New owner of a 2ft Long Fin Eel called 'Smokey'

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T

Tiera

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 2, 2013
9
0
0
Adelaide
Hi I'm new to the site and excited to have recently bought a long fin freshwater eel, but worryingly he isn't eating. My previous experience has been with african cichlids.
He still looks plump as when we got him but his stomach looks empty :(
We've tried prawns, muscle, blood worm, beef and live feeder fish.
Anyone got any ideas to get him eating? Will he starve to death?

Also to make matters worse, today the tank overheated and he's keeping to the top of the tank - the temp is lower now but will he have permenant damage?
 
Try earthworms for food (eels love earthworms) and stick an air pump in there for more oxygen.

Where did you get him? Good luck!:)

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smokey.jpg
This is Smokey

I have an internal filter but it's outlet is above the water to cause ripples and there is an air pump to an air stone. Is that enough?

i got him from an aquarium store on the other side of Adelaide. I got the impression he was wild caught by their supplier. We are thinking of getting another one but still trying to confirm if they prefer to be with other eels or not? - also want him settled and feeding and tank parameters perfect before adding another to the tank.

smokey.jpg
 
My eels like bloodworms and prawns but goes mad for live river shrimp.

Keep a close eye on him re overheating but they are pretty hardy guys. Mine has jumped out 3 times. Twice he must have been out over 3 hours ans was all dry and covered in hair from going down the back of the radiator.. plopped him back in each time and after a day or two he's back to his old self again.

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wow they sound hardy! I figure once he's eating that's the hard part done but I've had him since Dec 9th plus time at the shop and in quarantine...
I was worried bloodworm are too small? Are the ones you feed frozen or alive?
 
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I thought when I bought Smokey I was getting an Australian long fin eel but he has little horns at the tip of his nose - like some footage I saw of NZ eels, and he's not speckled like pics of Aussie eels I've seen... Anyone got any idea?

196562_10200873160850419_2126258682_n.jpg
 
I wish you luck. Never saw success with keeping eels in tanks. Hope you disproove me.
 
Very hard to say if the eel will have permanent damage from the overheating. Time will tell.
Just keep trying with the food, keep give it, if the eel doesnt eat it within a few - 5 minutes take the food away and repeat this again after a couple of hours.
Check with the old owner and see what temperature it lived in before u got it. Se what he gave the eel to eat, check with the old owner IF the eel was eating before u got it. =)
 
ive heard all true eels are brackish to full marine? maybe some aquarium salt would help? do some research before you take my word for gospal tho... i had a manny piranha once that took over a month to start feeding! good luck
 
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