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

[Tiera]

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

I added a small amount of 'tropical salt' the other day but I'm not sure what amount equates to brackish, and where to confirm I should do this...

Hmm a month for your piranha is reassuring as he is a big guy with lots of reserves.

 

[Tiera]

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. =)

I contacted the store and they only had him a few days. They weren't much help about the supplier.

I'll try the feeding idea.

I'm hoping to ID him 100% so I have a better chance of getting his water right, but I'm not having much luck

 

[justarn]

if you search for freashwater eel and dig a bit im sure you'll find there are none, they spawn in fresh water then travel down stream when they grow... assuming he's a proper eel and not a fish that looks like an eel such as fire eels and tyre tracks... looks like a proper eel to me?

 

[Chub_by]

if you search for freashwater eel and dig a bit im sure you'll find there are none, they spawn in fresh water then travel down stream when they grow... assuming he's a proper eel and not a fish that looks like an eel such as fire eels and tyre tracks... looks like a proper eel to me?

Noooooo.
Sorry, but this is utterly wrong!
These fish are migratory, but they do not live in saltwater and spawn in fresh.
They live in FRESH! their whole lives, then migrate to the sea where they spawn and die.
Anguilla rostrata ( American Eel) and A.Anguilla( European Eel) migrate to the sargasso sea, not sure about longfin eels though.
But if kept in tanks, they can lose their reproductive instincts and live very long without migrating. A european eel in a swedish aquarium lived over 80 years.
OP, again I can advise you to try worms, and what the other eel owners told you.
Btw AFAIK all commercially sold longfin eels are from NZ.

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[Tiera]

if you search for freashwater eel and dig a bit im sure you'll find there are none, they spawn in fresh water then travel down stream when they grow... assuming he's a proper eel and not a fish that looks like an eel such as fire eels and tyre tracks... looks like a proper eel to me?

cheers. I'll get a tester kit tomorrow to bring the water hardness up to brackish

 

[Tiera]

Noooooo.
Sorry, but this is utterly wrong!
These fish are migratory, but they do not live in saltwater and spawn in fresh.
They live in FRESH! their whole lives, then migrate to the sea where they spawn and die.
Anguilla rostrata ( American Eel) and A.Anguilla( European Eel) migrate to the sargasso sea, not sure about longfin eels though.
But if kept in tanks, they can lose their reproductive instincts and live very long without migrating. A european eel in a swedish aquarium lived over 80 years.
OP, again I can advise you to try worms, and what the other eel owners told you.
Btw AFAIK all commercially sold longfin eels are from NZ.

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I had read they stay in land until they migrate and also commonly found in farmers dams, but thought I may have mis understood where 'brackish' water is found, plus so many other eels seem to need it.

Ok so for now I will:

Feeding: I will attempt earth worms, blood worms and other meats; try small feeds, removing left overs after 5mins.

Water parameters: not brackish; get temp back down; add another air stone at other end of tank

Set up: I have just added a PVC pipe for him to hide

Thanks Chub_by now I know it's NZ that helps alot.

I frequently test: pH, Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Should I be concerned about any other parameters for my eel?


Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[Chub_by]

Sounds like a very good plan. Smokey will be very happy if you keep that up

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[lix.ma14]

wow!