moray eel issues

[Riveraqua]

I'm aware this is a brackish/marine fish and it shouldn't be posted in the saltwater section, but I desperately need advice from someone knowledgeable about freshwater moray injuries, not just general info.

Help! My 18-inch freshwater moray (Gymnothorax Tile) is sitting at weird angles, and when it twists its head, one of its gills stops working and it starts coughing really badly. It's always had issues sitting straight, but now it barely eats, and when it does, it looks painful. I think it's had nerve damage, but now I suspect something in its gill pouch got hurt. It recently got into a fight with a 3.5-inch Grey Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) that was trying to eat my new small moray, but ended up attacking my sick moray's head instead. Please help me figure out what's going on.

Water parameters: pH 7.8, Specific Gravity 1.014. All my other fish are fine, including the new juvenile freshwater moray.

[Kalimero]

I'm truly sorry to hear about your eel's struggles. To better assist you, we need more information about your eel's condition and the tank setup. You see, the eel's body in freshwater is quite complex, comprising the heart, liver, glands, stomach, and more. Unlike most fish we keep, eels are indeed one of the hardiest.

For those who may not know, there's a key difference between freshwater and marine species - the fluffnut, and freshwater eels aren't considered true eels.

I recall a similar situation with an SFE owner on AC, where everything about the eel and tank setup was, in my opinion, incorrect. I had to inform him that his eel's stunted growth was likely due to his care. He had the eel for three years, and it wasn't nearly the size it should've been.

When keeping eels for many years, various factors come into play, including nutritional fluffnut and great water conditions, with regular water changes.

Regarding your snapper incident, it sounds like the snapper tried to swallow your eel whole. This is a common problem when keeping larger fish with morays, which don't grow as large. Your eel is likely stressed out, and depending on the incident's duration, it may recover. However, I think it's best to move the eel to a QT tank and consider removing the snapper to prevent further stress.

The damage caused by the snapper depends on the pressure applied while the eel was in its mouth. The longer it lasted, the worse off the eel would be.

When keeping eels, it's essential not to house fish that are far too large and can cause serious damage, like snappers, groupers, and triggers. The gill that stopped working was likely damaged by the snapper's pressure. To recover, the eel needs its own tank.

Snappers aren't much different from groupers when it comes to prey; they can swallow small eels whole, and they'll take the eel head-first. If you can provide a close-up of the eel's gill and head area, it might be helpful. Also, your salinity is too high; try to get it down to 1.010.

[Riveraqua]

I'm truly sorry to hear about your eel's struggles. To better assist you, we need more information about your eel's condition and the tank setup. You see, the eel's body in freshwater is quite complex, comprising the heart, liver, glands, stomach, and more. Unlike most fish we keep, eels are indeed one of the hardiest.

For those who may not know, there's a key difference between freshwater and marine species - the fluffnut, and freshwater eels aren't considered true eels.

I recall a similar situation with an SFE owner on AC, where everything about the eel and tank setup was, in my opinion, incorrect. I had to inform him that his eel's stunted growth was likely due to his care. He had the eel for three years, and it wasn't nearly the size it should've been.

When keeping eels for many years, various factors come into play, including nutritional fluffnut and great water conditions, with regular water changes.

Regarding your snapper incident, it sounds like the snapper tried to swallow your eel whole. This is a common problem when keeping larger fish with morays, which don't grow as large. Your eel is likely stressed out, and depending on the incident's duration, it may recover. However, I think it's best to move the eel to a QT tank and consider removing the snapper to prevent further stress.

The damage caused by the snapper depends on the pressure applied while the eel was in its mouth. The longer it lasted, the worse off the eel would be.

When keeping eels, it's essential not to house fish that are far too large and can cause serious damage, like snappers, groupers, and triggers. The gill that stopped working was likely damaged by the snapper's pressure. To recover, the eel needs its own tank.

Snappers aren't much different from groupers when it comes to prey; they can swallow small eels whole, and they'll take the eel head-first. If you can provide a close-up of the eel's gill and head area, it might be helpful. Also, your salinity is too high; try to get it down to 1.010.

I'm really sorry you're having a tough time with your eel, but to be honest, we need more info than what you've given us so far. The thing is, eels are complex creatures, with hearts, livers, glands, stomachs, and more - way more complicated than most fish we keep.

One key difference between freshwater and marine eels is their, well, let's just say it's not just about the fluffnut - and freshwater eels aren't even considered true eels, technically.

