Eel Help, Crooked Back!

[CAC]

Hi, ive been away since last friday(EDIT: Sorry, since last sunday), and got back last night, and fed the fish quickly. I came down this morning to feed again and to see whats happening, and as i feed, one of my yellow tails, who usually doesnt come out at feeding time came out, presumeably because he was very hungry. I noticed that his back was (and still is) crooked, upwards...
His swimming seems to be really hard to do...
I seem to remember before, when he'd be in the plants, that his back looked strange, but i presumed it was just how he was positioned, but now that ive seen him swim i know its crooked.
Any ideas what caused it? Is it common? Will it sort itself out? Is there anything i can do?

Any info will be greatfully recived, as im really worried about him.
Many thanks, Mikey
Heres a couple of pics of him, so you can see what im on about:

 

[Gankutsuou]

mmmm.... that doesn't look too good. Could there be various ways he could damage his back like that in your tank?
EX: bogwood and such?

My peacock does do what yours looks like it's doing in the first pic a lot, but only up in the plants. He'll hover while checking out an eel that's strung himself up in the plants. When he's on the ground, he looks perfectly normal....

but yours is on the ground Like that. I fear the worser cause, but get a second opinion.

 

[cane76]

so the eel is stuck in that bent position?i have never seen anything like that before
it dont look good

 

[CAC]

I know
He was under the bogwood before, and his back was down under the wood, but when he came out again it went bent again. Its really when he swims that it looks worse, looks painful...
A couple of waterchanges ago, i was syphoning the water out and the tube did get the side of one of the yellowtails, but i dont think it would be enough to 'break' its back, or put it into the postion its in now..
I think its more likely to have either been spooked by something, and pulled a muscle or hurt itself that way, or its some sort of a bone dissorder or something, like genetics...

Thanks for the help

Mikey

 

[nmonks]

I'd tend to leave things alone for now. It's unlikely to have actually broken its backbone; these fish are very flexible, and anything severe enough to damage the spine would likely damage the surrounding tissue as well. So you'd see dead skin, muscle swelling, etc. In other words, provided the fish is feeding properly, there's a good chance things will improve over time. Spiny eels succumb very quickly to internal infections and other such sicknesses, so if it is feeding happily enough, then it is probably healthy. My guess is that it has a twisted muscle or something, or even something genetic you didn't notice (or wasn't severe enough) until now.

That said, on one occasion I have had a halfbeak fry that was somehow damaged at a few days of a age and it did develop a crooked spine. Eventually it died from other reasons, but not before living fine for several months and reaching a good size.

For now, just keep an eye on things. Perhaps add Melafix or something similar to the water just to ward off any opportunistic bacterial infections.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[cane76]

maybe your eels have burrowed under the bogwood so much that it may of collapsed on top of the poor eel.the weight of that wood would do some damage.
is there tissue damage?if not there is no point adding melafix is there?

 

[CAC]

Thanks for the replys. The bogwood hasnt moved at all, so im pretty sure that it wouldnt have crushed it, unless it got stuck under there and went crazy trying to free itself...
As you say Neale, it is feeding and it seems happy enough (and its out and about more than normal, so he must be quite hungry)
I cant see any outside damage to him

Thanks alot for the replys, and ill keep an eye on it and see how it goes. Ill update when anything happens.

Mikey

 

[cane76]

i hope it straightens out and all is well again
they are great looking eels i have never seen them for sale round my way i would love one for my 30g

 

[CAC]

Yeah they're pretty cool, and theyve both grown quite abit longer too...
I'd say that theyre as big as theyll get now, about 7" i'd say, maybe abit less, so they shouldnt get much bigger. The half banded has filled out loads too. Its really deep now and quite fat. He had a big feed this morning, and unusually for him, hes stayed under the bogwood all day

Mikey

 

[cane76]

hows it doing mike still the same?

 

[The-Wolf]

is nobody else thinking diatary insufficancy?

 

[CAC]

No its still the same, hes just as bad, but i dont think hes in pain or anything...
The-Wolf, im pretty sure that hes getting enough food, and of the right kind, as all of my other fishes are looking great and are feeding well, as is he.
I dont think its going to go away over night, i think it may take some time...

Mikey