Skinny peacock eel going downhill fast

[MissInked]

I have a 30 gallon tank (plan on getting a bigger one set up and running soon) with a peacock eel, three surpae tetras, and a male betta. The tank has been running for a while and is established. I have medium sized gravel, so it's too big for the eel to burrow, but I've got a few different decorations set up that he hid under when I first got him. In the last few weeks I've had him, he has been getting skinnier, and he is no longer hiding, but just laying on his side on the gravel. I'm worried the tetras are eating all the bloodworms off the bottom of the tank during the night, and he isn't eating (I'm rehoming the tetras, so I can just have the eel in the tank by himself, to get him in better health). I've had eels in the past, but they were all much longer and bigger when I first purchased them then this guy was. I haven't seen him eat at all (but I never saw any of my other eels eat, either. After a few months when they were still alive, I just assumed they were obviously eating the bloodworms at some point).

I'm going to the store tomorrow to see if I can grab a different type of food to interest him (any suggestions? Heart, brine shrimp? I've heard red wigglers and earthworms are good, but this guy is so tiny, I doubt he could get them down).

Any advice? He's so skinny now, I expect to wake up every morning and find him dead, but he's been hanging on. I've gotten quite attatched to Waldo (named him because you can never find him), and I don't want him to die. Temperature and tank levels are all good. All my other fish (and shrimp and snails) are doing great. Eel just doesn't look like he's been eating at all.

 

[MissInked]

Forgot to add, this is my poor little guy. I cut up a piece of a container and made a makeshift hiding spot for him, so he isn't just laying on the gravel, stressed out and in the open. Turkey basted plenty of bloodworms in there earlier and turned the lights off, so hopefully the tetras and shrimp won't get to them before he has a chance to.



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[strollo22]

Chopped up earthworms would be good. Maybe think about starting to treat for an internal parasite. Api general cure is good for treating a broad range of parasites.


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[MissInked]

Ah, dangit! Went to check up on him just now and he finally gave up and died. Already had a guy come pick up the tetras, so I'm back to an empty tank (besides the shrimp, snails and betta). Guess I'll be doing some researching and re-checking to make sure all my levels are good, then looking into starting over again.
Thanks for the advice, Strollo22. I'll grab some nightcrawlers and mix those into the diet for the next eel I get.

 

[strollo22]

Sorry for your loss. I suspect a parasite was the cause


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[MissInked]

Sorry for your loss. I suspect a parasite was the cause


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If it was something he came with, would that have stayed in him the whole time? Should I let the tank run empty for a while, to make sure I don't infect the next guys I add?

 

[MonsterMinis]

sorry for your loss.. anytime dealing with spineys imo you should have live blackworms available. once established is easier to get them onto other foods. frozen bloodworms will caue them to slowly starve to death due to improper nutrition if that is all they are getting. alot of spineys do have IPs when you get them. I use prazi-pro. often a single dose works but sometiems you may need to follow it up with another treatment or so.

 

[MissInked]

sorry for your loss.. anytime dealing with spineys imo you should have live blackworms available. once established is easier to get them onto other foods. frozen bloodworms will caue them to slowly starve to death due to improper nutrition if that is all they are getting. alot of spineys do have IPs when you get them. I use prazi-pro. often a single dose works but sometiems you may need to follow it up with another treatment or so.

Oh no! Well now I just feel awful for doing that to him. Thank you for the advice. It's obvious I need to do a lot more research before I add anything to my tank. It's pretty empty at the moment, I'm just adding some vegetation and letting it run for a while, while I decide what I want to do next. I have to admit, I am definitely not an expert. I worked in the fish section at Petsmart a few years back (I know, I know. Please don't think less of me), and fell in love with the peacock eels back then. We only fed them bloodworms there. I will definitely be varying my next eels diet, when I decide to start adding again. How long would you recommend feeding blackworms before beginning to vary their diet, and adding bloodworms? The research I have found says they are a little too rich to be a daily staple, and should only be fed weekly. I picked up some brine shrimp and beef heart today to add to the mix when I get my eel, and have been told cut up night crawlers and red wigglers are a good addition as well.

 

[steve617]

I feed mine half of red worms he loves them. I hand feed him. Took one time now he sees me and sums around unfilled I feed him. Defiently.need more than frozen bloodworms.
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[MissInked]

Came home today and both my shrimp were dead, too. They've been cleaning my tank nonstop since the day I got them. Only recent thing I've done was add a few plants. All my levels are still coming up normal. Looks like I'll be letting my tank run empty for a while. Obviously something is killing everything off. :-\ Really liked my little shrimp.