Sfe???
- Thread starter cdubbs
- Start date
polarpooch
Active Member
Can you get a picture of the injury? Did it happen in your tank or at the store? What else is in the tank w/the SFE? Do you have excellent water quality and a strong skimmer?
OK, assuming that the injury is not that severe, that there is nothing in the tank picking on the eel and that you have good water quality, you shouldn't have to worry too much.
My eels face off and tear into each other, and even gaping wounds have healed readily. Eels are very hardy, very resiliant animals.
Now, if your water quality is not good, you could have trouble with infection.
Give it a couple of days, and see if it starts to look likes it's starting the healing process. You may have to treat it in a hospital tank.
Good luck. I hope your eel heals well!
OK, assuming that the injury is not that severe, that there is nothing in the tank picking on the eel and that you have good water quality, you shouldn't have to worry too much.
My eels face off and tear into each other, and even gaping wounds have healed readily. Eels are very hardy, very resiliant animals.
Now, if your water quality is not good, you could have trouble with infection.
Give it a couple of days, and see if it starts to look likes it's starting the healing process. You may have to treat it in a hospital tank.
Good luck. I hope your eel heals well!
conogre
Member
Do you know how big a Panther grouper gets?
He'll eat a dwarf lion before long and not even burp and use the spines for toothpicks, poison or not.
The LFS won't take the SFE back if you tell them you have a trigger in the same tank with it (triggers, by the way, are also famous for killing lionfish)
Do you have enough LR so that your eel can completely hide, with just his head sticking out?
Your eels fight, polarpooch?
I've got 5 in one tank with no fights.
He'll eat a dwarf lion before long and not even burp and use the spines for toothpicks, poison or not.
The LFS won't take the SFE back if you tell them you have a trigger in the same tank with it (triggers, by the way, are also famous for killing lionfish)
Do you have enough LR so that your eel can completely hide, with just his head sticking out?
Your eels fight, polarpooch?
I've got 5 in one tank with no fights.
cdubbs
Member
yes i know how big the grouper gets and i am planning on selling it back to the fish store or set up a different tank by the time that happens..yes there is enough rock for him to completely have his body hidden and his head out..he is actually hiding right now and all i can see is a little bit of his tail...do they normally hide all day?
conogre
Member
"All day, all night, Mary Anne..."
Yes, ALL of the eels stay hidden 95% of the time, that's their normal behavior.
Even with really sharp teeth, their tail is a looooooong way behind them and by the time they get turned around it's too late, thus they hide in self defense...I'm pretty sure it comes from loking so much like a worm!
If you "spot feed" them in their holes, they will become very peaceful and not bother most fish (I use plastic tongs made for planting in aquariums, very cheap)
Yes, ALL of the eels stay hidden 95% of the time, that's their normal behavior.
Even with really sharp teeth, their tail is a looooooong way behind them and by the time they get turned around it's too late, thus they hide in self defense...I'm pretty sure it comes from loking so much like a worm!
If you "spot feed" them in their holes, they will become very peaceful and not bother most fish (I use plastic tongs made for planting in aquariums, very cheap)
conogre
Member
LOL! That I can't do....I live alone and to get it out I have to lure it out with raw squid...by being crippled, by the time I get back far enough for a whole tank shot she's back in the LR.
If it haelps any, get a tape measure and and pull out to 39"...that's how long she is.
I had her out and measured her, for real!
Here's a 32" Spoon-nosed snake eel in the same tank....I had to cut a fish hook out of its throat and measured it while I was working.
If it haelps any, get a tape measure and and pull out to 39"...that's how long she is.
I had her out and measured her, for real!
Here's a 32" Spoon-nosed snake eel in the same tank....I had to cut a fish hook out of its throat and measured it while I was working.
gkp
Member
your eels fight, polarpooch?
I've got 5 in one tank with no fights. [/B]
I am polars man and to ansure your ? the tessy we have is very agressive and territorial and often confronts the green even though the green has about 10 inches on him and 3 times the girth. The tessy was always good to smaller eels but not the big one, so the green retaliates to defend himself often leading to "disputes" wich can sometimes lead to wounds. But it does not always go one way the green is allways attacked first and when the teeth of a tessy hit his face he gets pi@@@@.
But eel wounds heal very fast I have seen large cuts and gashes dissapear in 3 days as if never there?
The coolest thing and I am trying to get a pic is when eels have a dominencey dispute like digs do. It is the coolest thing to watch. There is no fighting just display and slow pushing of the heads to show strenth.
I've got 5 in one tank with no fights. [/B]
I am polars man and to ansure your ? the tessy we have is very agressive and territorial and often confronts the green even though the green has about 10 inches on him and 3 times the girth. The tessy was always good to smaller eels but not the big one, so the green retaliates to defend himself often leading to "disputes" wich can sometimes lead to wounds. But it does not always go one way the green is allways attacked first and when the teeth of a tessy hit his face he gets pi@@@@.
But eel wounds heal very fast I have seen large cuts and gashes dissapear in 3 days as if never there?
The coolest thing and I am trying to get a pic is when eels have a dominencey dispute like digs do. It is the coolest thing to watch. There is no fighting just display and slow pushing of the heads to show strenth.
conogre
Member
LOL!
No, the display is fine and looks quite nice actually.
I meant whose job is it to clean alagae from the inside?
It would seem using your hand is pretty well out of the question, and it's concievable that these two might attack long handled scrapers or magnetic algae removing pads.
I've had or worked with animals where just cleaning the cage was an experience that warranted hazardous duty pay!
