MorayDisFAQ2

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Moray Disease FAQs 2

Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 2 – 10/10/09
Hi Marco,
<Hello Janie.>
We put live shrimps and small fish and nothing.
<Will take some time.>
I have not check the water yet, this new tank got filled with water right from the ocean, we put some fish first and then the eel about 2 days later without checking the levels.
<So this tank is not a cycled, biologically stable system? Water does not carry a lot of useful bacteria for the cycling process, only very porous rock and substrate do. I see from your video you got some rock in there and hope this is live rock. Be sure to check the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates as noted in the last email. If any ammonia or nitrites are measurable or if the nitrates are above 25 ppm do larger water changes to bring them down and keep ammonia and nitrites 0. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm>
What should we do about her skin and broken tail ?
<If the water parameters are already as noted above, start an antibiotic treatment with e.g. Maracyn 2 preferably in a hospital tank (no skimming, activated carbon and live substrate or rock) if available.>
By the way, see the attached video clip of the eel, how do you think she looks? How can I cure her broken tail?
<Breathing a little fast… another indicator of possible problems with the water. Do you have enough current and a skimmer sufficient for the tank? I’ve seen worse wounds heal at this species, so there still is hope. As noted above, I’d first check the water, it is possible an improvement of water quality may be the only treatment necessary. The immune system of this eel seems to be down due to a lack of vitamins and/or environmental problems, opportunistic bacterial infections (“flesh eating bacteria”) likely have infected minor scratches. It is possible an improvement of the water will be sufficient alone, this would mean no additional stress for the eel. If this is not the case an antibiotic treatment will be necessary. I’d also offer him more shelter where he can completely hide, the eel does indeed look stressed to me. If you have success with feeding be sure to use vitamins regularly. I do wish you good luck. Marco.>

Re Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 3 – 10/12/09
Marco,
<Janie.>
We checked the water and it is excellent
<What are nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and pH at?>
, only the ph is a little low and we started adding the buffer to stabilize it.
<A pH drop can indeed be reason for a moray eel to refuse to eat. Surface current and a skimmer will also help to keep the pH up, so you will need no or much less buffer.>
This tank was already cycled when we got it and yes, those are live sand and live rocks which by the way we have arranged many times but the eels keeps on knocking them down and pushing them so I gave up for now until she is better and we can try to re-arrange the rocks again.

We do not have a skimmer so we are planning to either buy it or make it.
<I’d urgently recommend to get a skimmer soon. This will help with both – the pH and the health situation of the eel (by removing bacteria and organics from the water).>
I started putting garlic Xtreme in the tank, since it is a 90 gal I added 9 drops on Saturday, I was told that it is safe for all fish and rocks and the bottle said that it helps on bacterial infections and wounds.
<May help to make the food smell interesting, but the antibacterial properties are rather small.>
Will it be safe for the eel's tail? How often should I put those drops?
<Safe: yes, Useful: I doubt it. Can be added daily.>
She looks a little more calm but still not eating, I am not sure if it is because she is getting used to the new tank or because she is getting weak.
<More likely the first and the jaw will also hurt. What are you trying to feed? Adequate foods are: fish filet, shrimps, crabs (preferred food item of your species), mussel and clam flesh, octopus and squid.>
In regards to the treatment in a hospital tank I am not to convinced in moving her out again due to all the stress she went thru when my husband tried to get her out in which she jumped out and fall in the floor, this happened about 2 times and now every time we pass near the tank you can tell she gets mad and starts going crazy again. Will it be safe to do the antibiotic treatment while she is in this new tank with the live rocks, enenemies and the fishes or should I take her to the hospital tank and do it there?
<It’s generally recommended to use antibiotics in a hospital tank. Maracyn 2 claims to “not interfere with the biological filter”, but also notes “Use of a hospital tank is recommended“. If I had the choice I’d go for the hospital tank, especially if the wounds seem to grow. As a side note, the medication is removed by skimming and activated carbon.>
Can I use the garlic Xtreme at the same time as the antibiotic treatment?

Are all vitamins reef safe?
<The products sold for aquarium use: yes.>
Which one will be better for the eel?
<Products that have at least the vitamins A, B1 (very important), B2, B5, B6, B12, C (also important), D, E.>
By the way, I was told that eel live about 10 years in the wild
<Can get much older if not killed (this is confirmed by bone examinations and not a simple guess). The oldest one I found in literature apparently got 60, eels in their 20s or 30s are not too uncommon in aquariums.>
and I have had this one for about 4-5 years which was in a friend's tank for another year or so.
Do you think she might be getting old and that's the reason why she is having this behavior?
<No. Your eel simply does absolutely not look like an old eel looks like.>
Thanks again for all your time and help ! Janie
<I’d get a skimmer ASAP, and if the situation does not improve (wounds getting larger, breathing getting faster, other symptoms occurring) use an antibiotic such as Maracyn 2. For feeding I’d try the items listed above with vitamins and live crabs/shrimps. Good luck. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 4 – 10/12/09
Nitrate and Nitrite levels were at zero and PH was a little under 8.
<Sounds good.>
We tried to feed him live and frozen shrimps, frozen silver line fish, live feeders or goldfish.
<I’d not try the last two items, the other foods are fine.>
I have never tried any fish filet, mussel, clams, octopus or squid.
I'll get the Maracyn 2 today and treat him in the same tank, my husband is refusing to move it back to the other tank again and since we do not have a skimmer yet it might not be so bad.
<Ok, but be sure to monitor ammonia and nitrite to ensure biological filtration continues to work. If you see severe cloudiness, the surface of the water should be sufficiently moved by filter outlet or a powerhead in order to allow gaseous exchange.>
I will also get him one of those fake rocks with a cave and some clams and squid.
<Ah good.>
For how long should I use the Maracyn 2?
<At least 5 days. You should see an improvement at this point.>
Thanks again ! Janie.
<Good luck. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 4 – 10/12/09 10/14/09
I prepared yesterday the other tank (40 gal) to move the moray today, checked water and everything is fine except that ammonia looks a little high so I let it run through the filter before putting the moray today, I'll check the levels again today. Took all sand out and bought a cave for him. Checks his chin and looks worse, a little tip of the bone is already showing.
<Yes, visible on the pictures you sent in one of the last mails.>
Thanks for everything, I will let you know in a week or so about his improvement.
<I do hope we’ll see an improvement. Feel free to add one or two of the live shrimps to the hospital tank if no ammonia and nitrites are measurable. The antibiotic should not hurt them and perhaps a snack might me welcomed if the eel’s health situation really improves.>
Janie
<Good luck. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 6 – 10/15/09
Hi Marco,
<Hello Janie>
It has been 2 days since I started the treatment with the Maracyn 2, we moved her to the tank in a very peaceful way, at least she did not go thru any stress with a huge plastic bag.
<Sounds good.>
I added to the water a multivitamin solution called Vita-Chem Marine by Boyd Enterprises (see picture attached) and it made the water yellow, I hope this is OK because since the filter has no carbon due to the Maracyn 2 treatment the yellow color is still there.
<Yes, a sufficient product. The color is no problem.>
I tried to give her some frozen shrimp and a piece of silverside fish yesterday but nothing yet, she definitely looks a lot skinnier now. Take a look at the attached video, she is now breathing very slow, what do you think?
<The breathing looks fine to me and the posture of the eel does look good, too. Much better than an eel lying on the bottom and showing labored breathing. It does not look like a death candidate.>
I did noticed that the wound on the chin looks like it is healing, the tail is still a little hard to say.
<Let’s hope you are right and the healing starts. Also, continue to check for ammonia daily if possible, especially if the breathing changes to a faster mode again. If you wish add a few live shrimps or crabs.>
Thanks again ! Janie
<Good luck. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 7, fdg. & dis. f's – 10/16/09 -- 10/21/2009
Hi Marco,
<Hello Janie.>
Just an update ... the eel is doing a lot better, the wounds are almost gone
<That’s some fast healing. Very glad to hear.>
but she is still not eating.
<Keep on trying different foods and if you have the chance live shrimps or crabs.>
I have a new question ... I noticed she has been yawning (not too often) and when she does her gails <gills?> opens up so much that something red comes out very fast and goes right back in .... is that normal ?
<Does not sound normal. Usually you are able to look inside the gill hole and see some red, but nothing comes out. Clarify if it is just some skin flapping or potentially some parasite. The breathing of your eel is normal, so gill parasites that need treatment would not be my first guess here. Could also be a piece of gill hurt from the now healing bacterial infection. In the latter case the situation should resolve itself. >
Thanks, Janie
<Cheers and good luck with feeding. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 8 - 10/21/09
It looks like a bright red flapping skin, it comes out and in very fast, it is about 1/4" or maybe less, I have been trying to get it on video to send it to you but she definitely has a perfect vision now and sees me there but I will catch that and send it.
We put in the tank 2 small fish (about 2"), forgot their names, they are both silver (they were very cheap), she stares at them but doesn't try to eat them.
About putting live shrimps, are bait shrimps good for that?
<Yes, can be used.>
I noticed they are kind of bog and very fast, will that be good or should I use another type of shrimp?
<The best would be live crabs if available. Crabs make most of the natural diet of this species and they are not quite as fast as shrimps or fish… Also keep trying various frozen foods. Another trick to get predators to eat is using attractants for eels from fishing shops. Sometimes it works really well, sometimes it does not, though. >
Attached is a picture so you can see the improvement as well as her body showing her muscles already from not eating, she was very round before and now she looks soo skinny.
<Maybe skinnier than before, but from the pictures it does not look too bad.>
Thanks, Janie
<Cheers, Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 10/21/09
Got it...
I did a partial water change last night due to the nitrite and nitrate levels were a little over "0" plus the ph was low, I guess due to the medicine, vitamins and garlic Xtreme plus had no carbon in the filter. She seems a little more active, I put 2 dried krill
<A mainly dried krill diet is one of the main culprits for health problems with moray eels in my opinion.>
that she used to eat a lot, she started moving around and looking up like if she smelled them but did not tried to eat them so I think she is trying to get back on track.
<That'd be good.>
I'll keep you informed and if I get those gills on video I will send it to you right away. Thanks again ! Janie
<Welcome. Marco.>

