Spiny eel disappearance!

[Dsoars]

Has anybody who owns a spiny eel notice them burying themselves for multiple days at a time?? I have not seen my half banded spiny eel in almost 3 days, and there is no way he could have escaped as the tank is completely sealed and nothing in the tank is near big enough to eat him. The only explanation I could think of is he is buried in the sand, but prior to the disappearance I would regularly see him swimming throughout the tank and he was very active at feeding time. But he didn’t appear even when I dropped his favorite food in. Any ideas?

 

[kno4te]

Any tank mates? Filter? If not then I’d guess in the substrate.

 

[Deadeye]

I’ve had peacocks disappear weeks at a time.
Make sure there are plenty of hiding spots and that there aren’t any aggressive tankmates.

 

[Ogertron3000]

I would still check the floor around your tank as they have a stupid talent for getting through the tiniest hole.
It still wouldnt be a shock if in 3 weeks you notice it swimming around like nothing had happened too, in a week or so you can chop up an earthworm and drop the pieces in as that can tempt them out of hiding once they get hungry.

 

[Dsoars]

Any tank mates? Filter? If not then I’d guess in the substrate.

2 ropefish
2 small bichirs
5 chirax gibbosus
3 African butterflies
Everyone got along well and the bichirs ropes and eels would often make a pile up in the same cave they like, but there is plenty of hiding spaces in the driftwood and other caves. The albino bichir is about half the size of the spiny eel and the delhezi is about the same length, they couldn’t have eaten the spiny eel he’s pretty big. Both filters are completely sealed off both on the intake and outflow

 

[Dsoars]

I’ve had peacocks disappear weeks at a time.
Make sure there are plenty of hiding spots and that there aren’t any aggressive tankmates.

Thank you! That’s good to know

 

[Dsoars]

I would still check the floor around your tank as they have a stupid talent for getting through the tiniest hole.
It still wouldnt be a shock if in 3 weeks you notice it swimming around like nothing had happened too, in a week or so you can chop up an earthworm and drop the pieces in as that can tempt them out of hiding once they get hungry.

Checked all around and didn’t see the fish or any slime left. I do have cats so they might have gotten him but like I said my tank is completely sealed off and I have weights on top of the lid

 

[Deadeye]

You’d be surprised what a bichir can fit in its mouth (an eel would be like eating spaghetti) - but that said, my guess for now is that the fish is still hiding.

 

[Dsoars]

You’d be surprised what a bichir can fit in its mouth (an eel would be like eating spaghetti) - but that said, my guess for now is that the fish is still hiding.

Agreed I’ve seen him fit some huge mosquito fish in his mouth. But the eel is significantly thicker than he is. And I also read somewhere that the spiny eels have a slime coat that has a pungent taste for other fish. Not sure if that’s true or not but I’ve seen the bichir kinda sniff at him and just turn his head away

 

[Joshuakahan]

Has anybody who owns a spiny eel notice them burying themselves for multiple days at a time?? I have not seen my half banded spiny eel in almost 3 days, and there is no way he could have escaped as the tank is completely sealed and nothing in the tank is near big enough to eat him. The only explanation I could think of is he is buried in the sand, but prior to the disappearance I would regularly see him swimming throughout the tank and he was very active at feeding time. But he didn’t appear even when I dropped his favorite food in. Any ideas?

I had a burm spiny eel that I only saw every month or two