Not too long ago, another guy on AC had a similar issue with his SFE, and in my opinion, everything about his situation was just wrong - the eel, the tank setup, the whole thing. I had to break it to him that he was probably stunting the eel's growth, and it was only a fraction of the size it should've been after three years.

When it comes to keeping eels long-term, it's all about balance - the right nutrition, top-notch water conditions, and regular water changes without fail.

Now, about that snapper trying to swallow your eel - I'm getting the feeling that this big fish was trying to take down your eel whole. If that's the case, this is exactly why you shouldn't keep larger fish with morays - they just don't mix, and now your eel's totally stressed out. Depending on how long this went on, it might still recover, but it needs to be in a QT, not this tank.

If I'm being honest, I think the snapper's done some serious damage to your eel, especially if it had a tight grip on it. The longer it was stuck, the worse it'll be - even if it's still alive.

The thing is, when keeping eels, you gotta be careful not to house them with fish that are way too big - tangs are one thing, but snappers and groupers are a whole different story, and triggers aren't much better. That gill that stopped working? Yeah, the snapper probably put too much pressure on it, and now your eel needs its own tank to recover - if it can.

Snappers aren't that different from groupers when it comes to hunting, and they'll swallow eels whole, just like groupers do. They'll even take the eel head-first, just like eels do when they hunt.

If you can get a close-up of your eel's gill and head area, that might help us figure out what's going on. And, by the way, your salinity's a bit too high - get it down to 1.010, max.

[Kalimero]

I still believe that freshwater morays aren't the true eels, but I see what you mean about the genus. However, in this case, the snapper's actions weren't confused, similar to how groupers swallow whole when they can. I understand the snapper is small, but its actions indicate that your eel will suffer again if it recovers.

If the photo was taken after the incident, it's not surprising that it doesn't show much, even if the eel is extremely stressed. I still think that keeping a docile eel with an aggressive fish like the snapper, which will eat anything that fits in its jaws, isn't a good idea.

Considering the eel doesn't appear to be in critical condition, I suggest keeping it separate from the snapper and any other larger fish. Maintain high water quality and provide a healthy diet. Eels, whether brackish, marine, or freshwater, have remarkable healing powers, but you must minimize stress.

For now, I recommend monitoring the eel closely for the next week or two. If it shows no signs of illness by the middle of the second week, it should be fine and start eating again. You might need to try feeding it smaller fish pieces, as I'm concerned it may have difficulties swallowing larger pieces of food. This is a technique I've used for ill morays or eels that have gone on a long hunger strike.

[floralix]

I'm not much help with your issue, but I gotta correct you - freshwater eels aren't a thing, at least not in the true sense of the word.

[Kalimero]

I'm not much help with your issue, but I gotta correct you - freshwater eels aren't a thing, at least not in the true sense of the word.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Kalimero, but I think I got a bit of a lecture instead of actual advice on how to help my eel heal. I mean, I appreciate the info, but that's not really what I'm looking for right now.

So, is there anything I can do to help my eel recover, or is it just a waiting game? I know it's a true eel, Gymnothorax genus, same as the Green Moray. And yeah, the snapper was small, but it still managed to cause some damage. I'll attach a picture, but like I said, the damage seems internal, so it might not show up.

I'm just worried about my eel, and I want to know if there's anything I can do to help it.

[zenoxa]

Indeed, there is a species of moray that can live in fresh water for it's entire life. I'm referring to the Gymnothorax tile, which is actually the species I'm dealing with right now.

As for the problem, I would probably just leave the fish alone and let it heal itself. Internal damage can be tricky, and I wouldn't want to cause any further stress. Just feed it as normal and give it time, that's my approach.

[Kalimero]

Indeed, there is a species of moray that can live in fresh water for it's entire life. I'm referring to the Gymnothorax tile, which is actually the species I'm dealing with right now.

As for the problem, I would probably just leave the fish alone and let it heal itself. Internal damage can be tricky, and I wouldn't want to cause any further stress. Just feed it as normal and give it time, that's my approach.

That be pretty much what I've been trying to say, but do keep a close eye on the eel for the next couple of weeks, and be prepared for its situation to take a turn for the worse if things don't go as planned.

[zenfox8]

I'm not much help with your issue, but I gotta correct you - freshwater eels aren't a thing, at least not in the true sense of the word.

You should be aware that there are species of morays, like Gymnothorax polyuranodon, that live their entire lives in freshwater environments in the wild.