Snowflake Moray Eel - Abnormal Behavior?

[MKG]

Hello,

Hoping to get some insight if any. I have a snowflake moray eel (had it for almost a year now), it’s a foot and a half long and currently going through a dormant feeding period. It hasn’t eaten really in a few weeks with the exception of a small chunk of squid that floated near him a week or so ago.
Every feeding time I offer food by using my tongs to place it in front of it

I’ve have witnessed him circle and nip at the end of his tail which has cause the tip/skin to be exposed. Does anyone know what could be causing this? My water levels all appear fine from my test kit. The eel will attack its own tail every other week or so and I can’t see what could be the cause of it.

 

[littlefoxx]

@lion king

 

[Ev8siveaz]

I am literally having the same issue with my grey face. He is on week 3 of not eating and literally keeps going after his tail. I've had him for 3 years and have never seen this behavior before. How is yours doing?

 

[MKG]

I am literally having the same issue with my grey face. He is on week 3 of not eating and literally keeps going after his tail. I've had him for 3 years and have never seen this behavior before. How is yours doing?

I am literally having the same issue with my grey face. He is on week 3 of not eating and literally keeps going after his tail. I've had him for 3 years and have never seen this behavior before. How is yours doing?

My snowflake has turned a corner in terms of his eating habits. He has recently eaten a silverside fish in the past two feedings (I feed my tank every two/three days). I have not noticed him going for him tail lately, hopefully this is just a weird phase for your eel. I’ve visited my LFS and even they haven’t heard of this before.

 

[leviticus]

My Honeycomb Eel will sometimes refuse food for up to 7 days. He acts interested and puts his mouth around the food but ultimately he goes back into his cave. Eventually he starts acting more aggressive and eating again. I think all Eels act like this sometimes.

 

[leviticus]

Sometimes I have better luck when I use Squid, Silver Sides, or Jumbo Shrimp when hes not eating.

 

[Ev8siveaz]

Mine hasn't eaten for 4 weeks now. I've had him for 3 years and he has never gone this long without eating. I'm not sure what's going on with him. He comes out and swims and cruises around like he's hungry but then doesn't take food. He's been off and on active. Some days he just hangs out in his cave all day. Others he is swimming, on top of rocks, and just cruising. Doesn't seem like there is a method to his madness. I did catch a video of him attacking his tail when I was trying to feed him.

 

[piranhaman00]

My jeweled moray went 5 weeks without food after moving her to new tank. I would try feeding a wide range of foods every days stick food right in face.

 

[Ev8siveaz]

My jeweled moray went 5 weeks without food after moving her to new tank. I would try feeding a wide range of foods every days stick food right in face.

I definitely have so far. I've tried salmon, squid, shrimp, silversides, and even fresh cherrystone clams. He doesn't seem to want anything he will usually take.

 

[Ev8siveaz]

My eel came out during feeding time today and I noticed that his tail doesn't look too good. I'm thinking bacterial infection. Here's a video for reference. @Jay Hemdal do you think i should separate and treat for this?

 

[rhitee93]

I'm far from an eel expert, but being a new eel owner, I have spent a lot of time reading eel threads over the last few months.

I saw silversides mentioned, but what else are you guys feeding them? What brand of silversides? Many are reported to have high levels of thiaminase.

I've heard some of the gurus around here talk about how an incomplete diet can take months/years to manifest into issues. Maybe one of them will be along shortly.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My eel came out during feeding time today and I noticed that his tail doesn't look too good. I'm thinking bacterial infection. Here's a video for reference. @Jay Hemdal do you think i should separate and treat for this?

That looks superficial to me. I’ve seen eels heal from huge gashes.

My concern is that it’s self inflicted, right? I’ve not seen that in eels before, and I’ve worked with hundreds of them over the years - and just in this thread there are two cases!

Here is just wild thought: piranha become cannabalistic when they are deficient in thiamine. Could your eel be thiamin deficient and then is self mutilating?
I supplement thiamin to all me eel’s diets, so that might explain why I’ve never seen this.

Jay

 

[Ev8siveaz]

That looks superficial to me. I’ve seen eels heal from huge gashes.

My concern is that it’s self inflicted, right? I’ve not seen that in eels before, and I’ve worked with hundreds of them over the years - and just in this thread there are two cases!

Here is just wild thought: piranha become cannabalistic when they are deficient in thiamine. Could your eel be thiamin deficient and then is self mutilating?
I supplement thiamin to all me eel’s diets, so that might explain why I’ve never seen this.

Jay

@Jay Hemdal
That is a good point. That could be the case as I haven't been as great about soaking his food in vita chem and selcon (although I do from time to time) as I have with the other fish. On the other hand, he does eat a lot of fresh sockeye salmon. I thought that had B1 in it so I would think he has been getting thiamin. Should I give his tail time to heal and see if he starts eating again? This time I'll soak all his food. He hasn't eaten in over a month now and won't take to anything I've offered. I have definitely offered a variety. I'm at a loss with him at this point.

 

[littlefoxx]

My jeweled moray went 5 weeks without food after moving her to new tank. I would try feeding a wide range of foods every days stick food right in face.

You have a jeweled too?? Never seen another person who has one

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

@Jay Hemdal
That is a good point. That could be the case as I haven't been as great about soaking his food in vita chem and selcon (although I do from time to time) as I have with the other fish. On the other hand, he does eat a lot of fresh sockeye salmon. I thought that had B1 in it so I would think he has been getting thiamin. Should I give his tail time to heal and see if he starts eating again? This time I'll soak all his food. He hasn't eaten in over a month now and won't take to anything I've offered. I have definitely offered a variety. I'm at a loss with him at this point.

Correct - the salmon should have plenty of thiamin in it, so you can probably rule that out.

jay

 

[Ev8siveaz]

Correct - the salmon should have plenty of thiamin in it, so you can probably rule that out.

jay

@Jay Hemdal he still hasn't taken any food. He did come out today for a bit and I got a good video of his tail. I do catch him chasing it all the time. Pretty weird behavior.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

@Jay Hemdal he still hasn't taken any food. He did come out today for a bit and I got a good video of his tail. I do catch him chasing it all the time. Pretty weird behavior.

Sorry - I don't have any idea why it is doing that!