Help Please! Fire Eel shaking/trembling

[Revan]

Help please!

My Fire Eel has been shaking and trembling all day. He's also getting stuck in-between things that shouldn't stop him...like he's just not strong enough to move away.

It started this morning. I saw out of the corner of my eye what looked like his usual darting to catch prey (usually ghost shrimp). But he continued to coil and recoil then spin upside down and spasm...looked like a seizure.

It's 12 hours later and he's still alive and moving around...but he keeps trembling, mostly in his back half. He also occasionally lays his head at an angle (unusual behavior for him).

Up till now he's been very healthy and active, with a strong appetite. I've had him for about 4 months. Got him at ~7 inches and he's now ~9 inches.

Yesterday I did feed him a new food, a small slice of scallops. Usually he eats earthworms, ghost shrimp, cocktail shrimp, black worms.

Any ideas on what might be happening and how to help him!? I almost wonder if he snatched one of my tetras for the first time and is having difficulty passing it.

Thank you for any ideas you have!

Tanks specs are:
Ammo & trites = 0 with almost no trates
heavily planted, pool filter sand substrate
PH = 7.2 - 7.4 (always steady in the 7.0-7.4 range)
125 gallon; 72x18x20
Tankmates = 9 medium discus, 4 denison barbs, 12 cory cats, 2 dwarf gourami, 8 cardinal tetras, 8 lemon tetras, 3 flying fox
Never seen any tankmate aggression towards the eel
lots of hiding places for him (plant cover, a couple pvc pipes buried in sand)

 

[tlindsey]

Help please!

My Fire Eel has been shaking and trembling all day. He's also getting stuck in-between things that shouldn't stop him...like he's just not strong enough to move away.

It started this morning. I saw out of the corner of my eye what looked like his usual darting to catch prey (usually ghost shrimp). But he continued to coil and recoil then spin upside down and spasm...looked like a seizure.

It's 12 hours later and he's still alive and moving around...but he keeps trembling, mostly in his back half. He also occasionally lays his head at an angle (unusual behavior for him).

Up till now he's been very healthy and active, with a strong appetite. I've had him for about 4 months. Got him at ~7 inches and he's now ~9 inches.

Yesterday I did feed him a new food, a small slice of scallops. Usually he eats earthworms, ghost shrimp, cocktail shrimp, black worms.

Any ideas on what might be happening and how to help him!? I almost wonder if he snatched one of my tetras for the first time and is having difficulty passing it.

Thank you for any ideas you have!

Tanks specs are:
Ammo & trites = 0 with almost no trates
heavily planted, pool filter sand substrate
PH = 7.2 - 7.4 (always steady in the 7.0-7.4 range)
125 gallon; 72x18x20
Tankmates = 9 medium discus, 4 denison barbs, 12 cory cats, 2 dwarf gourami, 8 cardinal tetras, 8 lemon tetras, 3 flying fox
Never seen any tankmate aggression towards the eel
lots of hiding places for him (plant cover, a couple pvc pipes buried

Help please!

My Fire Eel has been shaking and trembling all day. He's also getting stuck in-between things that shouldn't stop him...like he's just not strong enough to move away.

It started this morning. I saw out of the corner of my eye what looked like his usual darting to catch prey (usually ghost shrimp). But he continued to coil and recoil then spin upside down and spasm...looked like a seizure.

It's 12 hours later and he's still alive and moving around...but he keeps trembling, mostly in his back half. He also occasionally lays his head at an angle (unusual behavior for him).

Up till now he's been very healthy and active, with a strong appetite. I've had him for about 4 months. Got him at ~7 inches and he's now ~9 inches.

Yesterday I did feed him a new food, a small slice of scallops. Usually he eats earthworms, ghost shrimp, cocktail shrimp, black worms.

Any ideas on what might be happening and how to help him!? I almost wonder if he snatched one of my tetras for the first time and is having difficulty passing it.

Thank you for any ideas you have!

Tanks specs are:
Ammo & trites = 0 with almost no trates
heavily planted, pool filter sand substrate
PH = 7.2 - 7.4 (always steady in the 7.0-7.4 range)
125 gallon; 72x18x20
Tankmates = 9 medium discus, 4 denison barbs, 12 cory cats, 2 dwarf gourami, 8 cardinal tetras, 8 lemon tetras, 3 flying fox
Never seen any tankmate aggression towards the eel
lots of hiding places for him (plant cover, a couple pvc pipes buried in sand)

Fish Tank Travis

 

[Revan]

Oh and the temp is a consistent 82 F

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Hmm, only time I've seen this behavior from a fire eel is when there was ammonia in the tank. However, since you tested that and I'm guessing your other tankmates are fine, it seems that it must be something else.

