HELP! Spiny Peacock Eel Won't Eat

[Koenator]

I bought my spiny peacock eel last saturday (5 days ago) and have not seen him eat once. He is small, only about 3-4 inches currently so I cannot feed him earthworms.

I have tried both frozen and freeze dried foods (Brine and Mysis shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia). I drop them in front of him, wiggle them directly in front of him with tweezers, and he just stares at them. He is healthy (very active and doing normal burrowing rituals) but doesn't seem to eat.

What else can I try at this point to get him to eat? How do I know if he is indeed eating and maybe I just don't know it?

 

[jaylach]

I don't know eels but many fish will go days without eating when introduced to a new tank.

I would think that at 3-4 inches the eel should be able to eat worms. If not big 'earth worms' at least the smaller red wiggler worms.

Since you say the beastie is digging in the substrate it may actually be feeding on food that reaches the substrate. BTW, what kind of substrate, gravel or sand? On a quick search they seem to like a softer substrate so sand would probably be better than gravel. Course gravel could possibly cause injury as they dig.

Going back to the red wiggler worms they are like shorter skinny earth worms. If the eel's digging is actually feeding these worms could be ideal as they will burrow into the substrate and remain living for quite a while, days, possibly weeks. Such worms breathe by osmosis drawing oxygen in through their skin. Due to the form of breathing they really can't drown. If the digging displayed by the eel is actually feeding it will likely hunt and dig up such wiggler worms even after they have burrowed into the substrate. My smiling dwarf cichlids will do this and will dig wigglers out of the substrate.

Also I suggest that you stop trying to feed with tweezers. These are shy nocturnal fish and trying to feed with tweezers could easily be preventing the beast eating.

Sorry but a few questions:
1) What are the water parameters such as ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, PH and temperature?
2) What size is the tank. They need a fairly large tank to reach full length. In aquariums they normally get to around 9 inches but can reach 12 inches. For just one spiny peacock eel a 40 gallon tank is recommended as a minimum.

For the record these spiny peacock eel seem to not actually be true eels. They are late evening feeders so should probably be fed shortly before lights go off.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Those are wild caught fish. I'd try some living food first. Later they'll.eat mainly bloodworms or tubifex (alive or frozen)

 

[jaylach]

Those are wild caught fish. I'd try some living food first. Later they'll.eat mainly bloodworms or tubifex (alive or frozen)

Exactly which is why I suggested red wiggle worms. Still need to know the tank size as this is important to this fish.

 

[Koenator]

I don't know eels but many fish will go days without eating when introduced to a new tank.

I would think that at 3-4 inches the eel should be able to eat worms. If not big 'earth worms' at least the smaller red wiggler worms.

Since you say the beastie is digging in the substrate it may actually be feeding on food that reaches the substrate. BTW, what kind of substrate, gravel or sand? On a quick search they seem to like a softer substrate so sand would probably be better than gravel. Course gravel could possibly cause injury as they dig.

Going back to the red wiggler worms they are like shorter skinny earth worms. If the eel's digging is actually feeding these worms could be ideal as they will burrow into the substrate and remain living for quite a while, days, possibly weeks. Such worms breathe by osmosis drawing oxygen in through their skin. Due to the form of breathing they really can't drown. If the digging displayed by the eel is actually feeding it will likely hunt and dig up such wiggler worms even after they have burrowed into the substrate. My smiling dwarf cichlids will do this and will dig wigglers out of the substrate.

Also I suggest that you stop trying to feed with tweezers. These are shy nocturnal fish and trying to feed with tweezers could easily be preventing the beast eating.

Sorry but a few questions:
1) What are the water parameters such as ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, PH and temperature?
2) What size is the tank. They need a fairly large tank to reach full length. In aquariums they normally get to around 9 inches but can reach 12 inches. For just one spiny peacock eel a 40 gallon tank is recommended as a minimum.

For the record these spiny peacock eel seem to not actually be true eels. They are late evening feeders so should probably be fed shortly before lights go off.

The red wiggler worms sounds like a good idea, I will look into that. Thank you.
I have about 3 inches of sand as my substrate, all my water params (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) are zero, I always feed right as i turn the tank light off, and the tank is a 40 gallon. Don’t worry I did my research before getting this guy

 

[DAnCSF]

Seems to me you may be worrying about nothing, all the advice makes sense but I'll add my 2 pfennings - if available why not try live tubifex worms? Add some to the tank those that aren't eaten right away will burrow into your substrate...which will eventually be found and eaten. Good luck...

 

[DoubleDutch]

The red wiggler worms sounds like a good idea, I will look into that. Thank you.
I have about 3 inches of sand as my substrate, all my water params (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) are zero, I always feed right as i turn the tank light off, and the tank is a 40 gallon. Don’t worry I did my research before getting this guy

Thea are awesome fish