I thInk my eeL broke his back :(
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Eel broke his back
I am new to the site and apologize for not posting in the correct place and providing all of the proper info...thx for pointing me in the right direction!! My fire eel Fred of 5years that is about 17in long has lost function of his last 6in of his body. Background: Fred has always a very active healthy eater and has always thrashed about when feeding..about a month ago it looked as if he scraped his head on some coral and it almost seemed bloody/raw. Recently he has been lethargic and not in his usual feeding frenzy when being fed in fact he hasn't ate in a few weeks. I was readying a new larger tank for him...no tank mates in the newer tank or the smaller one he was in...when I moved him it almost seemed as if he was having a seizure head shaking and all and once in the newer tank, after observing him closer he doesn't seem to be using his back half..he is moving all over the new place finding hiding places and all but not using is back half...he even greets me as usual when I have my hands in the tank but he still won't eat...all I find on the web about broken backs is in regards to gar and how to put them in a bucket with clove oil then vodka to put them down....I need help...has anyone had 'broken back'problems befor...my 'pet store fish guy' even mentioned a stroke or heart attack and suggest to put him down to put him in the freezer...ugh....I know it's strange to have such an attachment to something I had for sushi last week....but he's my baby...hes been from tx to tn to sc and now to In with me and I just can't bear the thought of putting him down any help will be much appreciated!
I am new to the site and apologize for not posting in the correct place and providing all of the proper info...thx for pointing me in the right direction!! My fire eel Fred of 5years that is about 17in long has lost function of his last 6in of his body. Background: Fred has always a very active healthy eater and has always thrashed about when feeding..about a month ago it looked as if he scraped his head on some coral and it almost seemed bloody/raw. Recently he has been lethargic and not in his usual feeding frenzy when being fed in fact he hasn't ate in a few weeks. I was readying a new larger tank for him...no tank mates in the newer tank or the smaller one he was in...when I moved him it almost seemed as if he was having a seizure head shaking and all and once in the newer tank, after observing him closer he doesn't seem to be using his back half..he is moving all over the new place finding hiding places and all but not using is back half...he even greets me as usual when I have my hands in the tank but he still won't eat...all I find on the web about broken backs is in regards to gar and how to put them in a bucket with clove oil then vodka to put them down....I need help...has anyone had 'broken back'problems befor...my 'pet store fish guy' even mentioned a stroke or heart attack and suggest to put him down to put him in the freezer...ugh....I know it's strange to have such an attachment to something I had for sushi last week....but he's my baby...hes been from tx to tn to sc and now to In with me and I just can't bear the thought of putting him down any help will be much appreciated!
lelouchzeta
Aquarium Advice Regular
Just a quick thing, I don't know anything about eels, and am not certain, but I feel like freezer euthanasia would be slower than putting him in a bowl of freezing ice water.
Nu-Nu the eel
Aquarium Advice Addict
I dont know how to help, but i am sorry for you. Is it possible that some rock might have fallen over and crushed his back? How big is the tank?
It really isnt a possibility that rock had fallen on him...he moved from the little 12gal tank to the newer 35gal tank...he goes nuts thrashing about when fed so I don't know if something could have happened during dinner sometime for him...I just don't know what I should do
Nu-Nu the eel
Aquarium Advice Addict
How big is he? 17"? Sorry but a 12 gallon tank must have stunted his growth. Thats the only explanation, because those eels need 50g or more to grow properly...
kdpuffer
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's possible it was a stroke brought on by the stress of moving him. Is he still not eating? What do you feed him? I recently heard of guy locally having an electric catfish and snakehead together, the snakehead got to close to the cat a feeding time and got zapped. It was paralyzed and took a year to recover, a month later it happened again - anyone want an electric catfish?
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