Re: Need help about my Moray Eel ASAP 10/21/09
Last question ... what types of crabs should I get ?
<They mostly eat xanthid crabs in nature. Personally, I'd try beach crabs or - if I had no access to the sea - live rock hitchhiker crabs, which some fish stores give away for free. If such are not available I'd go for the shrimps. Marco.>

My Tess Thanks 7/26/09
You Hey everyone. I wanted to shoot you a quick note to say thank you from myself and my Tesselata eel. After a major move of his 300 gallon home he ate once and then didn't eat again for a couple of weeks. As soon as I decided it was a problem, I came to WWM and did some searching on Tess's and lack of feeding. Turns out I didn't have enough flow in the aquarium to ensure optimal oxygen saturation. I pointed the returns at the top of the water and added a Koralia 8 Magnum to the aquarium. He ate a big sardine Ryan
<Congratulations on your discovery and rescue. Bob Fenner>

HELP.. Hungry eel can't eat! – 07/10/09
Hello all.. hope you can help… We have a medium sized Tesselata eel for about a year now. He has always been an aggressive eater. For approximately the last two weeks when we go to fed him a shrimp, he acts very hungry.. trying to find the shrimp. Once he finds it he grabs it and acts like he wants to eat it, but can't chew it or swallow it, no matter how small of a piece we try to feed him. His breathing seems normal, water parameters are normal. We have approximately 1500 gallons total, same filtration, but separated into 5 tanks. He is in one of the tanks by himself and all of the other fish are fine. I see lots of article and have experienced fish that loose their appetite for one reason or another, but he seems to still have his appetite, just unable to get it down. Any suggestions?
<Sounds like a problem with its pharyngeal jaws/their ligaments or less likely a swollen throat, maybe due to physical injury or possibly due to a shrimp only diet related deficiency disease. Did the eel happen to eat anything sharp, are you missing a fish with sharp spines, a trigger, filefish etc. that might have jumped into the eel tank? Options are: sedate the animal and force feed (vitamin enriched food) and examine it (together with a vet) or try to let it heal naturally providing perfect water quality. Since moray eels can got without food for months, I’d use the second option first and if this fails try force feeding. Good luck. Marco.>

Question for Mr. Fenner, Moray hlth., injury 6/17/09
I have a white eye moray that has been getting a skin disorder on his head.
It is starting to get worse. Could this be diet related?
<Mmm, no, not directly... Looks much more like a physical injury, perhaps with a secondary infectious component>
I only feed raw shrimp to him and my Zebra moray. It looks like his skin has just peeled off. Any suggestions?
<Mmm, yes... I'd expand the diet here... see WWM re feeding Muraenids>
I have been in the hobby for 5 years and consider my water quality to be pristine. The Zebra moray is perfect.
Thanks for any help.
BILL
http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/rbu1/?action=view&current=DSCF1172.jpg
http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/rbu1/?action=view&current=DSCF1174.jpg
<Bill, am going to share your email with Marco Lichtenberger here... he is
much more up to date re eels, their husbandry. Bob Fenner>

Question for Mr. Fenner, and Marco
White eyed moray; dis. – 06/17/09
I have a white eye moray that has been getting a skin disorder on his head. It is starting to get worse. Could this be diet related?
<Not directly, but indirectly as Bob already noted. A not-so-varied-diet can easily result in a weak immune system and consequently even a small scratch can become infected quickly. This looks like a possible bacterial infection.>
I only feed raw shrimp to him and my Zebra moray. It looks like his skin has just peeled off. Any suggestions?
<Varied diet and vitamins. If it does not stop or if the eel stops to eat: antibiotic baths or preferably antibiotic treatment in a hospital tank. An antibiotic for gram negative bacteria should be tried.>
I have been in the hobby for 5 years and consider my water quality to be pristine. The Zebra moray is perfect.
<Should also get a varied diet and vitamin additions.>
Thanks for any help. Bill
http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/rbu1/?action=view&current=DSCF1172.jpg
http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj149/rbu1/?action=view&current=DSCF1174.jpg
<Good luck. Marco.>
Re: Question for Mr. Fenner
I greatly appreciate your help Bob. Thanks

Dragon Eel is slipping away – 2/21/09
I have had an 18-20 inch Dragon Eel for 6 years. He's always been blind as a bat but is otherwise a hearty eater, healthy as a horse. He is of course beautiful, and they are no longer exporting this fish from Japan so he's essentially irreplaceable. Tank is 240 gallons and is kept clean, and is professionally serviced every month. Water quality has remained good throughout (I am a big believer in over- filtering a tank). He has survived a very wide range of tankmates.
<And eaten some likely>
About 4 months ago the tank had to be moved from a location about 7 miles away to its current locale. The only 2 fish that came along with the eel were a porcupine puffer (about 10 inches) and a Harlequin Tusk (5 inches). Not a lot of fish for a big tank, but hey, the economy.
Since the move, the eel lost its appetite, eating only occasionally.
Diet includes prawn, silversides, and "Variety Supreme" (or as we call them, "gumdrops").
<Mmm... not what I would use... Do you supplement, add vitamins, HUFAs?>
I chalked his loss of appetite up to stress related to the move, since he otherwise exhibited no symptoms. But then about 6 weeks ago one of the 2 heaters in the tank burned out and the tank got a little cool for a few days (about 8 degrees F below normal). He stopped eating altogether and started to experience some sort of seizures. Once the
heater was replaced he seemed to improve a bit (he finally moved back to his hidey-hole for a couple days, for example) but has demonstrated what I can only call neurological deficiency ever since, having trouble swimming, not eating at all, and occasionally hanging out upside down.
<Bad>
Now, 6 weeks later, he stall won't eat, he lies upside down in the middle of the tank. His breathing seems labored. He has lost lots of weight. But otherwise, he is asymptomatic--no obvious disease, no sores, no color change apart from being slightly paler -- nothing.
Just starving and wasting away.
I am contemplating euthanasia at this point.
<Mmm, not quite yet>
I don't have a sick tank or the budget to buy one, really, unless I believed there was a really great chance of it being successful. Do you foresee any hope at this point or should I admit the inevitable and put the fish down? Or is
there something obvious I have missed?
Thanks for your consideration,
Brian Maffitt
<Look into one of the commercial "appetite stimulants" sold in the trade... Selcon, Seachem's "Garlic Guard"... and raise the temperature to 82-84 F....
This and other Muraenids can recover from long bouts of non-feeding. Bob Fenner>

Re: Dragon Eel is slipping away 2/21/09
Thanks so much for your response. A follow-up--he has a white curling emission coming from the opening in his midsection, is could possibly be a worm, or maybe he's just pooping? I could send a picture if it would be useful.
Brian
<Would be. B>

This is fecal material... I would force feed this animal... See WWM re if you are unfamiliar. BobF. 2/22/09

Re: Dragon Eel is slipping away 2/22/09
Thanks Bob. I see many different recommendations for force feeding on the site... the only one specific to eels involves removing him from the tank, holding with a wet towel and using an eyedropper or baster <Or plastic catheter of size)
to administer minced food. Is this what you would suggest?
<Yes... grind the food fine enough and add sufficient liquid (and vitamin, HUFA) prep. to make it "squirt-able"...>
I did not
see a specific FAQ related to force-feeding, but I want to make sure I do the right thing...
<Understood. BobF>

