Fire eel likes to be upside down now....why?

[knobhill]

Hi,

My 24"+ fire eel got bit up in his old tank so I moved him to my 350g with 2 rays, 1 large silve aro, 3 frontosa, a Jack Dempsy, and 2 red severums. He has been gobbling up shrimp and fish just fine but he rests on his back about 90% of the time. The only time he swims correctly is when he is eating. Is he just lazy or is something wrong? In his old tank, he would often be upside down when he coiled himself in driftwood caverns. Anyone experience this behavior with their fire eels?

I have had him for about 6 years and got him at roughly the same size. Never measured for growth.

One more thing is that he gets circular white splotches on his body.

Any suggestions, help, moral support would be aprecciated

 

[Loves severums]

yes i seen my 14" fire eel do this he fine they some time do this... And mine get those spot to but they go away..

 

[MonsterMinis]

I would suspect IPs. and the abbraisions are liekly from a tank-mate... likely your rays. if they are minor and not consistant i woulndd't worry overly much. my eels are very brave, and liek to steal food from tank-mates and occasionally get bit.

 

[knobhill]

Yeah, I have seen the rays top on the fire eel. IPs? Maybe I will soak some shrimp in prazipro and hand feed him. What do you think?

 

[knobhill]

he has the same behavior as this eel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WtHD6h4C_4


I soaked a shrimp in prazipro and he ate it. Is there anything else I can be doing?

 

[MonsterMinis]

wait another week and feed him another. should see effects pretty quick, ide prolly worm the whole tank since its likely either they gave it to him or vise versa. use prazi safely on every type of fish ive owned includeing knives, rays, puffers ect..

 

[MonsterMinis]

the only other concern i wouldnhave would be a swim bladder infection, which ive rarely had luck treating. good clean water, lights off and melafix.. and tbh idk if it was time that healed it or the meds.

 

[kevinfleming21]

seems more like a swim bladder issue if he cannot stabilize himself.

 

[knobhill]

water is clean. 0-0-<10. I think it is a swim bladder infection from what I am reading. I moved him to a 110g last night. No lights, clean water, and dosed it with a melafix/pimafix combo and added salt. We will see if he responds to that.

Since he is still eating, I think I might try putting some epsom salt and perhaps a pea stuffed inside a shrimp. If still no improvement, maybe I can stuff an antibiotic in the shrimp. Anyone have a good recommendation for that?

 

[knobhill]

I began treatment of tertrcyline. Soaked his shrimp in it and will feed for four days with water changes


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