Is he skinny or is he nice and thick? Posting a picture could help.

I'm wondering if it could be an internal parasite that he has has for a while and is just now causing his health to decline.

 

[Revan]

Yes Ammonia tests show zero. And while those can have a degree of inaccuracy, I believe it is correct because my Discus just spawned two days ago (they only spawn in very clean water).

I too am worried about parasites. I feel like it's either that or something he ate and is having trouble passing. He's still alive as of this morning, but less active than usual and continues his trembling (though it's less intense than yesterday which is good).

He's nice and thick with very good color (dark gray with bright red lines). I'll post a picture tonight.

Do you know of any meds that treat parasites in Fire Eels? Maybe I should treat him and see if it helps.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

I'm not sure what would be the best medication for that. Hopefully, someone else can give you some good options.

I'm glad he seems to be doing a little bit better. Definitely post a picture when you can.

Fire eels are all wild caught, so it could very easily be some kind of parasite. I would keep an eye on the other fish in the tank and it is probably a good idea to medicate the whole tank, but you should get another opinion on that suggestion.

 

[Experiment397]

didn't realize all fires were wild caught! now im wishing i had treated mine when i bought him

 

[Revan]

UPDATE:

My Fire Eel is doing much better! He's almost back to normal! I can't put to words how relieved I am. Two days ago I would've sworn he was a goner. But over 48 hours he's steadily improved.

I have a few suspicions on what might have happened. I will outline below and keep this thread open in case others have similar problems.

Suspected Causes:

1. Trouble swallowing a live fish - the grimmest times were within 12 hours after I saw what looked like his usual darting at prey. Since I hadn't dropped any shrimp in recently I wonder if he had, for the first time, eaten a small live fish. If he did then he was probably choking on it and having trouble passing it through. Plus if he swallowed it whole there's no telling how long it was alive and moving in his stomach. That'd freak any animal out I think.

2. Oxygen deprivation - I run pressurized CO2 in this heavily planted tank. During the "day" the plants convert the CO2 into oxygen on thus aerate the water. CO2 cuts off at night. Just a couple days before this episode I turned the CO2 off and didn't think to add an aerator. None of my other fish showed issues with breathing, but the eel could be more sensitive to it. He started improving after I turned on an aerator (though he could've improved for other reasons). This is less likely then #1 since I've had the CO2 off before and never any issues, plus oxygen issues would cause lethargy I think...not spasming.

3. Parasite or some internal disease : this is the least likely I think simply due to his fast recovery on his own. I have no knowledge on how to diagnose parasites/diseases in eels so am only guessing at this one.

 

[tlindsey]

UPDATE:

My Fire Eel is doing much better! He's almost back to normal! I can't put to words how relieved I am. Two days ago I would've sworn he was a goner. But over 48 hours he's steadily improved.

I have a few suspicions on what might have happened. I will outline below and keep this thread open in case others have similar problems.

Suspected Causes:

1. Trouble swallowing a live fish - the grimmest times were within 12 hours after I saw what looked like his usual darting at prey. Since I hadn't dropped any shrimp in recently I wonder if he had, for the first time, eaten a small live fish. If he did then he was probably choking on it and having trouble passing it through. Plus if he swallowed it whole there's no telling how long it was alive and moving in his stomach. That'd freak any animal out I think.

2. Oxygen deprivation - I run pressurized CO2 in this heavily planted tank. During the "day" the plants convert the CO2 into oxygen on thus aerate the water. CO2 cuts off at night. Just a couple days before this episode I turned the CO2 off and didn't think to add an aerator. None of my other fish showed issues with breathing, but the eel could be more sensitive to it. He started improving after I turned on an aerator (though he could've improved for other reasons). This is less likely then #1 since I've had the CO2 off before and never any issues, plus oxygen issues would cause lethargy I think...not spasming.

3. Parasite or some internal disease : this is the least likely I think simply due to his fast recovery on his own. I have no knowledge on how to diagnose parasites/diseases in eels so am only guessing at this one.

Happy to hear the Fire Eel is doing better.

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Glad he has pulled through!