shocking discovery

[pancho]

my friend called me this morning and told me to come down to this abandoned pet store that they were cleaning out. But when i got there i couldn't believe my eyes there was this green eel still in a tank swimming around. I asked my friend how long the store been closed down and he said for about 2 months. when i looked at the eel I noticed a huge white spot on his head and some what appeared to be sores or spores on it's body. Well we fed him a couple of feeders and naturally he gobbled them up. My question is what is the stuff on his head and body and what would be a good treatment for it. Right now it's sitting in my hospital tank any suggestions would be greatley appreciated. thanks in advance <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[beth]

Poor eel. It is amazingly disgusting how people who are in the pet shop business can be so cruel to animals. One would assume that people who choose to be in the animal business have a love, or at least respect, for the life of these animals. Isn't it easier to sell widgets, then animals, afterall?
In any event, you are doing the right thing. Make sure that your QT has optimum water conditions. You didn’t mention if you just set the QT up for the eel now or if it has been set up and is already cycled? What size is it the eel and what size is the tank?
Give some more details about the diseased areas you are seeing on the fish. Be specific with color, size, are the &#8220;spores&#8221; attached to the fish as in raised off the skin, or is it a discoloration of the fish’s body surface?
What feeders are you offering the fish?
You’ve done good, Pancho!

 

[pancho]

Thanks beth the qt tank has been set up for years, the spores are black looks like they are in the skin in the middle and in the tail. The tank is a 55 gallon and the eel is about 1 1/2 feet long.

 

[beth]

Does it look like ick, only black in color??
What are you feeding the eel?

 

[beth]

When you say, "feeders" I am a bit worried that you are offering up goldfish or something. You haven't given any input since initially posting here, but I will say this, just in case you're listening.
Feeding fish goldfish or other FW live foods really is not adequate nutritionally, and could even result in more serious ingestion problems. I would offer up some fresh seafood from the seafood counter at your local grocery store. I have gotten so much fresh seafood dirt cheap or even free just by telling the seafood guy that I'm feeding my fish! They think it is so cool, they just give me a mixed variety of this and that [squid, octopus, shrimp, scallop, clam, lobster, etc.] for next to nothing. As Terry suggested, soak this food for an hour with a good supplement like Zoe or Zocon, or even garlic juice, and then offer this to the eel. For a fish that’s been mistreated as this one has, now is the time to provide optimum environmental conditions and nutrition. Obviously this fish has a will and constitution to live and you were kind enough to take him in.
Keep us posted, and good luck with him!

 

[pancho]

ok guys to answer some questions he is now eating frozen shrimp. he only ate the goldfish the 1st day. the best way i can describe the wounds is that it looks as if someone took an eraser and erased the color from it's body in the infected area's. i got some melafix and was thinking about putting it in the qt.other than that it's acting normal and eating when i feed it every other day

 

[clowntrigger2k]

good luck i hope the eel makes it back to being healthy