how long can they go without eating?

[cpm6t]

I haven't seen my fire eel eat yet. Its been two weeks since I had him now (about 1 feet long). He is in there with a bunch of small pBass & an Arowana. I always leave food in the bottom of the tank overnight, (fish fillets, frozen bloodworms or prawns) so I don't know whether he eats little bit when the lights are off.

He has a perfect hiding spot where he spends most of his time, sticking his head out.

My question is IF he is not eating, how long will he survive?

 

[jclyde13]

I'm not sure exactly how long they can go without eating (3 weeks... mayebe 6?), but as long as you are leaving food within his reach, he should be fine, assuming he is healthy.

 

[cpm6t]

I'm not sure exactly how long they can go without eating (3 weeks... mayebe 6?), but as long as you are leaving food within his reach, he should be fine, assuming he is healthy.

Thank you very much for the reply. I'll continue to leave the food overnight and hope for the best.

 

[jclyde13]

No problem. If it does start to look significantly underfed, it might mean that it has parasites, but it sounds like it's probably just the stress of adjusting to a new tank.


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[Africantigerfish]

sorry for my english

I have a fire eel about 14 inches and she is not eating since 2 months (and never see her eating). She seems not healthy for the last two weeks. I tried frozen shrimps, live fishes, bloodworms and live blackworms. I lost another one that I didnt see her eating for 3 months!!!

I had one for 8 years and now, i think im cursed.

Any idea what to try?

 

[cpm6t]

I still haven't seen my fire eel eating. He is still alive though. Don't know for how long. I've had him for about 7 weeks now.

 

[chanathon]

Stay positive. There was a time when all of a sudden my eel didn't "eat" for 3 months or so. I put quotes because I'm sure he ate when I wasn't looking. Just keep tossing in food every so often. Maybe try feeding with the lights off. Earthworms got mine to eat like a pig, then he readily took whatever else I tossed in the tank.