# Fire eel not eating :s



## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright so I got a fire eel couple weeks ago and he will hardly eat 
I have tried blood worms, krill and mysis shrimp and he
Has no interest in any of it tested tank 
Multiple times everything is perfect tank is at 
77-79 any suggestions?


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

try some live foods. expensive but it might get him eating


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright any suggestion on what you think would be the best?


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## Snugpuppies (Jun 7, 2014)

I have a few eels and they always come out and eat if I throw in a few very small pieces of market prawn (thawed, uncooked, peeled and deveined). Best of luck


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

maybe some live fish that are smaller than the eels mouth. How big is he?


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright I'll try to feed him some shrimp thanks a lot 

He is about 5" he is a pretty small guy I have some tetras he 
Could fit in his mouth but he hasn't eatin them yet lol


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

If you can get some red wriggler worms, give them a try. Mine loved those guys


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright thanks guys I'll have to try all of that can't have him not eating and getting sick


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Just noticed 2 small lumps on the under side of his belly he didn't eat krill or shrimp put the food right in his face gonna try and track
Down some worms and really anything else I can get my hands on 
I'll try and get pics later of the lumps but anyone ever had an eel with those and 
Happen to know what they are
Anything helps thanks a lot guys


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## mendoza.inc (Jul 27, 2013)

Mine doesn't eat only eats night crawlers or red wigglers ,tried everything else I'm starving him right now to try to eat any thing else but still a no go.


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Yea myn has pretty much been starved for a month cause it's so damn picky but won't even look twice at anything


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Earth worms were a no go he played with it
For a second and Swam away tried for 30 mins to feed him 
Nothing gonna try and track down some
BlAck worms see if those will work.
Anyone in the Surrey area that has some or is selling them please let
Me know 
Thanks


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

Skip red wrigglers. Get some dew worms (earthworms). Cut one in half, drop in tank. The blood and movement of the cut worm should induce reflex attack by the fire eel. I have found earth worms work much better than red wrigglers; maybe it is the dirt inside the earth worm that makes the difference. Fire eels have a great sense of smell.


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

I tried earth worms yesterday and he liked how they wiggled but never ate it he had no interest in it once it stopped moving


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

He has 2 lumps in his belly you think they could be parasites and that's why he isn't esting


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## King-eL (Apr 21, 2010)

It's actually best not to introduce any worm type food. Unless you can still provide a large amount of worms when it get to 30"+. Fire eels usually starve itself to death once addicted to worms if you plan on stwitching to other foods when they get to 15-16"+. It's actually best to train juvenile fire eels or any spiny eels during lights off (complete darkness) and leave the room so it wont sense ur presense. Visit in about 3-4 hours if it ate the food. Remove if it doesn't. Try feeding cut up mussels and prawns/shrimps as well as fish. Once they recognize the food and happily accepts them, it will eventually become tame and get use to u around the tank. Will even beg or get petted once it gain confidence. Do not starve fire eel for more than a month. Once it get weaken it wont have any energy to eat and will starve itself to death.


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright thanks that helps a lot I'll go buy some muscles and small fish today and see if that works 
He ate for the first week I had him but after that I've tried about 6 different types of food now and no
Luck at all only problem with leaving the food is my stupid parrot fish eats everything in site but I'll try and build a cave
Only the eel can fit it
I appreciate it a lot thanks for the tips


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Will just grocery store muscles be fine?


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## stratos (Apr 21, 2010)

What King-El says is right, worms are addictive. But if that is all your eel will eat, then start with them. Once the eel is eating cut up earth worms for a few days, start mixing in Hikari carnivore pellets and bits of market prawn/mussel/fish with the worm blood. It is a "bloody mess", but it works to eventually get the eel eating food other than worms.

You mentioned you tried worms, but you don't mention whether you cut them up. I would try cutting them up.


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Alright I'll try that , thanks
Yea I cut them up really good 
He is going into a 30 gallon by himself for a little he has been
Itching himself in things and has lumps in his 
Belly so imma treat him for parasites see if that will help him any 
And I got him mussels and he wouldn't even bother with them at all 
Left then there nothing but my parrot and datnoids sure loved it lol


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

So eel still isn't looking good won't touch the food I leave for him 
The tank is at 78 nitrite (NO3) 0ppm nitrite (NO2) 0ppm ammonia 0ppm and PH level is at 7.4 
Can't find anything wrong . Still has lumps on his belly won't swim really anymore


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Guys please anything will help any ideas my eel looks like he is coughing now and he shakes he is very pale I don't know what going on anything will help please don't want him to die


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## vmette (Sep 28, 2011)

Right now he is in a 29 gallon hospital tank I double checked all ph and everything it's all level he is hiding all the lights are off and tank temp is at 79 I put s peice of mussel out for him to eat he is a bag of bones there isn't much left to him anymore


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