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HELP! Sick Peacock Eel

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9.1K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  snail  
T
#1 ·
On Wednesday I purchased some live black worms and fed them to my fish. They LOVED them, especially my eel. I made sure to rinse them well before feeding them to the fish, and the worms appeared very lively and bunched in a tight ball.

On Wednesday evening there was an emergency. Our stove caught fire, and half the kitchen was burning, filling the house with black smoke. I believe that ash fell into the tank, but the water is still clear. But I noticed that evening that the eel was acting strange.

He's not normal when it comes to peacock eels. I've had him several months and he's never been shy except the first day he came home. He loves to swim around and forage, and he hangs around my loaches. That evening I noticed him hiding in a cave, tilted slightly onto his side. The next day he was still hiding, but I saw him come out throughout the day to slowly swim around. I fed some more live black worms and he ate them, so I knew he was still eating. I figured maybe he was just being shy.

But today he's at the top, drifting around and looking very sick. Now I'm very worried. Wednesday was his first time ever eating the live worms, he'd always had frozen blood worms up until now. Could that have caused it? Is there anything I can do for him at this point?
 
T
#3 ·
Ok I just spent a few minutes observing him. He's decided he's had enough floating around at the top and went to chill along the side behind a plant. He's having some obvious trouble swimming normally, seems "unbalanced" and is keeping his head low with his tail straight up and down. Pretty much vertical in the water. He looks beat up starting around where his anus is in about a centimeter band that is on both sides, sorta looks like he got squeezed or something (though he didn't) it also looks like there are minuscule air bubbles stuck on his gills on one side. Not sure what that is about- there were more air bubbles stuck on him when he was at the top but they are gone. It doesn't look like ich- I've had that before and I know what it looks like.

I decided to see if he would eat, even though he looks so sickly and the darn thing ate like 5 black worms! So what's his deal here, I really don't want to see him die! He's grown so much since I've had him and even started eating from my hand. The most friendly peacock eel I've ever had!
 
S
#4 ·
I'd do a 50% water change with dechlorinated water for the next few days incase it has been contaminated (could have been some thing to do with the fire?). I take half the water out and then replace in several lots over an hr or two so as not to be too big a change at once.

Have you tested the water? Water quality is often the problem with sick fish. Is the tank cycled? A spike in amonia could also have been caused by feeding your fish more than you normaly do for example.

Is there any tank mate that could be picking on him, causing stress and injury?
 
T
#5 ·
He took a turn for the worse. I have him separated now but he's barely breathing. He's done for I think, sadly.

I did get my water tested, my nitrates were extremely high. That would be the problem I'm guessing. With the leak, and the water being low, things must have just gone wrong.

They're all in their new tank now, and doing great... except for Mr. Eel.
 
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