Freshwater Moray Eel Help.

SO I PURCHASED A Freshwater MORAY EEL AT MY LFS, WHICH I AM GREAT FRIENDS WITH SINCE BIRTH. I FEEL IN LOVE WITH THE EEL AS I SEEN IT. BOUGHT IT, KNOWING MY OTHER BUDDIES HAVE KEPT THEM IN FW, NOT BRACKISH WITH GREAT LUCK. BUT ITS BEEN ABOUT 4 DAYS AND STILL HASNT EATEN. I HAVE 3 OTHER BICHIRS, A ROPE FISH, AND OTHER TOP FISH BUT THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN EAT THE SILVERSIDES I LEAVE FOR MY MORAY. I ALSO HAVE ROSIES IN THE TANK FOR THE EEL AND ALSO MY GAR. BUT HAS ANYONE HAD ISSUES WITH Freshwater MORAY EEL FEEDING HABITS? I HAD A SNOWFLAKE EEL BEFORE BUT HE SADLY WAS ILL WHEN I PURCHASED AND I TRIED TO SAVE HIM.. RIP

I JUST NEED HELP TO GET HIM TO EAT..

1 HYDRO GAR
2 ANGELFISH"KOI ANGEL"
2 PINK KISSING GOURAMI'S
1 PEARL GOURAMI
1 BLUE GOURAMI
1 SPOTTED LEAF PUFFER
1 ROPEFISH
3 BICHIRS"BIKERS"
1 Freshwater MORAY EEL

ALL IN MY 125GALLON.

 

TexasDomer may be able to help

Also can we get a picture to see if there are any visual aids is figuring out this issue.
May simply be stocking issues.

 

I'm trying to add my video just doesn't show my eel it's hiding

 

Sadly from what ive been reading, most causes of having issues eating has to do with salinity levels. This site states that long term survival in fw may be 2 years. without salinity its more prone to diseases.

Freshwater Moray Eels

Texas may have other info though.

 

my lfs said their freshwater fish born and raised. They can be put into a full marine or brackish water tank, yet won't be able to go back to freshwater. Others have kept theirs for years I'm hoping to do the same. My lfs wouldnt let fish die like that or be sold. theyre very caring people when it comes to their fishies.

TexasDomer any help boss?

 

My brother had one of these and I remember it didn't eat at all when kept in freshwater.

 

you remember what the temp was. ? cause my lfs is claiming they can live in all water. just freshwater has to be high temp

 

Ive done more readings and these guys mostly live in the mouths at rivers where it enters the ocean. They venture up stream which is where they are caught. Since theyre caught in fresh water theyre noted to seller that theyre freshwater, then sold as freswater.

 

I'm going to add about 6 tablespoons of aquarium salt to help him out, my lfs who has been doing this since 1960, said it will help the eel and my fish.

 

Aquarium salt does nothing in regards to marine salinity. You need marine salt, and the rest of your fish wouldn't be able to tolerate the necessary 1.005-1.008sg.

They live in estuaries, not freshwater, even though they may spend some time in areas of especially low salinity it isn't for extended periods.

 

You'll need to either rehome him or get a new tank and convert it to brackish for him. Your other fish can't handle the brackish water.

You have some issues with your current stocking, if you'd like to discuss it. What size tank do you have these fish in?

 

125 gallon

 

I think it was 78-80F.

 

What kind of puffer is the spotted leaf puffer? Never heard of it, and google doesn't give anything definite.

 

african leaf puffer

 

He needs brackish water. They may be sold as fully fw eels but it will harm them in the end if you don't at least work him up to brackish. There are plenty of other fish sold as fully fw when in actuality they need brackish water. If he stays in fresh water his lifespan will be severely shortened and he won't be healthy or happy.

 

african leaf puffer

Do you mean African leaf fish? They're not puffers.

 

I'm trading in my moray eel, I can't keep him. he needs to much attention with the water and such. just not enough time for it, while working. so thinking of another member to the 125 g family

Do you mean African leaf fish? They're not puffers.

sure, lfs had them down as leaf puffers. but yes, leaf fish.

 

I hope you know the gar will eventually outgrow your tank, along with potentially eating your gourami once it reaches a larger size.

 

Well I know A gar will do that, but my "gar" isn't really a gar and his max size of 12 inches, which he is about 10. He's a striped pike technically

 

The gar is fine, but the gourami will outgrow the tank and it's not a good idea to keep multiple gourami species together as they can bully or kill each other.