Snowflake eel randomly died after 4 days

[Reef_Tanks]

Not unusual for them to not eat after being put in. What all is in the tank besides the shark?

 

[littlefoxx]

Just a Flame Angel for now

Huh. Yeah I dont know why it died unfortunately

 

[Reef_Tanks]

Not unusual for them to not eat after being put in. What all is in the tank besides the shark?

Just a Flame Angel for now

 

[Reef_Tanks]

Huh. Yeah I dont know why it died unfortunately

Yeah i guess just unlucky idk

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah i guess just unlucky idk

Maybe try again? Wondering if whoever you got the eel from kept them in copper. Not uncommon for some places unfortunately

 

[Reef_Tanks]

Maybe try again? Wondering if whoever you got the eel from kept them in copper. Not uncommon for some places unfortunately

oh 100% im trying again wanted to have one for a while just unlucky this time

 

[Duane family]

The reality is that a fish dying after 4 days is not a random event. Where as a fish dying after 4 years would be a random event.

In this hobby we need to accept that losses due to unknown or known factors will likely occur within the first 3 months of acquiring a new fish. Its just something we need to accept. The real issue is that in general we do not know how the livestock was caught or handled at anytime after that till being collected from the end supplier.

These variables make a significant difference in the lifespan and outcome of each livestock item. Eels are not easy to catch and I would guess that cyanide may commonly be used to catch them.

In your case with the eel its entirely possible that the loss has nothing to do with your environment at all.

 

[Reef_Tanks]

The reality is that a fish dying after 4 days is not a random event. Where as a fish dying after 4 years would be a random event.

In this hobby we need to accept that losses due to unknown or known factors will likely occur within the first 3 months of acquiring a new fish. Its just something we need to accept. The real issue is that in general we do not know how the livestock was caught or handled at anytime after that till being collected from the end supplier.

These variables make a significant difference in the lifespan and outcome of each livestock item. Eels are not easy to catch and I would guess that cyanide may commonly be used to catch them.

In your case with the eel its entirely possible that the loss has nothing to do with your environment at all.

Yeah I'm like 99% sure i couldn't have done anything different to save it sadly but we move on hopefully I can get another one soonish and it lives a longer and better life

 

[EliMelly]

Doesn’t seem like you are responsible. I suggest buying from a specific source. I haven’t gone wrong with Mike @Dr. Reef . Check them out.

 

[Reef_Tanks]

Doesn’t seem like you are responsible. I suggest buying from a specific source. I haven’t gone wrong with Mike @Dr. Reef . Check them out.

I live in Australia so that might be an issue lol but yeah im certain it wasnt me seeing as the water was good and all my other fish and shark are thriving

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

If there is an epaulette shark then it definitely is not copper. Could be it was crushed by the epualettes jaws but you’d see some damage I’d think.

@Jay Hemdal

I saw this post yesterday - the only thought I had was that the issue was latent cyanide toxicity from collection. Morays all need to be caught with some special method - traps or hook and line are often used in the US, neck snares are sometimes used in SE Asia. These small, cheap morays are all (mostly?) caught with some chemical used to drive them out of the coral - bleach or cyanide. Cyanide causes high residual mortality in fish collected that way. Morays are a bit more resistant to cyanide poisoning I think, but there is still som mortality seen, usually in the first 40 days after collection.

 

[Slocke]

I saw this post yesterday - the only thought I had was that the issue was latent cyanide toxicity from collection. Morays all need to be caught with some special method - traps or hook and line are often used in the US, neck snares are sometimes used in SE Asia. These small, cheap morays are all (mostly?) caught with some chemical used to drive them out of the coral - bleach or cyanide. Cyanide causes high residual mortality in fish collected that way. Morays are a bit more resistant to cyanide poisoning I think, but there is still som mortality seen, usually in the first 40 days after collection.

That would make sense. Thanks for answering

 

[HAAAAAAAA]

So i bought a snowflake eel on Friday looking good exploring the tank and so on then woke up today and saw his tail tried to feed him for the first time by putting a tiny bit of prawn near him and i was wondering why it doesnt wanna eat next thing I touch the tail slightly no movement then pick up with my tongs and is dead.

The day i bought him all my water was testing fine only small issue was phos was 0.2 but was using phosphate remover but no way that had an impact on the eel. So I'm just curious to hear anybody's thoughts on how it may've died or did i just get really unlucky I literally have 0 idea. Just to add on it was fairly small.

As jay said, i can't see any other way the eel had died besides from ammonia poisoning (doesn't seem to be the case) but a more definite answer cyanide poisoning or the way it was caught, some of the eels caught here by local fishermen are handled poorly unless collected for the aquarium trade and some i believe do sustain internal injuries.

I have had a eel which was thought to be dead literally come back to life from ammonia poisoning and in short there just has to be something heck of a wrong for them to literally die and i can't see any other way other than drastic measures