Re: Dragon Eel is slipping away – 03/02/09
Thanks again for the advice. The force feeding has had no visible positive effect,
<Dang!>
in fact it seems to stress the eel even more. It now lies upside down at the bottom of the tank, curled up, and is very
pale. It's still breathing, but it breaks my wife's heart to see it so obviously suffering... do you think there is any chance of recovery at this point?
<Brian... I do. Not only am I "just" philosophically opposed to giving up... But I have seen unbelievable, remarkable "Resurrections" of Morays... I do urge you to try and keep up the faith>
I'm willing to keep trying if there is a chance. This is the first time the eel seems to have lost its coloration... a sign?
Brian
<Not really... Fishes, including Anguilliforms do/can change color for all sorts of "reasons"... Hang in there and thank you for the update. BobF>

My Golden Dwarf Moray, fdg., hlth. 12/20/2008
Hi,
<Hello Matt.>
I recently purchased and set up an aquarium for a Golden Dwarf Moray eel. The tank has been cycled and three days ago I added the eel. The specimen had been at the store for a month or two and seemed to be doing great, except I never actually saw him eating. So now I worry that he will not eat, I have tried feeding him silverside last night but he is scared of it and hides. Brine shrimp he seems to have a keen sense of smell for but has not eaten it. what else would you recommend I try?
<#1: Patience. A healthy eel won't starve, many morays need days to weeks until they have overcome the stress of capture and changing homes, some larger ones need even months. #2: Keep it free of stress in the new tank, a stressed eel will not eat, especially when it feels by you. #3 adequate food: The diet of G. melatremus mostly consists of crustaceans, and to a smaller percentage of fish (although they often eat small fishy tank mates in captivity). Get some raw, frozen shrimps (no freeze dried krill) of adequate size (or cut them into smaller pieces). What is also eaten are scallops, clams, mussels and cephalopods like squid. Thaw them prior to feeding and add some vitamins once a week. #4: See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/morays.htm and the linked FAQs for further information on feeding, a lot is already written there. Also check the feeding part of this article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/fwmorayart.htm .>
Also recently (yesterday) he became very twitchy, scratching / hitting himself on the live rock in the tank. Now I worry that he may have some sort of parasite but I cannot get a great look at his body (besides his head) for more then a few seconds. My water is fine (0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 ammonia, 8.2ph 1.023 specific gravity). Any idea what may be causing this "twitching"
<Has to adapt to new water parameters. For disease symptoms look for apathy and elaborated breathing.>
he was formally in a system which had copper (the store)
<Can/likely has damaged the eel, lowered its life expectation. No copper use for Anguilliformes
<<= true eels, includes Morays. RMF>>
in therapeutic doses.>
, but the tank I have him in does not have any copper what so ever.
<Good.>
Over the last two days he has seemed active enough at night but now he is scratching / twitching a lot, and this in the combination with not eating has me worried...
<It can take a while until the moray has adapted to the tank water. If you are concerned watch water parameters and its breathing…>
Thanks for the help, Matt
<Welcome. Marco.>

My Golden Dwarf Moray II, hlth. 12/20/2008
Hey Marco,
<Hi Matt.>
Thanks a bunch for the info about what this species eats, had no idea. The eels breathing is fine
<Good sign.>
but his scratching from what I saw is making his gill area on his one side extremely red.
<This is a new information. If the gills turn red, I too would take gill parasites into consideration if the water parameters nitrite and ammonia are still 0. Monogenes (trematodes aka flukes), isopods and copepods are the usual suspects, impossible to ID when still inside the fish. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm will give you an overview and treatment options. Just avoid copper and use organic chemicals in rather small doses. If the scratching continues I'd start a treatment beginning with a pH and temperature adjusted freshwater bath for 30 minutes or shorter if the eel shows spasms or similar discomfort.>
All else that's in the tank is a feather duster a domino damsel and 2 hermits but they don't seem to even care that the eel is there. I just hope it stops soon. Now I also intend to eventually make this a coral tank, seeing at how copper harms them I was curious if any of the trace elements in slightly to high amounts will? (magnesium, calcium, iodine etc.),
<No, non-toxic in the usual concentrations found in aquariums. Toxic are copper and similar heavy metals.>
might buy a test kit for those any way.
Thanks again, Matt
<Good luck with your eel. Marco.>

What's wrong with my dwarf moray eel ? – 07/28/08
Hi, I searched extensively for information on this condition and came up with nothing, so thought I'd ask the WWM experts.
Our dwarf moray eel arrived from Hawaii with a "growth" on his upper jaw, extending into his mouth and preventing him from closing it completely. It hasn't changed appreciably over two weeks. It appears flashy, with a few red specks. It has not affected his appetite, he will eat krill and squid.
Alas he also hunted down and consumed two pearly Jawfish and possibly a purple Firefish, who is MIA for longer than usual. since there is not a lot of info on dwarf eels on WWM, I would like to put in my opinion that these are not safe with bottom dwelling fish of any smaller diameter than the eel!
He has also made some threatening (though harmless) gestures towards some other fish, particularly a medium size Copperband butterflyfish. Overall, he has been much more pugnacious than expected given what I have read about this animal.
Any ideas on what this growth is, or what to do about it (if anything) ? I attached a few pictures, I apologize in advance for the rather poor quality as the eel is quite camera shy.
Thanks for any help.
<Thanks for attaching the pictures. Unfortunately I do not believe there is a way to "treat" that growth. I have seen a few eels in my time
with a similar growth and they have all thrived and the growths have gone away on there own. I would not be concerned with it unless the eel stops eating.
Good luck with that beauty. IanB>

Moray Eel with possible Impaction – 06/02/08
Hello WWM Crew,
<Hi Kevin.>
I am having problems with my one moray eel, it is a "Freshwater" Moray Eel, he was living in my marine tank until earlier today.
<Very good.>
The other fish in the tank are an another freshwater moray eel, a snowflake eel, a marine Betta, and a peppermint shrimp. The tank is a 65 gallon aquarium with a Fluval 404 for filtration.
<Skimmer? A fish tank of this size with 3 morays likely will benefit from a strong skimmer.>
The freshwater morays get fed mainly silversides, as well as pieces of shrimp (the snowflake gets a different diet). They freshwater morays get fed once a week till they are full as they are somewhat larger (approx. 14-16"). I hope this is enough information.
<Water parameters…>
Today the smaller of my freshwater moray eels started to act odd.
<What did it do?>
He was moved to a ten gallon tank with an AC 20 for filtration, as in addition to two open sores on his body, he was unable to swim around and his body near his anus and the anus itself were swollen. My worry is that he has become impacted. I dropped the salinity of the quarantine tank from 1.022 to 1.014. I did this because the moray was breathing very heavily, and have heard that saltwater has less dissolved oxygen than freshwater. What should i do?
<Where are those sores from? Can the morays burn themselves at the heater? Are those bite marks? Find and remove the cause of the sores. With regard to the swelling, I’d add some Epsom salt (1-2 tablespoons of Epsomite per 10 gallons water). Check the water quality (esp. Ammonia, Nitrates, pH, what you describe could also be symptoms of nitrogenous poisoning) in the quarantine as well as in the display tank and improve it by water changes if necessary (any ammonia, nitrates >30-35 ppm). Do you administer vitamin additions? If not, you should do so, because freezing and thawing of silversides destroys necessary vitamins, which long turn harms the immune system or leads to nerve damages (lack of vitamin B). Mussel, clam and scallop meat as well as cephalopods (Squid, calamares, octopus) are useful food items in order to widen the variety.>
Thank you. Kevin
<Good luck. Marco.>

Moray Eel with possible Impaction II – 06/03/08
Thanks for the reply.
<No problem, Kevin.>
Things haven't gotten must better with the moray.
<I’m sorry to hear that.>
I have a skimmer for the tank but have not been using it as it has created some very small bubbles which seemed to affect the breathing of the fish. Because of this I was doing water changes more frequently. Water parameters are as follows, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 50 mg/L. My test kit said this amount would not harm the fish but I have since done a 25% water change on the main tank.
<Good. While these parameters are not necessarily dangerous by themselves, it would be good if you could get the skimmer working long term. The WWM section “bubble trouble” might be helpful http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bubtroubfaqs.htm . But this can be done in a days or even a few weeks, let’s get back to the moray.>
The quarantine tank test the same except for 5mg/L nitrate.
<Good.>
It acted odd by being out in the open, not hiding in the tubing and caves in the tank, it also was not swimming properly and was unable to move out of a semi curled up position, kind of in the shape of a "C".
<This does not sound good to me.>
I believe that the sores are from the live rock located throughout the tank.
<Hard to believe, only if some rocks would have fallen onto the eel. Is a clear picture possible?>
I do not administer vitamin additions.
<You should, for the long term health of the fishes.>
Since yesterday she has gotten worse, I say she because it appears that it is a her, as her anus has opened and what appear to be eggs are coming out of it.
<Morays have expelled eggs several times in captivity. Are these perfect small little slightly colored or clear balls (diameter about 1-2 mm for this species) or irregular and slimy (faeces)? Do you have a picture? If it is faeces at least the impaction seems to be solved, if it is eggs let us hope this does not stress the eel too much. The sores might be bite marks from mating. On some morays where mating behaviour was observed the males bit the female, but sometimes healthy eels might bite weak or sick ones when noticing their weakened state.>
Her skin is peeling in places near to the sores, and in addition to this she is not breathing very well. She occasionally stops breathing
<To save energy. That is not a good sign.>
, during these times I send water through her mouth and gills using a dropper,

