Eel not eating?

[risc]

I have a recently acclimated (4 days) Japanese Dragon Eel that doesn't seem one bit interested in food. When I introduce food into the tank he just shakes his head violently back and forth and doesn't make any effort to approach the food. I know he can see me and the food both but he still doesn't eat it. I've even tried sticking the food directly into his mouth by hand. He just sits there and does nothing about it. I've tried squid, sliversides, and krill and he pretty much responds the same to them all. He is 28" inches long and very healthy - but apparently not hungry.
Anyone ever experienced this sort of behavior from an eel before? Especially the violent head shaking back and forth?
p.s. For those of you that know me - I'm back online.

 

[unleashed]

most eels from time to time go on hunger strikes some go as long as a full month without eating.if was eating goon in the past and just started refusing foods you might have a water quality poblem make sure ph is just right with no amonias or nitrates/nitrites calcium levels not to high or low my black moray went throguh same problem for 3 weeks no eating I even offered live fish but no avail.i always test water quality my test read ph was right i took test to lfs they tested for me my test was wayy off i thenm added ph buffer to maintain 8.3 ph level within one day my eel is back to eating regularly again.i hope this helps

 

[cartman101]

is he eating?

 

[risc]

Still not eating - going to attempt normal grocery store bought shrimp today. Since every fish I have eats shrimp it won't go to waste if he doesn't eat it anyway.

 

[d0ch0liday]

Try soaking the food in garlic over night...... if that does not work eels can survive along time without eating...he will get hungry eventually .... just keep at it

 

[petem]

My snowflake, would come out of hiding everyday like clockwork around 5pm for feeding. Then after a bought with Ich in my tank....my Angel, and Damsel died from it, my Trigger recovered, he stopped coming out to take food. This was about 3 weeks. Then One day after the lights went out, I saw him come out of the rocks. So, I knew he was alive, and that he must have been getting food from some that may have dropped down to the bottom. But, now, he's back to coming out again, and taking my food. Good luck with yours.

 

[unleashed]

I suggest picking up some small black mollies for him.if you can buy them as brackish it would be faster to acclimate into salt.if fw is all you can find it will take about a week to fully acclimate them slowing into sw if you try to fast most wont survive.I used to breed them for my lions but they ate them faster they they could reproduce.no other fw fish will do expecially goldfish.

 

[risc]

Eel finally ate store bought shrimp last night but only one piece. He tore the #$^- out of it but then refused to eat anymore after the first one. As for the mollies - I thought about that and damsels also but they are way to expensive at my LFS(s). Definately a last resort.

 

[unleashed]

when i purchase mollies you can your lfs about bulk pricing. its still axpencive in compairison to frozen.the more you can purchase at one time the better the the price will be.I was getting mine at 89. each compaired to 3 bucks each.I buy 50 at a time.they were specially ordered for me personally through LFS.do some asking around you might be abale to find a good supplier.I only use 2 stores so 89 was the best price between them.I just had to make sure i picked them up as soon and their supplier delivered them.for the price you paid to get that eel you def dont want to lose him. if i dont sell my 75 set up might just start doing that again and use that tank as a breeder.

 

[risc]

Eating like a machine now... krill, shrimp, silversides, my hand... you name it - it eats it. Guess he just needed time to settle in. He's certainly established himself as master of the aquarium.