The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[Smoking Dragon]

I am away at Army school until the 28th in the evening. My son says my moray eel, Fred, is lathargic and not eating his normal amount each feeding. I asked him to check the water. My son says that from what he did the Ak and the salt is wrong. BTW my son is 14 and this is our 1st aquarium. Since I am not at home and I would like for someone with experience to look at my tank and posssibly show us how to fix it. I got this info late last night so I have not had a chance to call a aquarium maint company. But I will have to if I can not fine someone to help that is in the area.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by sergeant smoky

I am away at Army school until the 28th in the evening. My son says my moray eel, Fred, is lathargic and not eating his normal amount each feeding. I asked him to check the water. My son says that from what he did the Ak and the salt is wrong. BTW my son is 14 and this is our 1st aquarium. Since I am not at home and I would like for someone with experience to look at my tank and posssibly show us how to fix it. I got this info late last night so I have not had a chance to call a aquarium maint company. But I will have to if I can not fine someone to help that is in the area.

Eels typically go into "don't eat" episodes and is quite normal.
When you say lathargic, that pretty much describes all eels.

What has changed in the tank?
Is there excessive waste/food collected in it?
If there is, start by asking him to pull all that out.
Your alkalinity could not have changed much if no water change has been done.
Evaporation will affect it but not to affect the eel and can be corrected by adding fresh water.
Salinity will not affect them so rapidly. They can handle a wide range of low to high.

Ask your son if all has been as normal or has something happened?
If the tank is running fine with filtration, don't flip over it.
I have had eels go on hunger strikes for over three months.
Do you have fish?
What are they acting like?
Do they look normal?
They usually will stress before an eel does.

[Smoking Dragon]

There are no other fish in the tank. I did a 20% or so water change about 1 week ago. I replcaed the water with pre salinated water and some purified water. So that the salinity would not rise. Other than that nothing has changed. I say that he is looing lathargic because normally he swims around a bit in the tank, but now he just sits in his house. I now that when I first got him he was stressed form being in a box for about 4-5 days, and he did not eat for a couple of days. Then he started by eating 3-5 silver fish 2x daily. Then he went upto around 10 each feeding. COuld the amount of light be a factor? We have a light which we turn on in the morning and then open it up to indirect sunlight, then in the evening light for about 4-5 hours. SO all togather about 14 hous of light per day.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by sergeant smoky

There are no other fish in the tank. I did a 20% or so water change about 1 week ago. I replcaed the water with pre salinated water and some purified water. So that the salinity would not rise. Other than that nothing has changed. I say that he is looing lathargic because normally he swims around a bit in the tank, but now he just sits in his house. I now that when I first got him he was stressed form being in a box for about 4-5 days, and he did not eat for a couple of days. Then he started by eating 3-5 silver fish 2x daily. Then he went upto around 10 each feeding. COuld the amount of light be a factor? We have a light which we turn on in the morning and then open it up to indirect sunlight, then in the evening light for about 4-5 hours. SO all togather about 14 hous of light per day.

Light won't affect it or shouldn't, specially if it has been use to that.
If he is the only inhabitant, kind of tough to make a tank go south unless it is very small and hence any minimal change can affect it.
Is there food laying around as result of trying to feed him?
If there is, get that stuff out of there fast as that can cause harmful spikes.
Other than that, I would add some beneficial bacteria and some Amquel type product and wait and see.
Don't try to feed him any more.
When he is hungry, he will let you know
I have personally witnessed many eels, mine and that of my customers, that have for no reason gone on hunger strikes.
As much as three months have gone by and then suddenly, out of nowhere, they want to eat again.
That is quite normal so don't go nuts over it.

If you do some bacteria like Cycle or Bacter Vital and do some Amquel, you pretty much will address any lack of stability in the water.
Salinity can wait for you to return if needs adjustment.
I have taken eels from 23 or so down to 14 and have had no problems.

Let me know about the food as trying to feed and letting that sit can be real bad.

One more thing, silvesides are oily as heck.
Feed him the shrimp you and I buy at the store. Throw him an occasional fresh clam (freeze it first and then thaw for parasites).
That is all I feed mine. Less messy for the tank. Use a clear plastic feeding stick for the shrimp and hand feed him, hence controlling what stays in the tank and what is not consumed.

[Smoking Dragon]

We feed him thawed out frozen silver sliders. When I first got him I tried live goldfish, ghost shrimp. But he didn't touch any of em, maybe from stress of a new home. We keep em frozen and just thaw out what we use each feeding. there is no food at the bottom of the tank since we tong feed him. He will come up to the suface to feed. I used a gravel syphon when I changed out the partial water change, and sucked up stuff that I saw on the bottom. My son says that there is one pile of poop inside his house. I don't allow my son to move the house cause I don't want him to get bit. I just worry that he will be alright till I get home next Sat and for a few more days till I can get the water fixed.