Injured snowflake moray

[Saltwater Dreamer]

So today I have experienced my first ( and only, I hope) eel escapee. I heard a wet sounding “plop”, looked in the tank, no eel. Checked under my tv unit there he was slithering around. Locked the dog in the laundry and managed to use whatever was on hand (a loofah I use to clean the sides of the tank and a big net) I finally got him captured and back in the tank.

Herein is the issue, the loofah was a poor choice which I used to push him into the net. He now has quite significant skin sloughing off - mostly under his gill area and a bit near his tail. Other than hiding straight away in rockwork he is now showing interest in me and sitting with his head poking up and out.

Both of us obviously traumatised by the experience but I do need to do what I can for poor Eric. I don’t have a QT unfortunately as I’m the process of setting up a new larger tank for the brood.

Any advice is welcome

 

[Slocke]

@Jay Hemdal
@lion king
@MnFish1

 

[vetteguy53081]

So today I have experienced my first ( and only, I hope) eel escapee. I heard a wet sounding “plop”, looked in the tank, no eel. Checked under my tv unit there he was slithering around. Locked the dog in the laundry and managed to use whatever was on hand (a loofah I use to clean the sides of the tank and a big net) I finally got him captured and back in the tank.

Herein is the issue, the loofah was a poor choice which I used to push him into the net. He now has quite significant skin sloughing off - mostly under his gill area and a bit near his tail. Other than hiding straight away in rockwork he is now showing interest in me and sitting with his head poking up and out.

Both of us obviously traumatised by the experience but I do need to do what I can for poor Eric. I don’t have a QT unfortunately as I’m the process of setting up a new larger tank for the brood.

Any advice is welcome

When they exit the tank and are exposed to air and returned to tank, they will a lot of their protective slime. You mentioned injured. . . . Is there a noticeable physical injury or are you referring to hitting the floor. If actual injury, you can treat with seachem Kanaplex. If just shaken up, add aeration as it should recover and reproduce that slime. Add aeration via air stone

 

[Slocke]

While we wait for the experts to answer this may just be a loss of its mucous layer. Eels have a thick mucous layer that protects them and that appears to be what it lost in the photo. If so you just want to make sure your parameters are good and it doesn’t escape again.

 

[Dom]

So today I have experienced my first ( and only, I hope) eel escapee. I heard a wet sounding “plop”, looked in the tank, no eel. Checked under my tv unit there he was slithering around. Locked the dog in the laundry and managed to use whatever was on hand (a loofah I use to clean the sides of the tank and a big net) I finally got him captured and back in the tank.

Herein is the issue, the loofah was a poor choice which I used to push him into the net. He now has quite significant skin sloughing off - mostly under his gill area and a bit near his tail. Other than hiding straight away in rockwork he is now showing interest in me and sitting with his head poking up and out.

Both of us obviously traumatised by the experience but I do need to do what I can for poor Eric. I don’t have a QT unfortunately as I’m the process of setting up a new larger tank for the brood.

Any advice is welcome

I'd monitor its behavior. If it seems like its behaving normally, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure fish suffer injuries in the wild and recover.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Wondering if a Stress Coat product would be useful? May help restore the slime coat if any was compromised?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wondering if a Stress Coat product would be useful? May help restore the slime coat if any was compromised?

Its a claim and will not hurt. They call it liquid bandage but its main advantage is a water conditioner. It contains aloe which quickly desolves in water

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

Thanks so much guys. Your replies have really helped centre me! He has a few tankmates - a rabbit fish, trigger and a lipstick tang. Will they be ok if I treat the tank with a stress coat?

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

@Jay Hemdal
@lion king
@MnFish1

Thanks so much

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

When they exit the tank and are exposed to air and returned to tank, they will a lot of their protective slime. You mentioned injured. . . . Is there a noticeable physical injury or are you referring to hitting the floor. If actual injury, you can treat with seachem Kanaplex. If just shaken up, add aeration as it should recover and reproduce that slime. Add aeration via air stone

He managed to get under me tv unit so I expect he gathered debris from under there as he was slithering around. He doesn’t seem to have an injury as such - it’s the outer layer which looked to be SOOOO much but this morning he looks pretty good. I’ve managed to add the debris to the tank (just dust mostly) when I got him back in so I’ll do a water change today and head into the lfs as soon as it opens today for an aeration stone (haven’t heard of those). I have loads of live rock in there in the meantime. Appreciate your suggestions !

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Thanks so much guys. Your replies have really helped centre me! He has a few tankmates - a rabbit fish, trigger and a lipstick tang. Will they be ok if I treat the tank with a stress coat?

Follow Stress Coat directions. I’m confident that the small amount of “Aloe” in this product would even hurt anything. Aloe comes from a cactus grown right here in Arizona. It’s so soothing, we pour it on our cereal. It’s all good.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks so much guys. Your replies have really helped centre me! He has a few tankmates - a rabbit fish, trigger and a lipstick tang. Will they be ok if I treat the tank with a stress coat?

Yes- its as mentioned a water conditioner with aloe as an additive

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

Follow Stress Coat directions. I’m confident that the small amount of “Aloe” in this product would even hurt anything. Aloe comes from a cactus grown right here in Arizona. It’s so soothing, we pour it on our cereal. It’s all good.

Well I’m in Australia so might be a little far to pop out and grab some. But you might be surprised to know aloe grows wild here and is just the perfect balm for sunburn!

 

[littlefoxx]

My snowflake came to me really injured and she did that slime thing I see on yours a few hours after acclimation from the ahipping bag water to my tank. It went away in a few days. Good thing you were home and was able to hear him and get your dog before he got him! Hope he recovers

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

My snowflake came to me really injured and she did that slime thing I see on yours a few hours after acclimation from the ahipping bag water to my tank. It went away in a few days. Good thing you were home and was able to hear him and get your dog before he got him! Hope he recovers

Thank you! Eric has had a miraculous recovery, slime all gone and swimming around like the mad hatter that he is. Today he ate half a prawn and a fish so seems quite back to normal. Thanks for sharing your story, it’s always good to see others experience some similar things to me!

 

[Slocke]

Great to hear!

 

[littlefoxx]

Thank you! Eric has had a miraculous recovery, slime all gone and swimming around like the mad hatter that he is. Today he ate half a prawn and a fish so seems quite back to normal. Thanks for sharing your story, it’s always good to see others experience some similar things to me!

Youre welcome! My girl looked like someone cut her with a knife, she had 3 slices near her head! The first is her now the one in the orange bucket was how she looked like when she came out of the shipping bag

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well I’m in Australia so might be a little far to pop out and grab some. But you might be surprised to know aloe grows wild here and is just the perfect balm for sunburn!

Aloe not required or necessary. It will create slime coating on its own. No need to be concerned with it as it will not change the healing process

 

[Saltwater Dreamer]

Youre welcome! My girl looked like someone cut her with a knife, she had 3 slices near her head! The first is her now the one in the orange bucket was how she looked like when she came out of the shipping bag

Oh the poor baby! That must have been so difficult to see. She looks great now! ( and yes I do know Eric is really Erica but that didn’t gel with who he is named after the African swimmer who nearly drowned himself in the Olympics! He was such a legend ) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Moussambani

 

[littlefoxx]

Oh the poor baby! That must have been so difficult to see. She looks great now! ( and yes I do know Eric is really Erica but that didn’t gel with who he is named after the African swimmer who nearly drowned himself in the Olympics! He was such a legend ) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Moussambani

Yeah I freaked out, didnt think she would make it. But shes my little special eel. Ivar my jeweled took to her immediately and is protective of her and sleeps with her all the time. I usually find them like this! Taken this morning