I also increased aeration through the use of an airstone.
<Much better. I hope the eel also has some shelter to feel protected in quarantine.>
Would API Aquarium Salt work in place of Epsom Salt, as this is essentially the only salt available around here.
<No, that’s different, but the possible impaction seems to be solved with something coming out of her anus.>
Thanks for the help. Kevin.
<Not too much you can do to help her, mostly watch and do not stress the animal. Provide enough oxygen with the air stone and the AC on full power to create a sufficient surface current. If the sores should significantly grow in size, you should consider an antibiotic treatment (if you have the chance in cooperation with a vet). The natural way of healing would be that a thin layer of whitish skin will develop on the sores (starts some days after the wound was cerated), while significant growth of the wound can indicate a bacterial infection. Identify what was coming out of the eel or send a picture. I wish you good luck and still hope this moray will get well again. Marco.>

Sick Zebra eel, James' go 12/11/07
Hi Bob,
James with you today, Jack.>
Owner: Jack I’m 12 years old.
<Mmm, a young aquarist, good for you!>
Tank: Corner 110 litres, Crushed coral base, 3 hand size & 3 golf ball size live rocks. One hollow ship wreck. Built in filter, Heater, Power head set up to pump in air as well.
Occupants: 35cm Zebra Eel, 18cm Snow Flake eel, Blue Damsel fish.
General: Zebra Eel. I have owned the eel and tank for about 6 months. The eels have both been eating fine every second day (Cooked and uncooked prawns, Pipis ) Tried calamari, squid and mussels. They both swam around during the day and night, They hand feed and loved to be petted.
<Not a good idea to hand feed eels, they have a nasty bacteria infested bite which can lead to a bacterial infection on the wounded area. Do discontinue this practice.>
Their breathing was fine and they are very calm and seem relaxed in their environment. I did water change of 5-10 litres every week to ten days. I tested the water every week and adjusted when needed. We did adjust the pH with Marine buffer (Seachem brand) I did once put the buffer in the tank directly without mixing it in water from the tank in a cup first and then pouring it in.
Problem: Last Tuesday I noticed the Zebra Eel's head was laying on bottom of tank and seemed to struggle to breath and hold his head up. He was not swimming around and stopped eating for about week. His eye was a bit smoky gray. His stripes were fine, skin was slimy. On Tuesday afternoon we transferred the eel to the aquarium that we bought him from. In capturing the eel this made him swim around and seemed to pick him in itself.
<?>
When we arrived at the aquarium and they transferred it to their tank it seemed a lot better, they said they will keep it for observation. They increased the salt in tank and the next day it ate and seemed on a recovery. When i\I called the next day they said it seemed to relapse back to its old ways. The next day they said it was about the same but had a white spots on its face appearing and in its mouth. From this position he did not recover and this afternoon the eel passed away. The aquarium said they are not sure why it passed away but I would love to know why so I can take better care of my other eel and I would like to one day get another Zebra Eel.
General: The Snow Flake Eel and the damsel are fine. I did check the water when all this was occurring and it was perfect and the aquarium checked the water as well the day we took the eel there and they said it was fine. We have been told that eels are hardy pet is this true.
<Yes, they are hardy if conditions are favorable for them. A 28 gallon tank is much too small for this fish. They can grow to about two feet and really need to be in a 50 gallon or larger aquarium. I'm guessing what happened to eel was caused by environmental stress. They are huge waste producers for their size and I believe this led to his demise. In reading your email, I'm guessing you have a 28 gallon all in one nano tank. The filtration system on these systems isn't really suited to keeping eels or any large fish.>
Thanks for reading my email but I would appreciate your feedback.
<You're welcome Jack, and please read here. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebramor.htm
James (Salty Dog)>
Jack

Sick zebra moray eel... too small, too little filtered, mis-buffered... reading, Bob's go 12/11/07
Hi crew,
Owner: Jack I'm 12 years old.
<Howdy: Bob, I'm 55>
Tank: Corner 110 litres, Crushed coral base, 3 hand size & 3 golf ball size live rocks. 1 hollow ship wreck. Built in filter, Heater, Power head set up to pump in air as well.
Occupants: 35cm zebra eel, 18cm snow flake eel, Blue damsel fish.
<Mmm... I wish I knew the make-up of your built-in filter... Moray eels do produce a good deal of waste... And this tank volume is much too small for these two>
General: Zebra eel. I have owned the eel and tank for about 6mths. The eels have both been eating fine every second day (Cooked and uncooked prawns, Pipis ) Tried calamari, squid and mussels. They both swam around during the day and night, They hand fed and loved to be patted. Their breathing was fine and they are very calm and seem relaxed in their environment. I did water change of 5-10 litres every week to ten days. I tested the water every week and adjusted when needed. We did adjust the ph with Marine buffer (Seachem brand) I did once put the buffer in the tank directly without mixing it in water from the tank in a cup 1st and then pouring it in.

Problem: Last Tuesday I noticed the Zebra eels head was laying on bottom of tank and seemed to strangle to breath and hold his head up. He was not swimming around and stopped eating for about week. His eye was a bit smoky gray. His strips were fine, skin was slimy. On the Tuesday afternoon we transferred the eel to the aquarium that we bought him from. In capturing the eel this made him swim around and seemed to pick him in itself. When we arrived at the aquarium and they transferred it to their tank it seemed a lot better, they said they will keep it for observation. They Increased the salt in tank and the next day it eat and seemed on a recovery. When I called the next day they said it seemed to relapse back to its old ways. The next day they said it was about the same but had a white spots on its face appearing and in its mouth. From this position this he did not recover and this afternoon the eel passed away. The aquarium said they are not sure why it passed away but I would love to know why so I can take better care of my other eel and I would like to one day get another Zebra eel.
<Mmm...>
General: The Snow flake eel and the damsel are fine. I did check the water when all this was occurring and it was perfect and the aquarium checked the water as well the day we took the eel there and they said it was fine. We have been told that eels are hardy pet is this true.
<Most species, specimens if placed in appropriate settings are, yes...>
Thanks for reading my email but I would appreciate your feedback.
Jack
<Your Zebra/Gymnomuraena likely succumbed to the buffer being poured directly into the tank, along with general stress... This system is too small... Please read re these two species needs here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/index.htm
the third tray down. Bob Fenner>

Swollen Snowflake Eel – 12/04/2007
Hi WWMedia Crew!
<Hello Andrew and Laura>
We're huge fans! You've help us a great deal, as we've learned enough to set up our very first tank. Aside from some predictably difficult moments, we feel it's been a success.
<Glad to hear.>
We've read every FAQ on the site--(using the Google tool as necessary)--not even those just regarding our problem, but several others, which have helped us a great deal. (Also huge fans of the CM and Bob and Anthony's Reef Inverts.) Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find a topic that corresponds to our situation. (Though it's probably there somewhere.) Recently, we acquired a young snowflake eel. He seemed healthy and inquisitive. He had a lot of personality. We named him Gumboot.
Anyway, we quarantined him for 4 weeks
<Very good>
, and he seemed fine—quite happy even, eating frozen foods, like krill, shrimp and scallops. We introduced him into our main tank, along with a sole tankmate—a young lionfish who also seemed happy and healthy. (The lionfish remains so to this day.)
A few days ago, the eel disappeared into the rock. Old story, I know, but in this case he reappeared, acting curiously. Although he had been ravenous, he now retreated from food.
<Not eating can be a sign of stress, disease, injury, not being hungry.>
Soon after, we noticed a peculiar swelling or growth just above his midsection. Since then, he
will not eat. He continues to hang out in his favourite spots, his breathing seems OK, but the swollen area has not moved or changed, and he hasn't eaten since Thanksgiving.
<Swollen areas or bumps on eels can have many reasons:
- Parasites below the skin (marble like appearance),
- Internal bacterial infection (many shapes; usually growing; has to be treated in a hospital tank with antibiotics),
- Various types of tumors (some will go away by themselves, some can only be treated by a vet),
- Constipation (swelling at the belly, use Epsom salt; don’t feed much krill, but more mussel and crab meat),
- Carrying eggs (eel may increase its diameter more than three times, but yours is probably too young).
- In your case I would not exclude the eel was stung by the Lionfish, swelling is one of the symptoms. However, the swelling should become smaller with time unless a piece of the fin ray of the Lionfish got stuck in there and caused an inflammation. In that case you should see a tiny entrance wound.>
He is only about 8" long, if that matters. (Sorry we can't provide pix, but he won't show enough of himself to be relevant.)

