Snowflake not looking so good

I wouldn't normally answer this, but your situation is terribly serious for I question your eels diet and the tanks water quality for eels do suffer a great deal and has the ability to hang in there to where any standard type of fish is a goner in days.

Also, you not have any available photo and you should have spoken of your tanks water and the eels diet for those three years and please not say that you fed it silversides most the time for its one thing to use it at the beginning to get your eel to eat and silversides for the most part not offers anything in your eels nutritional diet plan. Basically, its feeding on junk food>

Also if your a skimmer, for low oxygen levels for the long term does become a issue for your eels health and just what are your nitrate levels may be and please be honest with yourself on this, for you be only hurting this eel.

So do tell all the types of foods you had been feeding your eel and how often>

In those three years you had the eel, is that all you feed your sfe? For the most part, one needs to feed many variety types of foods and not just one or two kinds and to feed twice a week, I would say that this is part of your problem besides the other questions I have in what your doing and the tank size and what type of skimmer you have.

Also, you need to add to its diet, crab and other types of foods like shrimps and such and feed twice a week until it refuses. Also, there be eels that you can feed once a week, but a sfe isn't one of those. Also, when you got this eel, what size was it? And I should had added at the first post on what if your any nitrite levels as well.

So we need to upgrade the eels diet some and too twice a week and use a feeding stick of some type and being that this eel could be ill looking, it just might drop the foods you offer behind the LR.

Also, tell the tank size and type of skimmer and how much LR it has and just in case, other inhabitants. Besides this, the power heads you are using for the tanks water currents. The eels main diet is crustaceans, but you can as well add squid but be sure its not too soft for you need to try to add as many variety types of foods to its diet and please do feed twice a week, later try to add small pieces of fish as well but do try to get some crab and be sure its healthy for the eel and you can do this by web searching for fresh sea food markets in your area.

And I just thought of this, are you doing water changes often? And how many gals? It may not be too late for you too save this eel, you just need to tell me everything as it really is and you can manage this to save the poor eel.

Good Luck

I`m sorry to have to tell you this :headshake2:

HI, Im not a lot of time to quote you as I would like, but in my understanding to what you have, everything is wrong from your skimmer and as well, you not nearly enough water currents as well. And this Ocean clear filter, I not know many who use it and myself i never would for the main facts be is you can do far better with one great skimmer with a sump on your tank for as it is now, your bio load for this tank is too much. I also have to believe that your nitrates level and nitrites has to be quite high. Take a water sample to your lfs and ask them to check it for you for also if your test you are using now is too old, it will give you an inaccurate reading. And one other thing, the reason why i asked you as much is I knew that your problem wasn`t just your feeding, which is why I wanted you to tell all of what you have there.

I now must make the bank and get over to spend some time with my grandchildren, ill check back when I get back home

You said you had your sfe for three years and I wanted to confirm that this tank itself is three years setup and running.

I also see that many had opinions from back then, im wondering why none are offering their opinions now for you really do need other to point out your problems.

I see back in 06-27-2005 the tank is about a year old and you already had nitrate problems and you seemed to refuse to post what it was even then. Now remember if youy not tell [eople qall they need to know on the history of your tank, you will be only kidding yourself.

I see where Niko provides you a link on the idea that you might consider putting in a sump back in 04-12-2007 which is not to long ago.You not commented him on that>

Now for my own quotes to what has been said thus far:

You said that you are doing a every two week water change of 10 gals if I read that right, your not doing near enough on what it is that you must do on this tank as it stands now. And depending on what your true nitrate levels are, you will have to do a serious of large water changes for the next two weeks or so and im talking not less then 25 gals after you do the first one of almost 50% and then every 3rd to 4th day a water change of 25%.
Im also wondering about your Ph stability for your a lack of water currents and with the amount of LR that your there, I a question if your any LR dying.

For what happens there is if your Lr that are dying, what happens is a white dust is over some the LR and this happens, your nitrates first raises, but not all that high like 20 to 30 PPM. This also creates a Ph concent drop, that your would have to buffer the Ph each day while doing the water changes as mentioned, but that is if it is your having that type of problem. I only mentioned it all because you do lack sufficient water currents.

The skimmer you have cannot meet the need of your bio load>

being that your a HOB skimmer, the Ocean clear filter has to be operating like a canister and this too leeds to issues on your tanks long term water quality for you need to shut it down each time your feeding so foods not become trap in it and this will be a nitrate issue.

OK people, fellow members, this young man needs a great deal of help. He once heard from many at the start and now he needs your thoughts again. It matters not if any who differs in their opinions, just let your voice be heard and help the kid.

Not sure what I can do to help, you are the eel expert around these parts. But Rdefino please share all your water parameters so that those that can help have information. Include any other information that might help as well, how long the eel has been experiencing this, what other signs it might have had. Any harrassing going on in the tank, etc.

Grins, I will settle for that, lol

Im speaking really more on his setup and bio load that he hear from others