Here's another photo for you, but this guy is a Wuss compared to your two...I'm not even sure what it is.
We caught it at about 10" and it's now around 2 feet and appears to still be growing.
The surprising part is, like all eels, it's sight just isn't that good and it often grabs my finger by mistake, but freezes the second it knows that's me.
Then, very gently, it moves it's head up and down, test nibbling, until it's SURE that it's found food, then WHAM!
It rips it right out of my fingers.
That's WAY smarter than anything I ever expected out of a fish.
No, the display is fine and looks quite nice actually.
I meant whose job is it to clean alagae from the inside?
It would seem using your hand is pretty well out of the question, and it's concievable that these two might attack long handled scrapers or magnetic algae removing pads.
I've had or worked with animals where just cleaning the cage was an experience that warranted hazardous duty pay!
Here's another photo for you, but this guy is a Wuss compared to your two...I'm not even sure what it is.
We caught it at about 10" and it's now around 2 feet and appears to still be growing.
The surprising part is, like all eels, it's sight just isn't that good and it often grabs my finger by mistake, but freezes the second it knows that's me.
Then, very gently, it moves it's head up and down, test nibbling, until it's SURE that it's found food, then WHAM!
It rips it right out of my fingers.
That's WAY smarter than anything I ever expected out of a fish.
polarpooch
Active Member
conogre,
Is that a ghost eel? I feed my ghost eel the same way...he's too small to injure me...and sure loves the krill. He's hardly gentle about it though...and he's dumber than a rock. I have to find HIM to make him eat. He'd starve looking for food himself.
Oh yeah, I clean the glass! (Gary, you'd better not even TRY to dispute that!) I use an algae scrubber. I know...I shouldn't...but it's how I reach the back of the glass...
I do keep my eye on the green, though. He thinks my hand anywhere near the glass signals feeding time. I'm going to get bit someday, I suppose. But not if I can help it.
I think it's time GKP starts cleaning the glass...wait, then he'd make me clean the protein skimmer. On second thought, I'll keep the algae job!
Is that a ghost eel? I feed my ghost eel the same way...he's too small to injure me...and sure loves the krill. He's hardly gentle about it though...and he's dumber than a rock. I have to find HIM to make him eat. He'd starve looking for food himself.
Oh yeah, I clean the glass! (Gary, you'd better not even TRY to dispute that!) I use an algae scrubber. I know...I shouldn't...but it's how I reach the back of the glass...
I do keep my eye on the green, though. He thinks my hand anywhere near the glass signals feeding time. I'm going to get bit someday, I suppose. But not if I can help it.
I think it's time GKP starts cleaning the glass...wait, then he'd make me clean the protein skimmer. On second thought, I'll keep the algae job!
conogre
Member
LMAO...you guys sound like a trip.
My kind of people, but a trip.
No, it's not a Ghost eel, but rather one that I caught a couple years ago and STILL can't identify, either a snake eel or a Conger, as evidenced by the pectoral fins (his name is Eelbert).
When I had my black ribbon eel it ate the same way as well, and did great in my 100 for over a year, close to 2, then I got dumb and thought it would like the deeper 125 better.
NOT!
It went carpet surfing the first night.
Be careful about that Green....I'm serious when I say my blackedge bit HALFWAY through my finger in about 1/2 second.
I suspect that Green could take your finger OFF and then it won't be so humorous.....please, seriously, be careful!
My kind of people, but a trip.
No, it's not a Ghost eel, but rather one that I caught a couple years ago and STILL can't identify, either a snake eel or a Conger, as evidenced by the pectoral fins (his name is Eelbert).
When I had my black ribbon eel it ate the same way as well, and did great in my 100 for over a year, close to 2, then I got dumb and thought it would like the deeper 125 better.
NOT!
It went carpet surfing the first night.
Be careful about that Green....I'm serious when I say my blackedge bit HALFWAY through my finger in about 1/2 second.
I suspect that Green could take your finger OFF and then it won't be so humorous.....please, seriously, be careful!
polarpooch
Active Member
Wow...in that pic it looks just like my ghost.
Since you live in FLA, do you do a lot of live capture yourself?
I will be careful with the green...that thing scares the hell out of me in the first place, so I do pay attention.
Since you live in FLA, do you do a lot of live capture yourself?
I will be careful with the green...that thing scares the hell out of me in the first place, so I do pay attention.
conogre
Member
Good! While some people over-react and are afraid of everything, that is one you SHOULD be afraid of.
In the confines of a tank they can be lightening fast and you aren't even ready for the damage they can do.
My lionfish, on the other hand, actually "like" to be petted...they'll lay down their top fin, roll to the side and let me stroke their side.
Since they keep coming back for more, I assume they like it anyways.
As to capturing my own, yes, I've got a spinal injury and can only walk with severe pain, thus it's "hydrotherapy", needed excercise and the fish and critters are just **perks!**grin**
If you guys are ever down this way, the guest room's always open and you're welcome to try your hand at shallow water collecting.
In the confines of a tank they can be lightening fast and you aren't even ready for the damage they can do.
My lionfish, on the other hand, actually "like" to be petted...they'll lay down their top fin, roll to the side and let me stroke their side.
Since they keep coming back for more, I assume they like it anyways.
As to capturing my own, yes, I've got a spinal injury and can only walk with severe pain, thus it's "hydrotherapy", needed excercise and the fish and critters are just **perks!**grin**
If you guys are ever down this way, the guest room's always open and you're welcome to try your hand at shallow water collecting.