Help! Chain link eel not eating

[pokoloco]

I bought a chain link eel about a week ago, I can not get it to eat. it is in a FOWLR with a HUMU HUMU trigger. I see no aggression between the two. the eel stays in it's den most of the day it swims about occassionally but not excessively. When I try to feed it it ignores the food and if I persist it seems to become aggitated and swims about for several minutes. I've tried to feed with a skewer, baster and a grabber device. I've tried freeze dried, frozen, a mix and even tried different sizes of both. Any suggestions.
:help::wall:

 

[jojo22]

try shrimp from the market. Or clams/mussels.

 

[FISH WHISPERER]

Agreed with Jojo - try some raw, thawed seafood. Ideally, you will want to work at this. Stabbing a huge tong with a shrimp may not work. And it may work too late. You have got to get this eel eating, or it will die. Plain and simple, don't want to sugarcoat it. That may seem like the "obvious" but really, so many times we get these and they are already dying. Try to dangle some cut up meat in front of him - but good luck with the humu around. I think that's one of the biggest problems, right there. In our small systems, small eels cannot compete with triggers. So they lose out on the eating. Another major problem, is that sometimes our rock shifts on our burrowed eels and we may not be aware of it, but they can be already have organs damaged. This is not a thought, but an actual observation. Eels can "stay alive" long after they are dying. It is good you can still see yours, and that he swims about. I'd strongly recommend a Q-tank with just a couple pieces of rock and NO crabs/inverts... After a couple of months of struggling with an eel, he stopped coming out altogether. When it was already too late, I went in and "got him" to nurse back. He actually had parts of him completely eaten away towards his back... Still alive, couldn't eat - and was being "host" to inverts... I don't know if the triggs attacked him if/when he came out at night... I noticed when he was eating that shrimps worked well, (raw, thawed) but I don't believe they have the nutrients necessary to sustain an eel. Soaking them in vitamins just rinses off.... I had actually thought about injecting the shrimp/clams with vitamins (the first pieces, because the eels should gobble those up immediately). Do your best, but it's totally worth a Qtank.... My opinion is to not try and "nurse" him where he's at. It's already not working and will only get worse. HTH!

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

You only had the eel for a short time and eels can be picky to when it comes to feeding. As is, you could had the eel a few years and it suddenly refuses to feed. In either case, your first goal is water quality. And your second is what is to be considered a nutritionist diet.

What size tank is this?
Salinity?
Ph?
Nitrates?

If your eel is so young an juvenile, it shouldn't then however be in with any aggressive tank mates.

Baster? All you will do there is blow out the food and cause the eel to back away into the rocks.

Much needed info is lacking here on your tank and size of the Chain link!

As for a QT for any eel is something of an issue that is up in the air. For one thing, your eel is very unlikely to have ich, but still on the other hand is or could be a carrier with ich, in which case then, you be only adding the eel strength into your main tank, other then a QT. Eels for one, or one of the most hardy marine species any hobbyist could manage.

Stabbing a huge tong with a shrimp may not work. And it may work too late. You have got to get this eel eating, or it will die.

To tell anyone something as that their eel would die or so is rather, extremely premature and only from what I can figure cause that member much unneeded (worries) concerns.

but good luck with the humu around. I think that's one of the biggest problems, right there

The humu for one, is one trigger that if one wants any trigger with their eels to have. But yes, there be no guarantee that it would allow food to reach the eel, but then again, you not simply drop food in your tank for this eels. You need to get the food on a feeding stick, and gently nudge it to the eels nose, like a soft bump..

Eels can "stay alive" long after they are dying

I think you meant that eels if any serious injury or illness, they would hang in there for a very long time before death comes.

After a couple of months of struggling with an eel, he stopped coming out altogether

I seen too many eels who suddenly gone on a hunger strike and what most not understand out of this is that if your water in that tank has a large sudden shift in the Ph for one, it will affect the eels diet, as well, higher levels of nitrate.

It's already not working and will only get worse.

Again, im sorry, but it was wrong to say something as that for yes, things can become worse, but not in a short time period they will when it comes to an eel. If he try to feed shrimp today, he can still try again in a few days, but not on the daily bases would it be a good idea to do.

Also, try fresh crab, besides what jojo22 mentioned. And also, do not over kill on soaking every feeding in vitamins for there is such a thing within eels that people over do it.

You can also try the tube from a fresh squid, but only feed the part that is not soft, it must be able o crunch its food.

Buddy

 

[pokoloco]

He is eating just took a little time. I was feeding the humu some small pieces of silverside, and out of nowhere the eel comes up and tries to take the fish from the humu. I notice and tried to feed the eel one on one. He's not to good with frozen rations so I will have to thaw everything thoroughly. He will also take freeze dried krill. He is very enthusiastic and it's a load off my shoulders I was begining to think I should have gone with the snowflake. I'm glad this guy is doing better they are much better looking than the snowflakes in my opinion.

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Monty, a few quotes I missed on>

That may seem like the "obvious" but really, so many times we get these and they are already dying.

Something about that line not seems that is to be a good way about thinking. For one thing, I had so many eels that not fed for five months at times. But being that the eel wasn't however a dwarf moray, or any young juvenile species, that there be plenty of time in order to get that eel to feed. You only require patience.

but good luck with the humu around. I think that's one of the biggest problems, right there. In our small systems, small eels cannot compete with triggers.

For one thing, depending on the size of such eels, shouldn't ever be housed with triggers or groupers. If the starter of this thread eel should happen to be so small in size, it should then however be in another tank with no aggressive species.

pokoloco, Im glad of it and it only proves that as what so many others had done, they too expected that their eel would eaten the next day. I had so many eels that a good number of those did begin feeding in the first few days, with a low number not feeding until a few months later on.

I was feeding the humu some small pieces of silverside, and out of nowhere the eel comes up and tries to take the fish from the humu. I notice and tried to feed the eel one on one. He's not to good with frozen rations so I will have to thaw everything thoroughly. He will also take freeze dried krill.

You are best to cut out the silversides, and buy fresh fish or so from a fish market, it would be a great deal far better then silversides. Also, your eel do that is feed on fish as well. Unlike the sfe, your eel when nearly full grown, could take in a larger fish then the sfe.

You not answered on the size of your tank be? Also, your eel a a reef species, and you need to have the Ph and salinty up there so that your eel may feel more at home.
Buddy