Water parameters: SG-1.023, pH-8.2, temp-77F, Am 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates <10. The tank is 90G FOWLR, w/ a 20 g sump, 100 lb. live rock, and a TurboFlotor protein skimmer.
<Sounds all okay.>
Should we remove the eel to quarantine and medicate--and if so, medicate with what?
<Only if you know what he has, you will know how to treat.>
Or should we just hang out and hope for the best?
<Try to get a better diagnosis with the list above.>
(Is he, say, just constipated?)
<Well possible. Is the swelling mostly at the belly?>
Sorry for the somewhat obvious question, but although he hasn't been with us for too long, we're very fond of him.
<I’m sure you are and I do hope Gumboot will get well again. Further recommended readings are http://www.wetwebmedia.com/moraydisfaqs.htm ; http://www.wetwebmedia.com/moraydisfaq2.htm ;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snoflkeeldisfaqs.htm;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebramdisfaqs.htm;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmoraydisfaqs.htm>
Thanks immensely... Andrew & Laura in Chicago
<Hope that helps, Marco.>

Re: Swollen Snowflake Eel – 12/05/2007
Hi Marco!
<Hello Andrew and Laura.>
We can't thank you enough for taking the time to answer our question. We hope you won't mind if we attach a brief rider:
<No problem at all.>
As if things weren't bad enough, we experienced a 5 hour power outage here in Chicago, during winter. Fortunately the display tank only lost about 2.5 degrees in that time.
<No problem here for your FOWLR.>
Afterwards. Gumboot came out. His swelling was even more pronounced, and he seems quite apathetic. He lay dead center, in the front of the tank. His respiration was normal,
<Gills are not affected.>
but he was limp and not inclined to hide.
<This looks really bad.>
We've removed him to a 10 gallon QT, so we might better see what is happening with him.
<Understandable choice seeing the pictures. Offer him some cave to feel more comfortable and keep the water quality pristine.>
He remains sluggish. We've attached some pictures here

, in hopes that you might be able to help us more. Do you have any sense of what might be going on here? We're ready to dose with antibiotics or iodide supplements, but we're not sure which way (if either) to go.
<Look for a wound from a lionfish sting and check if the lionfish has intact stinger ends. What we see here is probably an accumulation of fluids. If there is no wound I’d suspect an internal bacterial infection hard to diagnose exactly/treat accordingly without a veterinarian. You can try an antibiotic for gram negative bacteria like Maracyn Two, but, although some eels swollen like your moray survive, many die. It is impossible to know without tests which antibiotics actually work, due to the apparent use of loads of antibiotics at many collectors and wholesalers.>
Thanks again. We know you're busy, and we appreciate your help more than we can say.
Andrew & Laura in Chicago.
<Sorry I have no better news. Keep us updated, I still hope Gumball survives. Marco in Heidelberg.>

Gymnothorax tile with possible tumors – 09/04/07
Hello!
<Hi!>
Sorry I must contact you with bad news.
<No problem.>
Somehow one must guess most people who have questions do. I believe that this is the fatal flaw for the moray I have made. I trusted the staff at the LFS. I've been feeding him shrimp for months and now that something has finally gone wrong have I dug into the problem. I guess stuff happens but I should have been able to prevent it with research, but the sites I could find before I ran into yours mentioned morays eating crustaceans.
<They do, but not exclusively and not just one type.>
I've found your website incredibly reliable as far as I can see. When I looked into the problem, I looked into diet, and disease on your site. What worries me, is that even if I correct the diet, he has what appears to be tumors on his belly, the white portion. He's in a high brackish setup for more info if you need that.
<Okay, that’s an important information. I hope the specific gravity is above 1.010.>
Say the diet is corrected in the long term, will he be able to survive what has happened to him?
<Possible, if the diet was the reason and apparent damage is reversible. Daily vitamin additions will help you to correct the diet and find out.>
I'm concerned with the tumors. I doubt there is anything I will be able to do except for do my best.
<Yes, a vet would be needed for a better diagnosis. What you can do is: check your nitrates. Aside nutrition this problem might be caused by an environmental issue, e.g. high nitrates or low salinity (which you probably can exclude at least for the time you had it) for a long time.>
I thought it might have been an infection from the substrate, which is smooth gravel.
<Improbable.>
I siphoned every piece of filth I could from the gravel and did a 20% water change of his 20 gallon tall.
<Okay… That tank is relatively small, therefore it is well possible nitrates accumulated. You may also want to check nitrites and ammonia to see if this system is adequately filtered. Nitrates>20 and any reading of ammonia and nitrites >0 can be a problem. You’d have to do large water changes in that case (remember changing 50% will only decrease any harmful substance by 50%) and keep those parameters down as long as your fish is in this tank.>
The eel is barely over a foot, and I plan on buying him a fifty gallon aquarium as soon as I can. I just noticed what happened today, and I sent this in ASAP.
<Good decision.>
His diet will be corrected immediately with variety <…and vitamins> to ensure proper nutrition. During the tank change I took a picture of him in a holding container (plastic bowl).

He stirred up a lot in the time it took to catch him hence the nasty stuff in the bowl. I also disturbed a lot trying to capture him... Other than the mysterious large bumps on him *three if I remember correctly* he swims around and eats just fine.

Gymnothorax tile with possible tumors; follow up ? – 09/09/07
Hi again. I must thank you for your quick response.
<No problem.>
Sorry mine was not so swift.
<Since you did not include our correspondence it is difficult for us to remember your problem. Dozens of e-mails arrive here every day. But I do assume you are the one who had a problem with a brackish Gymnothorax tile with possible tumors?>
Shortly after sending the e-mail I contacted a friend who also keeps saltwater fish. He suggested a full water change. I did such even though I thought it was risky but I'll try anything that might benefit the eel as long as it seems rational. To keep the tank "aged" I left the old filter in so the bacteria would be reintroduced. Now I'm trying to get the eel to eat a wider variety of food. It ate more shrimp immediately just an hour afterwards. The piece of squid were ignored and are still laying on the bottom of the tank.
<Take them out if they are not eaten within a few hours. You'll need some patience to train the eel. If he's a little hungry his motivation to try something new will be higher.>
Mussel meat will be tried. I bought silversides from the pet store as well as krill. <Okay.> So far all he accepts is shrimp as always. With methods of keeping his body in top shape, what could I do to make the shrimp more nutritious in the meantime? I know that Walgreens sells hypodermic needles I could use to inject the shrimp with vitamins.
<Can do that. You could also soak the thawed food in vitamins for about half an hour.>
Also, asking around, I have lights used for regular freshwater fish. Should I get those intended to emit UVA to simulate natural sunlight? More questions asked to people I know suggest he'd need it so he could absorb calcium (I don't think they need it very badly but it seems to be a basic need for a lot of animals) and produce vitamin D to fight off cancer.
<Since G. tile moray eels are predominately nocturnal in nature, I do not think the spectrum of the lights is connected to the disease of your eel. In addition, vitamin D won’t be a problem for a moray, which naturally eat vitamin D rich sea food like fish and crustaceans. However, I do prefer bulbs with the most natural spectrum for my own tanks.>
The eel showed a drastic increase in activity after the water change before settling down under his driftwood which is in there to simulate an estuary.
<May rot in the brackish water.>
Is there anything I'm doing wrong here beside the nutrition issue?
<As suggested monitor the nitrates. Anything higher than 20 ppm can be a problem. What was the nitrate concentration before you did the water change? It is well possible long term nitrogenous poisoning was the source of your problem.>
I suspect I am. I don't know for sure though. There is something else I wish to ask you in another e-mail. It has to do with the senior project at my school and this will be sent very shortly after this.
<Okay. Be chatting. Marco.>

