Snowflake Eel missing

aquiman

aquiman

Member
I just added a small Snowflake eel only about 6 inches long to 90g FOLR tank on Saturday. First day he swam around exploring but I haven't seen him since. I have the top of the tank sealed so he could not have gotten out. I checked the overflow and he isn't in there. I have lots of rock so he could be hiding. None of the other fish are large enough to make a meal of him. I read that these guys can disappear or hibernate for weeks at a time and show up fine. I don't feel like tearing the tank down to look for him. Anyone have a similar experience with these rascals?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquiman http:///t/392985/snowflake-eel-missing#post_3493068
I just added a small Snowflake eel only about 6 inches long to 90g FOLR tank on Saturday. First day he swam around exploring but I haven't seen him since. I have the top of the tank sealed so he could not have gotten out. I checked the overflow and he isn't in there. I have lots of rock so he could be hiding. None of the other fish are large enough to make a meal of him. I read that these guys can disappear or hibernate for weeks at a time and show up fine. I don't feel like tearing the tank down to look for him. Anyone have a similar experience with these rascals?
No QT??? No experience, but new fish tend to hide, and a 6 inch eel in the rocks would have plenty to eat. Also some critters are nocternal (I don't know qbout the eel) and feed at night....if you have moonlights you can watch them.
With a healthy CUC.... if the critter dies there will be no body, so no reason to tear the tank apart.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392985/snowflake-eel-missing#post_3493175
No QT??? No experience, but new fish tend to hide, and a 6 inch eel in the rocks would have plenty to eat. Also some critters are nocternal (I don't know qbout the eel) and feed at night....if you have moonlights you can watch them.
With a healthy CUC.... if the critter dies there will be no body, so no reason to tear the tank apart.
ive never qt'd.
 
aquiman

aquiman

Member
Thx for the feedback. I've read so much lately on this site about how important it is QT. Since I'm new at this, the wheels are turning on getting a QT started. I really don't want to, but figured if it's the right think to do to save a wipe out, I'd do it. Is it a matter of buying from reputable sources, being lucky or skilled to look closely at what you are buying from LFS? Snake, can you explain why you dont? By the way, the snowflake came out of hiding :)
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
I always quarantine. The only exception are corals, but those get an iodine soak. It doesn't matter where they come from since all of the marine critters at some point went through the tanks of wholesalers who process thousands of fish, so the odds of disease, parasites, infection, etc. are pretty high. Also, a newcomer, who may have looked pretty good in the store, is in reality, in terrible shape compared to how it will look after several weeks in your tank. Quarantine gives such an animal a chance to adapt to captive foods and to recharge itself for the coming territorial battles in the DT. A good example is a copperbanded butterfly that I have in quarantine right now. It was timid when I first added it and refused all of the usual foods. So I put some clam onto a piece of rock with a rubber band, and it began to eat. I have been substituting frozen foods on the rock, and it eats that, and is now beginning to take some of the food that floats off of the rock. Eventually, it will eat anything that is floating around, and will be ready for life in my DT. If I had put this new guy directly into the DT it would still be starving, but it looks like we are on the way
..
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/392985/snowflake-eel-missing#post_3493338
I always quarantine. The only exception are corals, but those get an iodine soak. It doesn't matter where they come from since all of the marine critters at some point went through the tanks of wholesalers who process thousands of fish, so the odds of disease, parasites, infection, etc. are pretty high. Also, a newcomer, who may have looked pretty good in the store, is in reality, in terrible shape compared to how it will look after several weeks in your tank. Quarantine gives such an animal a chance to adapt to captive foods and to recharge itself for the coming territorial battles in the DT. A good example is a copperbanded butterfly that I have in quarantine right now. It was timid when I first added it and refused all of the usual foods. So I put some clam onto a piece of rock with a rubber band, and it began to eat. I have been substituting frozen foods on the rock, and it eats that, and is now beginning to take some of the food that floats off of the rock. Eventually, it will eat anything that is floating around, and will be ready for life in my DT. If I had put this new guy directly into the DT it would still be starving, but it looks like we are on the way
..
I don't think the answer of WHY quarantine, has ever been better explained.
 
aquiman

aquiman

Member
Great stuff guys and thanks very much! Since I haven't quarantined anything yet, how much time do you think needs to go by from the day I added before I can conclude I got lucky and didn't introduce anything to the tank? Fingers crossed.
 
M

mxsnow145

Guest
hey be careful with the Snowflake eel and make sure he doesnt jump out! when i got mine he was 5 inches and grew to 18inches and jumped out of the tank twice, the 1st i found him behind the tank the second time i found him under the couch.
 
M

mxsnow145

Guest
yeah, once i put him back in the tank he shed his skin and was fine,
 
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