from fighting, understandable having several solitary animals in one tank). My eels' got an almost melanoma looking mark about 2inches by 1 1/2 inch about 3/4 down his body and has lost all motor movement. however he still continues to breathe normally.
if anyone could help identify this it would be greatly appreciated

[votek]

The periods of eating/not eating sounds like natural behavior to me. Most fish have a fast motabolism.

But snakes are a lot like eels from what I have read, and they feed awkwardly like that.

I could be wrong though.

[MonoSebaelover]

Sorry to say but Morays RARELY survive any kind of disease they get. There is a very good chance that he will go the the big bowl in the sky. Sorry, I know its hard but we had two freshwater morays in a brackish tank at work and both became paralyzed with a bent back and died within a day. Sorry and I hope he makes it but I don't think chances are good! Sorry!

[btowntaz]

I am also having the same problem with my Morey eel. I have had my water checked. I have feeder fish and frozen krill. And he won't eat. But now he is laying at the bottom of the tank upside down. BUT he's alive. I have changed the water. Added some fresh water aquarium salt. I am about ready to FORCE feed him! Any ideas? He will still swim around on occation but has lost motor skills and flops over onto his back. Sounds like he is done for. Just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to save his butt.

[MonoSebaelover]

Sadly Freshwater Snowflake Morays are probably the hardest moray to care for. The reason for this is they can tolerate Freshwater, Brackish, and Saltwater conditions. The best thing to do prior to purchasing them is ask your store what they keep their eels in AND what the wholesaler kept the Eels in. Even if the store doesn't know ask them to find out. Generally what happens is the store just assumes the wholesaler had them in a certain type of water and puts them in that even though it could be totally wrong. The first symptom of a stressed moray is unwillingness to feed. When morays start they are gluttons. Once a moray has lost most motor skills they are done for. They are generally beyond hope. Thats what happened to the ones I was describing earlier. They were beyond hope. If you think there is a chance the moray might feed, try some strong odor foods like scallops and shrimp from your grocery store or bloodworms or something to the like. I have 3 Saltwater eels (Zebra, True Snowflake, and Ghost Ribbon) and all three can never resist frozen scallops especially the Zebra. Hope this helps and hope both the struggling morays make it.

[btowntaz]

Thanks for the help. They were keeping the eel in a freshwater tank. He has been in my tank for about 2 weeks. He has been fine untill the last 2 days. I've done all I can do. Just have to see if he comes out of it. But I don't think he will. Guess I will just stick to fish. I have been able to keep those stupid things alive.

[btowntaz]

Here is a pic. My soon to be dead eel. (http://community.webshots.com/photo/36053113/64526016vHBKAY)

[MonoSebaelover]

I wouldn't recommend giving up on eels. I think they are one of the most amazing critters. There are some much hardier freshwater eels like Fires, Tiretracks, Zizags, Yellowtails, among some others. Your eels looks to be good size. Is that a 55G or something to the like. He looks to be 18-24". Try some of those foods and see if it helps him any. Unfortunatly the view doesn't help much but he doesn't look too skinny. He looks about medium build, not skinny but not fat. Anyway like I said earlier hope both eels make it.

[btowntaz]

Might try some eels agin some day. I have a 50 Gal. tank. The eel was almost 2 feet long. Sadlly he died this morning. I have had a hard time finding info on eels. The olny help I could really find was here. I appreciate the help! Thank you.