I have in my brackish tank, 3 fresh water eels. I've noticed how two of them have become extremely plump. I've only assumed up until this weekend that they were getting the larger portion of food. I've reduced their feedings to once a week and still noticed how large two of these eels were.
I've never established a cave system for the eels because they have all taken to the plastic roots and a plastic cave I have. Except the eels don't use the ornaments as intended, in that they don't swim on the outside, under or around the ornaments, but they have all found the opennings in the ornaments that allow water to pass through them.
Not a problem! That saved me from building a rock structure. The eels could easily squeeze in and out and apparently there was enough room for all three to fit in one ornament.
So I come home Friday to see one of the eels laying out and behind one of the intake sponges. Nothing unusual there. They crayfish hide back there and so maybe it was hungry. Minutes later, I hear my wife scream that there was a huge fungus on my eel. It wasn't!
I stood in amazement, looking at my eel! It looked like roe! Yup hundreds of eggs attached to intestines. They were pink but as time elapsed they were turning white and were falling off. Initially, I couldn't tell what was happening. Then I saw the horror! Apparently the Eel ruptured it's anus area and all of the eggs (I'm assuming) and the connective tissue and organs were hanging on to the poor creature.
I don't know what happened! The whole purpose of the prologue is to say, that I assume this eel just had a nice helping of crayfish. I assume that it was in one of the ornaments and decided to come out. I assume that it was too large and that it ruptured itself. I assume this eel was holding eggs.
The only thing I am confident in knowing is that the eel is now dead. And now I am looking for solutions to prevent this from happening again.
I've never established a cave system for the eels because they have all taken to the plastic roots and a plastic cave I have. Except the eels don't use the ornaments as intended, in that they don't swim on the outside, under or around the ornaments, but they have all found the opennings in the ornaments that allow water to pass through them.
Not a problem! That saved me from building a rock structure. The eels could easily squeeze in and out and apparently there was enough room for all three to fit in one ornament.
So I come home Friday to see one of the eels laying out and behind one of the intake sponges. Nothing unusual there. They crayfish hide back there and so maybe it was hungry. Minutes later, I hear my wife scream that there was a huge fungus on my eel. It wasn't!
I stood in amazement, looking at my eel! It looked like roe! Yup hundreds of eggs attached to intestines. They were pink but as time elapsed they were turning white and were falling off. Initially, I couldn't tell what was happening. Then I saw the horror! Apparently the Eel ruptured it's anus area and all of the eggs (I'm assuming) and the connective tissue and organs were hanging on to the poor creature.
I don't know what happened! The whole purpose of the prologue is to say, that I assume this eel just had a nice helping of crayfish. I assume that it was in one of the ornaments and decided to come out. I assume that it was too large and that it ruptured itself. I assume this eel was holding eggs.
The only thing I am confident in knowing is that the eel is now dead. And now I am looking for solutions to prevent this from happening again.