Hunger Strike

ChimolaFish · 02/10/2017, 02:02 PM

So I have a Japanese dragon that I've had for three years now. Poor thing scratched her eye on a rock I think, so she lost her appetite about two weeks ago. Eye has looked good and back to normal for about five days now, but her apetite has not recovered. She was always picky, but shows no interest in all of the foods I usually feed including cuttlefish, squid,,octopus, and Mahi Mahi. I realize eels can go awhile without eating, but she had gone about a month without eating much when I was transferring her to a new tank and ran into some issues and I don't think she has as much fat stored as she would normally. That's been over for awhile and she's been in her new tank (300g) for about a month and half now (eating every two or three days as she always had). Always showed interest and in my three years I've had her shes never gone on a hunger strike. Not sure what to try moving forward. Little worried her fat reserves are low.
Nitrite, ammonia: 0 Nitrate: 20 (coral and fish are all fine) Phosphate: 0 Calc: 420 Alk: 7.6, using reef crystals. Two cleaner shrimp are on her almost 90% of the time and always have been.

1ucky · 02/10/2017, 05:20 PM

I ran into the same situation a while back. Mine went on a hunger strike for over 2 months I believe. It eventually snapped out of it one day and started eating normal again little by little. Try soaking her food in Garlic Guard with the aquarium water for a few minutes and then attempt to feed. This is what worked for me. I hope it snaps out of it.

ChimolaFish · 02/10/2017, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ucky

I ran into the same situation a while back. Mine went on a hunger strike for over 2 months I believe. It eventually snapped out of it one day and started eating normal again little by little. Try soaking her food in Garlic Guard with the aquarium water for a few minutes and then attempt to feed. This is what worked for me. I hope it snaps out of it.

I did try garlic a couple nights ago, still uninterested :\
Did something trigger your eels hunger strike? Usually eels strike because of stress or poor water quality, but my eel doesn't seem to have any of those stressors. I was wondering if there was a current in the tank from some equipment, but I couldn't find one.

1ucky · 02/22/2017, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChimolaFish

I did try garlic a couple nights ago, still uninterested :\
Did something trigger your eels hunger strike? Usually eels strike because of stress or poor water quality, but my eel doesn't seem to have any of those stressors. I was wondering if there was a current in the tank from some equipment, but I couldn't find one.

Meant to get back to you but got caught up. Is he eating now? My eel was in a 120g room divider tank and while I was on vacation, the bottom seal of the tank broke. I was lucky that my brother happened to be walking into my place and discovered it; the tank was half empty of water and of course a mess. He managed to get him into my 300g FOWLR; that's when he went on the hunger strike. Hope yours pulls through if he hasn't yet.

ChimolaFish · 02/23/2017, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ucky

Meant to get back to you but got caught up. Is he eating now? My eel was in a 120g room divider tank and while I was on vacation, the bottom seal of the tank broke. I was lucky that my brother happened to be walking into my place and discovered it; the tank was half empty of water and of course a mess. He managed to get him into my 300g FOWLR; that's when he went on the hunger strike. Hope yours pulls through if he hasn't yet.

She still hasn't eaten. She's never went after fish, but Ive never kept her with anything large enough for her to want to go after. I added a larger damsel thats rather peaceful (hated to do it, but she's got to eat...). It swims by her face several times a day and she doesn't show any interest. :[

1ucky · 02/24/2017, 02:02 PM

I kept feeding different foods everyday until he snapped out of it. I hope she pulls through.

02/10/2017, 02:02 PM	#1
ChimolaFish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 560	Hunger Strike So I have a Japanese dragon that I've had for three years now. Poor thing scratched her eye on a rock I think, so she lost her appetite about two weeks ago. Eye has looked good and back to normal for about five days now, but her apetite has not recovered. She was always picky, but shows no interest in all of the foods I usually feed including cuttlefish, squid,,octopus, and Mahi Mahi. I realize eels can go awhile without eating, but she had gone about a month without eating much when I was transferring her to a new tank and ran into some issues and I don't think she has as much fat stored as she would normally. That's been over for awhile and she's been in her new tank (300g) for about a month and half now (eating every two or three days as she always had). Always showed interest and in my three years I've had her shes never gone on a hunger strike. Not sure what to try moving forward. Little worried her fat reserves are low. Nitrite, ammonia: 0 Nitrate: 20 (coral and fish are all fine) Phosphate: 0 Calc: 420 Alk: 7.6, using reef crystals. Two cleaner shrimp are on her almost 90% of the time and always have been. __________________ 300 Penninsula: Mixed Reef, 3 Hawaiian Dwarf Morays, 3 Watanabe Angels, 4 Molucca Damsels, 3 Staghorn Damsels, 1 Sgt Major, 1 Springer's, and 1 Magnificient Foxface.

02/10/2017, 05:20 PM	#2
1ucky Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cliffside Park, NJ Posts: 264	I ran into the same situation a while back. Mine went on a hunger strike for over 2 months I believe. It eventually snapped out of it one day and started eating normal again little by little. Try soaking her food in Garlic Guard with the aquarium water for a few minutes and then attempt to feed. This is what worked for me. I hope it snaps out of it.

02/24/2017, 02:02 PM	#6
1ucky Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cliffside Park, NJ Posts: 264	I kept feeding different foods everyday until he snapped out of it. I hope she pulls through.