Re: Gymnothorax tile tumors. Malnutrition? - 10/07/2007
The eel's tumors are gone! I appreciate your advice very much. There has been a lot of success with keeping him healthy, along with some noticeable growth in size. His food has been injected with the appropriate supplements as well. The need for a new tank is growing, and I believe I could probably get him a new one in the next few months. Adding another question, I found this little packet in the LFS called "Phosphate-X" or "Phos-X." Something like that name. The description on the label says it absorbs phosphate, nitrates, and nitrites. I don't rely on this little packet about the size of a sticky-note and still perform water changes, I was only wondering if it helped. On a different matter, the eel eats about twice a week based on the information I found on your website. I used to offer krill that was accepted from time to time but read that it wasn't good for the eel and promptly stopped feeding that. Silversides have been a new favorite alongside shrimp, and squid are accepted when the eel feels like eating them. (the food is removed after a few hours as you suggested as not to pollute the water) I'd like him to live as long as possible, so I've done everything I can, and will continue to do so. The brackish water isn't rotting the wood so far, and the salinity is as you suggested. While on that, is there anything better than a regular hydrometer? Perhaps something electronic?
<A hydrometer is fine for brackish water fish. Any inaccuracy will be well within the tolerances of the fish. In fact, most brackish water fish like a bit of variation from time to time. But your filter isn't quite so accommodating, so it's best not to vary the SG more than a couple of points on the SG scale at any one time (i.e., SG 1.010 to 1.012 is fine, but 1.010 to 1.018 not so much).>
Another question. My Gymnothorax tile lives in high-end brackish but what is their environment like out where they live if they're from Asia?
<The problem here is that they are almost certainly migratory, like most large brackish water fish. So there's no "perfect" habitat. These morays are found -- as adults -- in completely freshwater as well as in the sea, and they seem to move about between the upper and lower estuary. They're neither completely saltwater fish nor true freshwater fish, but something in between. That said, like a lot of eels, their main habitat is murky, muddy water where their ability to burrow, negotiate rubble and locate food under poor visibility conditions is useful. A typical environment would probably be sticky mud at the bottom, murky water, large rocks and waterlogged tree trunks, and rocky reefs. Hardly attractive for an aquarium!>
Will any aquatic plants survive in the brackish water, and what kind of decoration should be used to make it look like Gymnothorax tile habitat?
<There are brackish water plants, such as Cryptocoryne ciliata and Crinum calamistratum in the trade, as well as the very hardy Java fern that does well in brackish water, but there's little point to using them. They aren't authentic for the sorts of habitats these eels will be living in. Eels favour dark, murky places and they don't like bright light. Much better to create something with a tall, rocky reef-like structure so the eel can hide and wind itself around. These eels don't so much swim as slither through things, and the more 3D the aquarium, the better. Big mounds of holey rocks would probably work very nicely. Something like a reef tank arrangement. What you want to avoid is anything too rough and definitely nothing unstable, as these fish are quite powerful and excellent diggers. I'd personally be looking at an oyster reef habitat. These are really important environments in brackish water habitats and easy to replicate. Simply gather lots of oyster shells (easy enough to buy as food, if nothing else) and use silicone to cement them to some sort of rock, such as tufa rock.>
I'm thinking that if I make it as naturalistic as possible he'll live longer than what is usually achieved in captivity.
<A good approach. The reason these eels don't survive is not really a mystery. A few things seem consistent. Keeping them in too-low a salinity doesn't help, and usually leads to hunger strikes. So at least SG 1.005 is required, and probably SG 1.010 for best results. On the other hand, there's no evidence they "swim out to sea" when mature, so keeping them in saltwater tanks likely isn't required provided the salinity is at least at or above SG 1.010. Diet is another factor. With these eels, and indeed any other predatory fish, I'm a fan of the "little but often" approach. Yes, you can feed them a big prawn one day and skip the next. But the risk with predatory fish is they regurgitate the food and pollute the tank. I'd sooner give small morsels each night, so that there's no risk of major pollution. At SG 1.010 upwards you can use a protein skimmer with success. While not crucial, these devices to help manage the nitrate by removing organic waste from meaty foods before they decay. So in the long run, a skimmer can end up saving you money by reducing the frequency of water changes. Of course, you still need to aim for the same relatively low nitrate level (I'd suggest <50 mg/l) but generally morays are fairly tolerant of this. Hope this helps, Neale>

Green Headed Moray Ill. Moray with zig zag line – 06/14/07
My son has a green headed moray that is about two feet long. <Green headed moray is not among those common names I am aware of and there are several species referred to as yellow headed morays or green morays. Possibly this species is Gymnothorax undulatus and can be seen at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/moraysii.htm , http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.php?ID=4905 .> We have had him for about four years in a 100 gal tank with a Niger. Just recently we noticed that it has a white zig zag line under its neck. The line is under its skin and about 3 inches long. The eel is acting normal and has never been sick. Please help, we can’t figure out what the line is and how to get rid of it.
<A picture of the line and a confirmation of the species ID would have been helpful for a diagnosis. While the so called lateral line organ is visible as a row of pores at some species, it is also possible your moray is infected with worms (nematodes) living in its skin. See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/moraydisfaqs.htm , scroll down to subcutaneous worms (medication is also recommended there) and compare. Praziquantel could work, as may other products against worms. Beware that many of those should not be used in a system with invertebrates or live rock.>
Thanks. Heather.
<Glad to assist. Marco.>

Re: Moray with zig zag line II – 06/15/07
Hello again. <Hi.> Thank you for the link. <No problem.> You are correct the eel is a Gymnothorax undulatus and the picture of the worms on your site are exactly what he has. How nasty! How did he get them and how can I stop him from getting them again once I get rid of them?
<Worm infections most often occur with wild-caught fishes. Many worms are unable to complete complex life cycles in aquaria, but a good (and unknown) number remains. Since the moray eel was in your tank for 4 years without obvious infection, I can only guess the parasitic worms (probably as eggs) were introduced with some (most likely) live material. It is also possible other fish were infected and the worms were able to lay eggs and infect the moray. Some of them are also live bearers. A seemingly less probable scenario would be that the worm eggs were introduced by frozen or live food. If you observed how fast those lines grow, you can estimate when the infection started and thus (knowing what you fed or added to the system) decrease the number of possible sources until hopefully finding a definite answer on how the worms were introduced. If you know the source of the eggs, you should be able to avoid it in the future.>
Thank you so much, at least now we know how to treat him.
<Good luck. I hope the treatment works. Cheers, Marco.>

Green moray - loss of slime coat – 5/25/07
Have been referred to you all for help. Moray eel is very sick.

I came home today and the pump had lost its siphon. The tank temp (210 gal) had risen to 85 deg. My wife called me and told me that the eel was swimming near the top of the tank and swimming erratically. Fixed pump issue water moving slowly back down (81 now). Eel laying on bottom upside down breathing slowly but looking very bad. The thing I notice is that he is usually dark green but is now VERY PURPLE. I have included a link of a pic (color not really good enough to see). But he is still green near top and purple down the rest of his body.
<Green morays in fact are rather blue. Due to their mucous coat, which is a little yellow, they appear green. Your specimen has lost its coat possibly due to an accident with the pump, which also resulted in the loss of the siphon.>
Couple of white spots on him make me think the pump thing today just stirred him up and he may have gotten hit by the Foxface.
<If those white spots are salt grain like see WWM re Cryptocaryon, this would be an alternate explanation for the loss of the mucous coat. If it is crypt consider a hyposalinity treatment in another tank.>
He is also shriveled up like your hand would be if it were under water too long. Please let me know if this is something you have heard of before and can point me in the right direction. Thanks for WetWebMedia, where I have probably learned more about marine life than anywhere else!
<In case of an accident with the pump, there is not much that you can do except hoping that it will pull through and ensuring that the other fish do not pick at the moray eel. In case of crypt go for hyposalinity. Green morays (at least the Atlantic G. funebris) can be found in brackish waters and river mouths, while the parasites (at least the free stages) have serious problems with low salinity. I'm glad you like the site and wish the best for you and your eel. Marco.>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitchelliii/512800176/
Link above is a pic.
Everything else in the tank - clown, Foxface, and royal Gramma is doing fine (albeit hovering over the eel some) 0 Ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. Alk 7 (little low is usually around 9).

Moray Eel with Eye Issue 4/22/07
I have a 24" Fimbriated moray. He recently was moved to a 40 gallon tank because he has been extremely aggressive.
<Much too small a volume for this specimen, species... not able to be kept stable/filtered... This fish is a piscivore (and eats crustaceans)... http://wetwebmedia.com/moraysii.htm>
Anyway the move went well he settled in well. That night he jumped out of the tank.
<...>
 I found him on the brink of death, dried up. I put him back in the tank and since then his eyes have looked different. Okay the tank is newly cycled, but nitrates are present, high, at 100 ppm.
<Way too high...>
 There is no ammonia or nitrite. I cycled the tank by using old water, old sand, old filter media.
<Good>
 The result was virtually no waiting for cycling but high nitrates that need to be worked on. However he was accustomed to this exact water environment in his previous home. He shed a layer of skin after he jumped out but didn't appear overly stressed for such an ordeal. But his eyes have changed. His entire eye used to be a purple color. The entire eye area up to the edges. Now when I look closely the purple area has shrunk. It would look on a person like the pupil was half
its normal size. However the light is dimmer in this tank, so if it were like a person, the pupil would have been larger? How do fish eyes work?
<What do you want to know? Most fishes can "see"/register some color... do have focusable lenses...>
Does he have a pupil that adjusts in size.
<Yes>
Did the prolonged air exposure when he jumped out damage the eye?
<Yes>
Is it some kind of stress response? Should I be worried?
<Yes and yes... if this causes you to action...>
 He has eaten since the move to this tank but not heartily. Please let me know what you think.
 Worried Pet Owner
<Translate that concern into activity... move this fish to more adequate quarters... larger volume, solid/escape-proof top, sufficient filtration... no more than 20 ppm. nitrate... All covered on... WWM. Bob Fenner>

