Electric Eel De-Energized?

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JasonsPlecosCichlids

JasonsPlecosCichlids

Goliath Tigerfish
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Jan 23, 2010
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I'm not willing to test it by touching it just yet but I believe he doesnt generate any volts. I have the tank hooked up with the audio amplifier and nothing is coming through it. I thought the amplifier was broke because the case was split so I got a new one. Still same results. Watched the YT video that iiicroweiii sent to me, I'm not doing anything different. When I first got this eel I gave it a bluegill, and before the eel even got to the gill, the gill was paralyzed. Friend of mine gave me a small 6" pacu because he couldnt find anyone that wanted it so I wanted to test it with the eel. The eel went over it many times, chased it, had it in his mouth and the pacu swam away like nothing ever happend. iiicroweiii told me had a huge pacu in with this eel and he knocked the pacu out, on the bottom of the tank for a while but yet this pacu is fine. I dont put salt in my tanks because that cause a similar issue with this.
 
Audio amplifier? Better check it with a volt meter. E eels as adults can produce up to 600v at 1amp of current (0.75amps is fatal to humans). These large discharges are often present when fighting and feeding. Discharges for navigation and food sensing are considerably smaller. Juvenile specimens discharge a max voltage of around 100 volts.
 
Yes Audio Amplifier http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062620

Before, at any time he moved, you could here it. Only when he was absolutely still is when no sound was heard, the slightest movement he would put out the electric and you could here it. When he was feeding it was the loudest. I'm not going to touch him but I test it each day to see if something has changed and still no sound. I havent tried the volt meter yet, I can do that tonight.
 
Another thought. The electric 'organ' that produces the charge is a stacked protein/lipid/lipid/protein layer. If the E.eel is not receiving sufficient proteins and soluable fats in its diet, its body will use up its own store of these materials and possibly take enough from the 'organ' to prevent it from being able to develop a charge. This is speculation that is currently under study hasn't been proven yet. But, logically it makes sense.
Try altering its diet and see if 'sparks' a change.
 
I'd stop offering shad and goldfish since they're high in thiaminase. You can vary its diet instead with earthworms, crayfish, shelled mussels and shelled clams.
 
Oddball said:
Audio amplifier? Better check it with a volt meter. E eels as adults can produce up to 600v at 1amp of current (0.75amps is fatal to humans). These large discharges are often present when fighting and feeding. Discharges for navigation and food sensing are considerably smaller. Juvenile specimens discharge a max voltage of around 100 volts.
Click to expand...

What about the basic conduction of electricity? Where would one hook up a volt meter? I can't imagine just sticking a probe into the water and getting the electricity to flow through the meter? I never understood how one of these fish can light a christmas tree. How is that wired from the tank to the tree? Electricity takes the path of least resistance. When I'm testing high voltage crap at work I have thick rubber mats to stand on thick boots, special thick gloves for working on high voltage just to give myself more resistance than the circuit I'm testing.

Electricity is electricity, I don't think it matters if it's coming from a fish or a power station. It has a starting point and an ending point. If it flows it will take the path of least resistance. I can't imagine a christmas tree or a volt meter is less resistance than the water?

Basically, what I'm saying is, your fish is fine. Most likely the wiring is wrong or the whole thing is a hoax that myth busters needs to check out lol.
 
E eels put out short bursts of high voltage and current or modulated outputs of low voltages and current. A 2 probe voltmeter (such as a Fluke meter) with leads placed in opposing ends of the aquarium will measure voltage/current potentials instead of true voltage/current as would be read with the probes directly contacting the electric organ of the eel. With the voltage change audio signal turned on, you can hear when the eel is outputting any voltage above the systems ambient background voltage (from lights, heaters, pumps, etc.)

Neon glow lamps can also be used to view electric output from e eels. Connecting the lamp(s) to the end of a non-conductive probe will show the lamps glow as they near the e eel. It's the same device used to check waveguides for leaks in radar systems. Of course, if you choose this method, I fully recommend full PPE to protect yourself from a potentially dangerous electric shock.
 
Interesting! Thanks for the info Oddball. One of these eels is on my list :) Hopefully sooner than later.
 
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