Snowflake eel disease

[Eeels]

I’m planning on getting a snowflake eel. What diseases do they get, and how do I treat them?

 

[bryanfuel]

Eels are very very resistant to diseases. They have a mucus coating on the outside that protects them from external bugs (ich, velvet, etc). They are also very resistant to poor water and basically anything you can throw at them. I had a heater malfunction and cook my tank to 93F for 8 hours and my eel was fine. I have a friend that had a snowflake eel trapped under a under-gravel filter for 6 months and survive. I've heard stories of people coming home from work to find their eel on the floor to just toss it back in the tank and it continues on it's merry way.

I've owned 4 different eels and never had any internal parasite issues but I suppose they would still be susceptible to those. Maybe someone else has some experience with that.

 

[lion king]

Eels do come in with internal parasites frequently. i suggest a treatment with general cure in the water column, because observing can be tricky. One indicator is not eating, but eels can go on hunger strikes when being moved, changes in their environment, and just cause. Initial indications can be an insatiable appetite, but it's hard to judge what's too much. Inspecting the tank for stringy poo can also prove difficult, you'll likely not see it hanging like with other fish. They can live with internal parasites for over a month before you realize it and then it will likely be too late. many have lost eels this way and just chock it up to undetermined. So I do strongly suggest treating for internal parasites.

 

[Terri Caton]

Eels do come in with internal parasites frequently. i suggest a treatment with general cure in the water column, because observing can be tricky. One indicator is not eating, but eels can go on hunger strikes when being moved, changes in their environment, and just cause. Initial indications can be an insatiable appetite, but it's hard to judge what's too much. Inspecting the tank for stringy poo can also prove difficult, you'll likely not see it hanging like with other fish. They can live with internal parasites for over a month before you realize it and then it will likely be too late. many have lost eels this way and just chock it up to undetermined. So I do strongly suggest treating for internal parasites.

So true! Mine disappears for 2-3 days almost every time I put my hands in the tank or even add a new fish!

 

[Katrina71]

@Robin Haselden has experience with eels too. Any success tips you can add?

 

[bryanfuel]

Eels do come in with internal parasites frequently. i suggest a treatment with general cure in the water column, because observing can be tricky. One indicator is not eating, but eels can go on hunger strikes when being moved, changes in their environment, and just cause. Initial indications can be an insatiable appetite, but it's hard to judge what's too much. Inspecting the tank for stringy poo can also prove difficult, you'll likely not see it hanging like with other fish. They can live with internal parasites for over a month before you realize it and then it will likely be too late. many have lost eels this way and just chock it up to undetermined. So I do strongly suggest treating for internal parasites.

Good to know for future eels for me! Definitely agree that they are hard to diagnose. The normal symptoms of a sick fish (lack of eating, lethargic, poor bouyency, unusual poop) don't really apply to eels.