HELP ME PLZ!!! my eel keeps trying to kill himself!

[littletankbigworld]

Also, please get a picture of your pleco so we can identify him.

 

[valeria87]

The idea that fish only grow to the size of tank they are put in is a MYTH! What really happens is the fish's growth is stunted due to the small space. Although the fishes' skeletal growth is stunted, it's internal organs will continue to grow, and will eventually burst due to the stunted growth of the skeleton. This is extremely unhealthy and all fish kept in tanks too small for them die prematurely of organ failure. Also, NEVER listen to pet store employees. They do not care for the well being of your fish, and will sell you more fish than you can keep so that they make money, not only at that moment, but they make money when your fish die from stunted growth or other issues and you have to replace that fish. Please, for the sake of your fish, get a bigger tank or rehome the bala shark with someone who has 55 or more gallons to keep it in. I really hope you take my advice.

omg! really? thanks i didn't know that! but yea i knew i figured i can't trust pet store employees...expecially at petco! i do have a 55 gallon tank....but what i guess your saying is it needs a 55 gall by its self or at least with smaller type fish...but yea im going to try to find him a good big home...thank you

 

[littletankbigworld]

You're welcome. Yes, that is the truth. Many people mistreat or do not have large enough space for fish out of ignorance, as common myths still circulate about the care of fish.

 

[valeria87]

pleco and bala

 

[littletankbigworld]

Thank you for uploading pictures. If I had to guess, I would say it is the common suckermouth catfish, which grow to be 18+ inches long. This makes your aquarium even more overstocked. Anyone have a second opinion about the ID of this plec?

 

[misterking]

Thank you for uploading pictures. If I had to guess, I would say it is the common suckermouth catfish, which grow to be 18+ inches long. This makes your aquarium even more overstocked. Anyone have a second opinion about the ID of this plec?

If it's Hypostomus plecostomus, 24 inches is closer the mark..

It certainly seems to be one, but a top view would be helpful so we can see the patterns/rays. Planet catfish is good for this sort of thing, unfortunately my knowledge on pleco ID is quite limited.

 

[misterking]

The idea that fish only grow to the size of tank they are put in is a MYTH! What really happens is the fish's growth is stunted due to the small space. Although the fishes' skeletal growth is stunted, it's internal organs will continue to grow, and will eventually burst due to the stunted growth of the skeleton. This is extremely unhealthy and all fish kept in tanks too small for them die prematurely of organ failure.

Unfortunately also a myth with very little to no scientific evidence..

Stunting is real and very unhealthy for fish, but to say their internal organs carry on growing til they "burst" is just fantasy fueled by exaggerated rumours.

 

[valeria87]

thanks but all i know is its the common type pleco that you see in almost every tank at a fish store...i bought him at 3-41/2 inches a little less than 1 year ago.....they have them on the petco website...but anyway thank you all for the help but can we get back to the main topic?? do ya'll think my eel will survive and what can i do to help him? is there anything i can buy for wounds???

 

[valeria87]

Plecostomus

this is what i found on petco.com

 

[misterking]

but anyway thank you all for the help but can we get back to the main topic??

My thoughts exactly. Right now the rest is irrelevent.

I'm not too sure about medications with eels.. How's he looking right now? They're scaleless fish I believe and so don't deal with medications very well. I'd suggest melafix but don't go rushing to buy it.. wait til someone else comes along with a bit more know-how on treating scaleless fish, for now the most you can do is prevent him from getting into the filter and keep water quality near perfect, high ammonia and nitrite levels won't help the healing process.

 

[valeria87]

My thoughts exactly. Right now the rest is irrelevent.

I'm not too sure about medications with eels.. How's he looking right now? They're scaleless fish I believe and so don't deal with medications very well. I'd suggest melafix but don't go rushing to buy it.. wait til someone else comes along with a bit more know-how on treating scaleless fish, for now the most you can do is prevent him from getting into the filter and keep water quality near perfect, high ammonia and nitrite levels won't help the healing process.

thank you! he's looking the same...one half of his body is missing skin and is white..and there's one big chunk missing where its red and looks pretty bad. the thing is he acts fine..except he runs into other fish if hes swimming toward them on the side hes missing his eye! poor guy. but when i feed him he swims right up to the top and eats like normal! so hopefully he will be fine.

 

[misterking]

White is generally a sign of healing, as long as it doesn't have fungus on it

 

[Doomhed]

melafix is the only thing that you dont have to cut down the dosage with scaleless fises. they can tolerate the full dosage most time.

 

[valeria87]

White is generally a sign of healing, as long as it doesn't have fungus on it

im not sure but i think the skin is white under the green top layer of skin...because its been like that since the incident...and a few days after his eye went out the green skin around his eye started ?peeling? off and it was white underneigth also. and what would the fungus look like???
as for now until i get a chance to go to the only good fish store around here(20 miles away) i have the lights off on one side where he likes to stay.im planning on buying a cave and asking them about the medifix stuff you suggested...i found it at petco just now but wanted to make sure it was ok to give him before i did..and i sure didn't want to ask petco employees anything like that, because im pretty sure they don't have a clue

 

[wananwu]

Not sure why but i've seen many eels do this in fish stores do to the high traffic around the tank. They were trying to get away from the noise/vibration. is your tank near a high traffic area?

 

[valeria87]

Not sure why but i've seen many eels do this in fish stores do to the high traffic around the tank. They were trying to get away from the noise/vibration. is your tank near a high traffic area?

what do you mean high traffic? i have the tank in the living room where we are 90% of the time and my computer is right in front of the tank so im here most of the time and my 2 yr old is very hyper and jumps around alot but he usually jumps in the filter it's when we are in bed or at work(when it should be very quiet)

 

[Doomhed]

he usually jumps in the filter it's when we are in bed or at work(when it should be very quiet)

it could be due to stress or fighting at night once the lights go off.

they do go off, right? some fish will try to escape if they are not given darkness in which to sleep.

 

[valeria87]

it could be due to stress or fighting at night once the lights go off.

they do go off, right? some fish will try to escape if they are not given darkness in which to sleep.

yea i turn the light off when i go to bed which is anywhere from 10:30 to 1 am but i always turn the lights off and they all seem to get along exept the red tail chasing the bala but he doesn't never hurt him and he only chases him after they eat right before i turn out the lights. he hasn't tried to get back in the filter since his last incident. and he eats really well i tried some new bloodworms hikari brand and he LOVES them!I can tell the difference from the brand i did have it was bloodworms for bettas and they were dry, but this new brand looks juicy and fresh. I'm starting to think that maybe he was hungry and thats why he was getting in the filter because i used to drop the bloodworms in right beside the filter so that the bala couldn't reach em as good....so maybe he thought the food was coming from the filter????I'm not sure but now im spending more time monitering him while he eats to make sure hes getting enough.