Sorry, I been rather ill and I'm not as active as i use to be. You mention #90 of LR in this 100 gal tank, I had more in a 70 gal tank just for a pair of goldentail morays. It is like they always say, their be no two tanks alike and as well, we all do any number of things differently from one another. I kept eels my entire life from the time i was of the age nine and kept many different species of eels through the years and in doing so, it help me to learn many things that you can t begin to understand due to having one or so species of eels. Also, I never heard or learn from hands on that any eel had some type of abnormal growth rate that they never grown anywhere near to their normal maximum size.
Even through research studies done by other eel experts, it was only acknowledge that an eels growth may be effected do to traces of metal in the water, but also I know that ones water conditions must be maintain at its greatest point, as near to perfect as possible. As well as a nutritional variety diet and I through the years while maintaining eels, had never brought them farm raised product, as well as silversides for you will give a mixer of different views on the nutritional facts truly are, but silversides body contains mostly water.
But as i was saying, i had better then #100 of LR in a 70 gal tank for a pair of goldentail morays and they were far happier then anything you might had seen.
The korallia pump comes in a number of models and I'm pretty sure its not the lease in gph or the most, and you not explain well were or where this 500gph powerhead is. Also, you not say which type of skimmer you have and model number, for i can assure you it do make a difference to which type of skimmer and model one use. One the two tank system I had running for years, I had a euroreef skimmer and they are one of the best as well on this 200 gal plus system, I did a weekly water change of 30 gals a week, without fail.
Also, between water failed water conditions and not so a variety nutritional diet, any eel will fail to meet up to its normal growth rate, but still would grow, just not anywhere near its normal size.
As far for the girth of your eel, it will be somewhat less then when its a near full grown of the same species. Not being able to witness your water condition myself as well as how well the eel really feeds, it would be difficult to see why your eel growth been far less then any eel I ever known, for eels also in their young stages in life do grow rather fast, even a SFE, it grows an average 6-8" a year, it differs from one hobbyist to the next.
Just like I had for more then 14 years, a pair of H. Dragon morays, and both grown as large or larger under my care, and the male was measured at 32 upon selling the pair to a aquarium zoo sometime back.
Also, in ones aquarium, we are not do the exact same things, some over stock or feed as well as not doing the proper water changes required for from one hobbyist to the next, it will differ to how large a water change one really should do for their tank. We all feed and stock differently, so the results are never the same.
As well, oxygen levels and waste buildups in a persons tank will also cause a changes in ones tank results. You can say it be all nonsense, but the facts be, i witnessed this all too often in other hobbyists through the years.
Anyway, i asked for your tanks measurements and also, if it was me, I would have a larger sump then a 20 gal for I mean, I would have a 20 gal sump if not as large as I can on a 40 gal breeder tank and the extra water volume is a plus for most.
I'm sorry I began typing this response shortly after your last post, it just takes me a long while these days to type my views and try to make sure that I said mostly what I wanted to say and check for any errors.
Anyway, I hope you find or learn what your problem might be, I still however not believe that your eel has some type of birth defect or something for like I said, it has never been witnessed in the more then 60 years I been studying/researching eels. Besides, i lost count how often others said their water parameters were perfect and they too had certain problems that they too couldn`t understand.
Buddy
Even through research studies done by other eel experts, it was only acknowledge that an eels growth may be effected do to traces of metal in the water, but also I know that ones water conditions must be maintain at its greatest point, as near to perfect as possible. As well as a nutritional variety diet and I through the years while maintaining eels, had never brought them farm raised product, as well as silversides for you will give a mixer of different views on the nutritional facts truly are, but silversides body contains mostly water.
But as i was saying, i had better then #100 of LR in a 70 gal tank for a pair of goldentail morays and they were far happier then anything you might had seen.
The korallia pump comes in a number of models and I'm pretty sure its not the lease in gph or the most, and you not explain well were or where this 500gph powerhead is. Also, you not say which type of skimmer you have and model number, for i can assure you it do make a difference to which type of skimmer and model one use. One the two tank system I had running for years, I had a euroreef skimmer and they are one of the best as well on this 200 gal plus system, I did a weekly water change of 30 gals a week, without fail.
Also, between water failed water conditions and not so a variety nutritional diet, any eel will fail to meet up to its normal growth rate, but still would grow, just not anywhere near its normal size.
As far for the girth of your eel, it will be somewhat less then when its a near full grown of the same species. Not being able to witness your water condition myself as well as how well the eel really feeds, it would be difficult to see why your eel growth been far less then any eel I ever known, for eels also in their young stages in life do grow rather fast, even a SFE, it grows an average 6-8" a year, it differs from one hobbyist to the next.
Just like I had for more then 14 years, a pair of H. Dragon morays, and both grown as large or larger under my care, and the male was measured at 32 upon selling the pair to a aquarium zoo sometime back.
Also, in ones aquarium, we are not do the exact same things, some over stock or feed as well as not doing the proper water changes required for from one hobbyist to the next, it will differ to how large a water change one really should do for their tank. We all feed and stock differently, so the results are never the same.
As well, oxygen levels and waste buildups in a persons tank will also cause a changes in ones tank results. You can say it be all nonsense, but the facts be, i witnessed this all too often in other hobbyists through the years.
Anyway, i asked for your tanks measurements and also, if it was me, I would have a larger sump then a 20 gal for I mean, I would have a 20 gal sump if not as large as I can on a 40 gal breeder tank and the extra water volume is a plus for most.
I'm sorry I began typing this response shortly after your last post, it just takes me a long while these days to type my views and try to make sure that I said mostly what I wanted to say and check for any errors.
Anyway, I hope you find or learn what your problem might be, I still however not believe that your eel has some type of birth defect or something for like I said, it has never been witnessed in the more then 60 years I been studying/researching eels. Besides, i lost count how often others said their water parameters were perfect and they too had certain problems that they too couldn`t understand.
Buddy