SF Eel not eating..help!!!

[msudawgs56]

I have a snowflake eel about 11 inches long that I have had for about 5 months now. He has not eaten in over a week.

I fed him a raw shrimp the last time i saw him eat. He ate almost an entire jumbo shrimp. I have tried everything... my water params are good, all tankmates are eating like pigs..

My eel just sticks his head out of his hole and watches everything else tear up the food...he never comes out to eat. I use to have to keep the lid shut due to him trying to come out and get the food before it hits the water...

Anyone know if this is normal???? I mean he ate a huge shrimp the last time....

Any help will be appreciated...

 

[Absint Reefer]

this is normal eels have a slow metabolism so they can fast for long periods of time he's just digesting that huge shrimp you gave him

 

[Ranzan]

how often do you feed him?

 

[wshive]

I think an entire jumbo shrimp for an 11" eel is a LOT. He is no doubt stuffed and that's why he's not been eating. Also (though I've never had this happen w/ my SFE) I've heard countless times that eels randomly go on hunger strikes, sometimes for as long as a couple months.

 

[msudawgs56]

Well he stole the shrimp off my feeding stick, i was trying to let the puffers tear into it and he jerked it right off and went into his hole.

thanks for the input...

 

[Sharkbait74]

Try ghost shrimp/camel shrimp (about $5) or a few hermit crabs to spawn the predatory instinct to eat. BUT... really, a week is nothing. It's better to be familiar with your eel's girth. If it starts going flat... you have a starving eel. A plump girthed eel that does not feed for 3 or 4 weeks is of no concern

 

[Sharkbait74]

Of note... not sure if some of you eel lovers are aware... but the most common health issue with eels is goiters from lack of nutrition. ENSURE you are feeding a variety of food items.

Personally, every 3 days i feed my 2ft snowflake and I rotate the following food items each feeding:
Tiger Prawn, Scallops, Krill, Squid, Clam.
Sometimes it doesn't seem to like the squid or clam, if it doesn't eat anything... I wait two days until I see it feed... then i start the 3 day cycle over again. I also soak my thawed foods in Selcon.

It's better to prevent a nutritional deficiency goiter than to deal with one after the fact.