Zebra Eel Not Eating

[ponokareefer]

I picked up this guy right at the start of the new year. The pet store said they saw it eat a silverside while it was there for the 2 weeks. It finally ate a small clam after I had it for about 3 weeks, but nothing since. I've been trying to feed it all the selection of seafood medley and then tried silversides with no further luck. I picked up a couple of emerald crabs to see if that would interest it, but it didn't. I'm at a loss as to what to get it so it doesn't die.

 

[Dmorty217]

Get raw shrimp to feed. Silversides aren't very beneficial nutrient wise. When I got mine I didn't see it for a month, now it's once a week to be fed a shrimp or two. He looks perfectly healthy from the pic you provided. I wouldn't be too worried. Don't suppose you QTed the eel?

 

[ponokareefer]

I'll try to get to a city to get some raw fresh seafood. I didn't quarantine the eel.

 

[Dmorty217]

I feed mine frozen raw shrimp shell on (I take the shell off otherwise he just spits it out in the tank)

 

[Megistos]

Echoing what these guys have said - raw shrimp (make sure no preservatives!) is about as good a food for these guys as you'll find. They're not really fish eaters.

Also, morays can go off food for seemingly no reason for several months without severe health consequences. I wouldn't really get worried until July.

 

[ChimolaFish]

its very common for them to go on hunger strikes. I would second shrimp, and I wouldn't bother feeding silversides ever again unless its like a treat. They really aren't nutritious for eels and a zebra eats mollusks in the wild. Can also try calamari or a white fish. My dragon loves mahi mahi, but again, its a piscivore. Could also try scallops, my eel hates em, but its an option. Just go to the seafood portion of your grocery store and look around. Doesn't need to be fancy, but make sure it's never been dethawed and refrozen.

Give him/her a week or two, until its settled in. Not eating is perfectly fine and normal for a new eel.

 

[rssjsb]

My eels always loved shrimp and squid. Trader Joe's sells a frozen seafood mix containing both, along with small scallops. As others have said, I wouldn't worry yet. Just keep offering.

 

[snorvich]

My eels always loved shrimp and squid. Trader Joe's sells a frozen seafood mix containing both, along with small scallops. As others have said, I wouldn't worry yet. Just keep offering.

this. Squid tends to be odoriferous and since eels hunt by smell, this may tempt him. Back when I kept eels, they went on hunger strikes but always eventually got back to eating, usually tempted by squid.