eel advice please

[cpm6t]

Guys I need urgent Eel advice.

I've had my fire eel (1' long) in a 65g tank for 2 weeks now. His tank mates are 1 Silver aro (8"), 6 peacock bass (4"), 1 Flagtail (4").
The new 220g where they will all move will be ready in 3-4 weeks time.

Since I've put the fire eel there, I have not seen him eating. He has a perfect hiding spot there where he spends 99% of time. It is all right with me if I see him eating, but I've never seen him eating even though I leave food overnight. I have not seen any aggression from other fish towards the eel.

When I get my 220g, I can move the rest of the fish there and leave the fire eel in 65g to see whether he'll settle down, come out more often and most importantly will eat. But I'm not sure whether he'll survive till then.

I have another spare 2'X1'X1' tank (about 15g). Should I put him in there for the next 2-3 weeks and observe him closely? Would it be cruel to put the eel there even for a few weeks of time (space?).

 

[JASamper]

Try adding some live ghost shrimp, but from my experience they usually prefer to eat at night so that maybe why you aren't seeing him eat. What have you been feeding the eel though?

 

[cpm6t]

Try adding some live ghost shrimp, but from my experience they usually prefer to eat at night so that maybe why you aren't seeing him eat. What have you been feeding the eel though?

I do not have access to live ghost shrimp.
I feed frozen blood worms, fish fillets of several types, cut prawns, chicken and all these types are left on the bottom overnight. If I see him eat just once, I would not worry.

 

[MonsterMinis]

live worms are your best bet, prawns may also work but ime fire eels love worms. bloodworms are nutrietionally absent in many ways but if it's all he'd eat its better then nothing. You may also try useing garlic to stimulate a feeding response. I would not move him and further stress him out atm. keep an eye on your flagtail, slime coat suckers like flagtails and plecos tend to be often will attack spiney eels. make sure your water quality is pristine as spineys don't seem to do well with ammonia or nitrites.

 

[cpm6t]

live worms are your best bet, prawns may also work but ime fire eels love worms. bloodworms are nutrietionally absent in many ways but if it's all he'd eat its better then nothing. You may also try useing garlic to stimulate a feeding response. I would not move him and further stress him out atm. keep an eye on your flagtail, slime coat suckers like flagtails and plecos tend to be often will attack spiney eels. make sure your water quality is pristine as spineys don't seem to do well with ammonia or nitrites.

Thanks. I do 60% water change twice a week. When the 220g arrives I'll keep the eel in 65g alone for a while and move everybody else. I just hope he'll hang in there till then.
My flagtail is a bastard. Killed his partner and jumped out of the tank too. I haven't seen him trying to suck the slime coat yet. But who knows what happens when the lights are off.