Help... Moray hlth... no useful info. 4/4/07
Dear bob
<Angie>
I have a golden moray eel and would appreciate your help. He is about 6 months old, and his symptoms are;
He has lost his teeth
<!?>
His mouth is red and sore where his teeth were
He hasn't eaten for approx 3 weeks

He has lost a bit of colour only on his head and neck
I am having great difficulty in finding somebody who knows anything about eels. The place where I bought him from have given "SeaCure" copper treatment,
<Mmm... see WWM re Muraenids and Cu... not generally a good idea>
however I have read a book on morays and specifies that you should never use a non- chelated copper- based medication.
<Not good with Eels, no>
I am not sure if sea cure
<A proper noun... product of Aquarium Systems... is capitalized>
is chelated or not.
<Is not... is copper sulfate... As stated on WWM... their website...>
Although the main tanks water parameters have always been fine,
<... uninformative>
we have moved him now to a quarantine tank. We have given one dose of the medication so far we are supposed to give it a further 2 days.
<Of what?>
I would appreciate any advice you could give, and also do you have any contacts in England whom I could telephone as I stated before I cant find any one and don't really no where I should be looking.
Alex Symcox
<Need much more information than you have presented here... How did this animal lose its teeth? What have you tried to feed it... what re its system, maintenance... I would not expose this animal to Copper compounds (for what purpose?), nor keep it in quarantine... too stressful... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/moraydisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above... Am hopeful this scanning will reveal to you the sorts of data we're looking for... that you'll have a clearer understanding of your options... Read, act now. Bob Fenner>

Re: help... Moray hlth... Still no useful info. 4/12/07
HI in
Answer to your questions we do not have any idea why or how he lost his teeth we are trying to feed him gamma
<A Brand... still a proper noun uncapitalized...>
fish which is what he ate before.
We put him in his own tank so we could give him the medicine that the shop suggested because we did not want the other fish to be exposed to it.
What do you think we should do to try and get him to feed ?
<What? Apply yourself... Please read where you were referred to on the 4th... There is still nothing useful in the way of data presented here. BobF>

Re: Snowflake eel, blue tang, convict tang III; need a hospital tank for proper ich treatment; how to catch an eel 03/06/07
Hi WWM, I treated the blue tang with tri-sulfa and some spots disappeared, but he
started scratching again. I do not have a hospital tank, so what else can I do and are corals
classified as invertebrates.
<See last email. Your corals are invertebrates and without a hospital tank, there is not much you can do without harming or killing them. Please read the WWM link sent in the last email. The life cycle of marine ich and the so far known methods of treatment are described there. Another good article is http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/hospital/swich/.>
If I choose to do hyposalinity what should I lower the salinity to?
<Specific gravity of 1.009 for four weeks, but your corals will not enjoy that. Only use hyposalinity in a tank without invertebrates.>
I am going to try and catch the eel, and are there any other ways of catching a snowflake eel then pulling apart the rockwork?
<A clean bottle with a small piece of its favourite food and an opening large enough. Bury it in the substrate. Watch at night. Chances are good you will find your eel sitting in the bottle. Close the bottle under water without getting bitten and transfer him carefully to a plastic bag for transport.>
Thanks, Maison
<Welcome. Marco.>

Concern for Hawaiian Dragon... beh., hlth. 1/24/07
I purchased a 20" dragon for my LFS and he is currently in QT at the LFS. I go up there almost everyday and feed on Wed and Sat (grouper, snapper, shrimp). I have noticed that sometimes he is only using one pouch to breath.
<Not atypical... not a large concern>
I have smaller eels at home and they have never done this so I am really concerned. The guys at the LFS don't know a whole lot about eels and I am getting scared. Please Help!!! Thanks D

Upside down Eel Gymnothorax miliaris 1/21/07
I really appreciate your site. Your effort has created an excellent resource.
<Thank you>
I have a 12" Fire Coral Eel (Gymnothorax miliaris) in a 50 gallon refugium attached to an 80 gallon reef tank.
Salinity 1.022, Nitrate 0, Phosphate 1, Calcium 450-500, dKH 13, PH 8.4 temp 72-77
After a year and a half in the tank alone (ok well you are never really alone in an algal scrubber) he has come down with some odd disease, injury, or who knows what.
I came home to find him laying upside down in a rock crevice writhing a bit.
I thought he may have caused a rockslide in the medium sized outcropping he lives in, but I am not sure.
He did manage to wear the flesh off on his rostral ridge (between eyes and tip of nose). He has a hard time swimming upright or forward, loves to be upside down, tends to bend his body in half and then swim forward. Very lethargic and breathing heavy, but not too heavy. Faded white when lights come on, then color returns. (normal I believe)
I think its diet may be a little narrow. I was able to feed him one silver side two days ago. I have since procured some shrimp and scallops that he has yet to accept.
Just trying to keep him eating if I can. I took this creature in to save it from a friend's horde of monster eels in his show tanks. It has been a great pet and will rest in one hand and eat from another.
Also likes to be pet. perhaps I have a dog and need new glasses ;)
Something is just jacked up with this poor guy/girl.. I have addressed the temperature swing so as to keep it stable at 76-77. I may have had a small PH drop after a large algae export and water change.
I did introduce a few Mithrax crabs in the main tank about 3-4 weeks ago.
Really nothing has changed that significantly in the tank in a while. a long while.
Not sure what to do beyond trying to make him as comfortable as possible. his erratic behavior has led me to actually try to grab him. he looks dead sometimes but is always breathing.
When I have grabbed him he had the energy to give a strong fight and get out of my med-light grip. Of course then he is hacked off and I try to shove some food in his open mouth.
Other than the missing patch of skin he looks fine. Eyes are clear, yet seems a little blind. more so than usual.
Wondering when I should pull the Ginsu out and make some smoked eel sushi.
Just kidding. although it is really good ;)
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Have a great weekend!
Shaun Drutar
<Spaces twixt your sentences, the beginnings capitalized... Don't know what has gone wrong here Shaun, but the symptoms you list are definitely bad... If possible I would move this fish to another setting... in the hopes that if that something amiss is environmental, it will be solved thus. I do think changing the diet up is a good idea... and I would soak such foods with Selcon or equivalent. Bob Fenner>

Re: upside down Eel Gymnothorax miliaris 1/23/07
Hello and thanks for the reply below.
I have uploaded a few pictures...kind of blurry...to :
http://www.drutar.com/weblog/blogger.html
Perhaps this might be more helpful...
I really appreciate all that you guys do!
Shaun Drutar
<... looks bad... You have read on WWM re Moray Disease and systems? Bob Fenner>

Re: upside down Eel Gymnothorax miliaris, & Formalin use 1/24/07
Hello,
<Hi again>
I have read through Moray diseases and systems, but at that time the Eel was not displaying symptoms as visible as these and I was on a different path.

I am off to dig some more...wish me luck...or better yet the Eel...

...ok...Looks like he may have a secondary crypto infection... From what I have read formalin may be the way to go.
<Mmm, no>
I have dealt with ich a number of times in the past few years... seems one local shop's livestock is regularly contaminated.
<Mmm, yes>
I usually raise temp, drop salinity, soak food in garlic, etc...
<Good>
This incident seems to warrant formalin treatment as this poor guy is so weak...
<Maybe...>
I can't seem to find data indicating the compatibility of formalin and corals,
<Assuredly they are NOT compatible... See WWM re formalin period>
I am going to assume it is not reef safe... so I will have to disconnect this refugium from the main tank. Still digging though.
Thanks again,
Shaun Drutar
<Press on my friend. Bob Fenner>

Re: upside down Eel Gymnothorax miliaris 1/26/07
Good day Bob,
<Shaun>
Looks like my recent removal of a significant amount of algae from the refugium may be the true culprit.
<Really?>
I found one posting about similar situations and the idea that low oxygen concentrations hit me.
I added an air stone this morning and while he is not out of the woods yet it seems that his breathing may be getting stronger and more rhythmic.
<Better>
This may be the explanation for the zombie like behavior and lethargy...plus its desire to leave the tank...he tried to enter the main tank through the overflow pipe...after almost a year and a half of residence.
I am holding off on any other changes at this time. I do not plan to medicate.
<Good idea>
Thanks again,
Shaun Drutar
<Thank you for this update. BobF>

Sick eel 12/23/06
Seasons Greetings,
<Ho, ho, ho!>
Well, the season will not be so good if I can't figure out what's wrong with my eel. I have a 55 gallon tank with a Blackedge, a purple tang, and a Naso tang.
<!>
Understandably the tank is a overcrowded, but I have had the tank in its current situation for three years now.
<Still... ridiculous arrangement for these species>
About two weeks ago my eel started developing theses gray marks on his skin and recently he has been acting erratically. He has exhibited symptoms similar to ones that other people have reported with their eels, such as twitching, and sometimes erratic swimming, in short spurts. There has also been times that he has completed laid "sprawled out" with no activity at all. He has stopped eating completely. On the subject of eating, when I first got him he ate krill, shrimp, scallops, squid and loved silversides. Over the past 2 years, he has only eaten krill, and will not touch anything else. I have tried hand feeding him the krill and he will not take it.
<Yes... really time catching up with you, it...>
I checked out the tank levels, and all appear to be normal, (nitrites, ammonia, ph, nitrates). I done water changes, and tried Melafix, as well as pima fix in case of a bacterial or fungal infection with no improvement, and have also done water changes. The other fish seem unaffected by what's going on. In the past two days he has developed a creamish white circle on his head. I can't figure out what's wrong or what else to do. Enclosed are pictures of the eel. Any advice would be appreciated.
<Move this animal, and the rest of your livestock... to much larger quarters... at least 150 gallons... This situation will cure itself there. Bob Fenner>

Sick moray - 5/12/2006
Hello WWM crew,
 <GSD Leader Pup>
 It's been a long while since I have had to write you. Many years ago Mr. Fenner ID'd my saltwater moray eel as a Siderea Pictus, now known as a Gymnothorax Pictus. I have had the eel nearly 6 years and he is approx. 2'9" in length. He has always been extremely healthy and active, not reclusive at all like I have read many eel species are.
 <Yes>
 His diet consists of most any meaty frozen food (he is not fed feeder fish of any type). He eats: krill, silversides, bloodworms, beef heart, brine shrimp, a little veggie based frozen food once in awhile, mysis shrimp, etc. You name it, he'll eat it. The tank is a 75 gallon (standard 4' by 18") that houses only him and is filtered by a Fluval 403. It has been set up and running with him for the length of time I've owned him. I've never had any problems, he's never been sick. The tank parameters test out perfect: zero ammonia, zero nitrite, very low (safe level) of nitrate. Salinity is within the normal range as well. In short, nothing has changed in this tank or eels care and he is suddenly rather sick. He was not a juvenile when I purchased him, so I am unsure of his exact age. Given his size, it's my belief that he was stunted prior to my ownership of him and could be older than I would think. I'm estimating him around 10 years of age based on prior information.
 Now, to get to the problem...
 He's going downhill, and fast. I noticed the last couple of days he's been behaving a little oddly, but nothing so extreme as to cause me to worry much. He's very "friendly" and rather tame, so he will come right up to the glass. I noticed he has some little areas near his gill opening that look like they are holes in his body, like the skin is rotting away. His eyes are getting cloudy (does not look like pop eye - maybe the beginning of it though?) and there are little tufts of eye covering that seem to be coming off. He also has little tiny pieces of skin around his facial area that are scruffing as well.
He acts disoriented and hardly responded to a feeding, much less ate. He is listless and gives a little "shiver" on a regular basis. He's also open mouthed gaping on a regular basis, though oxygenation should be fine since he's been healthy for the last 5 1/2 years.
The only medication I had that seemed to fit his descriptions was "Clout" by "Aquarium Products." It advised treatment of one tablet per 10 gallons. It's a 75g tank, so I put 7 tablets in. I retreated the tank last night and will do so again tonight.
 
 If you have any advice or suggestions as to what may be causing this, I would greatly appreciate it. I suspect he is too far gone to save, but I would like to try anyway. Thanks in advance.
<Very likely the root cause of trouble here is environmental... a dearth of ready/soluble biomineral and alkalinity in your water... I advise actually temporarily removing the eel, retaining a good part of the water, dumping the tank of gravel, replacing this and whatever else you might want to change at this time, returning the eel and the old water, topping off with new, and running several ounces of good activated carbon, Chemi-pure or equivalent in your canister filter... Stat.! Bob Fenner>

Urgent help re. moray 4/12/06
Please help! 'Morris' the moray seems to be on his last legs, as he very lethargic and just seems to be panting his last breaths. From reading your information it sounds as though he may have been poisoned by our rather 'stressy' lion fish.
<Perhaps>
Is there anything we can do to save him or is it kinder to put him out of his misery?

The other fish seem okay, perhaps he was the only one close enough to be poisoned?
<Not likely. Either poked, or all will be similarly mal-affected. Something else may be at fault here. I would at least execute at 25% water change and add activated carbon to your filter flow path>
Please help ASAP, it's breaking my heart, he is longest member of the family!
Thanks so much, Heidi
<Do this NOW! Bob Fenner>

Saltwater questions: Epaulette and Snowflake Eel 2/23/06
Hi Bob,
<Joseph>
I have a few questions to clarify some issues which I have not been able to find an answer to on your website.
Firstly, the article on Zebra Moray Eels suggests a simple freshwater dip for new arrivals, instead of the usual 2-3 weeks quarantine. Can this
general rule-of-thumb be applied to Snowflake Eels given their close relation with each-other?
<Mmm, I wouldn't actually dip either one of these. Muraenids in general don't have difficulties that freshwater dips/baths help with... are generally "too slimy" to have external complaints coming from the wild... I would quarantine unless the specimen/s appeared in perfect health>
Secondly, I am considering buying a juvenile Epaulette Shark for my 850 Litre, 8' tank. I was hoping you might shed some light on what quarantine procedure I should use.
<Mmm, most sharks I'd skip actual quarantine on in hobbyist settings (different from much larger commercial, public settings)... as the likely damage from such is probably much more than it's worth>
I have a 40 litre (10g) quarantine tank however I feel that the stress caused from placing the shark in such a confined tank may outweigh the benefits gained from quarantining.
<Agreed>
From what I have learned, keeping stress to a minimum may (arguably) be the single most important factor in a successful introduction of livestock.
<Most cases, yes>
Am I on the right track??? Perhaps a simple freshwater dip is enough?

And how should I handle the shark when placing it into the tank? Should I use a large net, or gently lift with gloved hands?
<Yes... this and/or a wet-towel>
Thirdly, in regards to my quarantine tank, is it reasonable to expect to be doing small (10%) water changes (with main system water) every few days to
manage the water quality (i.e. ammonia/nitrites/nitrates)?
<Often, yes... daily...>
I understand that small tanks are almost guaranteed to be highly susceptible to a large variation in water chemistry in a short period of time?
<Unfortunately, yes.... To be guarded against>
Finally (thanks for putting up with so many questions), when carrying out freshwater dips I use a product called Bactonex from Aquasonic and each mL
of this solution contains 1.66mg Aminacrine Hydrochloride and 0.025mg of Methylene Blue.. In your opinion, is this a suitable dip?
<Is more helpful than none>
Thank you immensely for taking the time to answer..
Joe
(Sydney, Australia)
<And you for writing, and so well. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Sick Eel, No - Injured & Hunger Strike = Typical Behavior
Hi Crew,
<Steve>
I have a rather large (I would guess about 3 feet long) Snowflake Eel whom I have had for several years.
<Neat animals>
A little over a month ago he stopped eating and pretty much went into hiding.
<Happens>
At first I wasn't too concerned because he has done this before and always pulled out of it. But this is the longest it has gone on and today he finally came out of hiding and I saw something disturbing on him. His right gill isn't opening, so he's only breathing on one side. (I don't think I would have much of an appetite if I had a collapsed lung either.)
<No lungs, and likely not a problem>
Furthermore, that whole side of his body seems to be deteriorated, I attached a picture.
<Nice pic. Looks like a "simple" mechanical injury to me... a gouge if you will...>
After reading the FAQs I'm afraid it may be from me not feeding him a properly balanced diet. I regularly fed him raw shrimp (human edible grade shrimp) and occasionally krill.. but I didn't do that too often because it's very messy and the shrimp is nice and clean.
I don't think he's ready to kick the bucket yet because he still keeps his head up (i.e. he doesn't just lay on the rocks waiting to die) and he has started moving around more, but I don't know what to do about him not eating. Once a week or so, I've been waving some shrimp in his face (with tongs of course) with no success. Is there anything that
can be done for him?
<Mmm, really... just patience at this point... an Echidna nebulosa of this size can go w/o feeding for months (really), and yours looks to be in good shape otherwise...>
I've been considering getting some live ghost shrimp to see if that will entice him to eat, but I'm afraid my clown fish will just pick at the shrimp and make me watch them suffer.
<I'd try the shrimp... and adding vitamins to the water, food>
If I can get him eating again, can you suggest some other foods that are relatively clean (like shrimp) that would give him some variety in his diet? Thank you. Steve Weatherly
<Most any live to fresh, frozen/defrosted crustaceans are worth trying. Bob Fenner>

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