ZebraMFAQ2

FAQs about Zebra Moray Eels 2

Related Articles: Zebra Moray, Ribbon Morays,

Eel question and what gives 7/22/17
Good morning Bob,
<And you>
How are we doing?
<Fine, thanks>
I picked up a zebra moray nearly three weeks ago from a local store. The store he was purchased at is very much a sell cheap, hope to move the fish shortly after arrival type place (passing the obvious losses on to the
customers, sorta like the hit a wholesaler might) .
<These outfits go out of business in short order; unfortunately taking a good deal of hobbyists out of the interest with them>
He has not eaten as of yet, at least not in front of me. Roughly how long can an eel go, say a 2 foot relatively thick one go without eating before you start to worry?
<Gymnomuraena; IF started in "good condition" (index of fitness); weeks to a few months. Have you tried crustaceans/shrimp; live?>
And lastly, in the past to weeks, I have had two different fish have one eye blow up, becomes a giant bubble for 3-4 days, before the eye falls off and the fish goes downhill after. I know one eye generally indicates a mechanical injury, but at that rate my tank would be fishless.
<Mmm; worrisome. If not coincidence, then what at play here?>
To me that sounds like the wrong kind of luck, is there any precautions you would take to attempt to slow this?
<Checking all parameters you can; even sending a water sample out for analysis. Do you check for electrical issues in your water?>
Perhaps removal of sharp edges rocks from tank?
<Maybe; but... fishes in the wild avoid running into sharp objects>
Boost tank magnesium to help with injuries and swelling?
<Perhaps>
The fish in question that it happened to are a subadult Koran angel, and Sailfin tang.
<These are very agile species...>
Thanks in advance, bob
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
re: Eel question and what gives 7/23/17
Good morning Bob,
<And you> (zero complaints outside of my aquaria hobby)
How are we doing?
<Fine, thanks>
I picked up a zebra moray nearly three weeks ago from a local store. The store he was purchased at is very much a sell cheap, hope to move the fish shortly after arrival type place (passing the obvious losses on to the customers, sorta like the hit a wholesaler might) .
<These outfits go out of business in short order; unfortunately taking a good deal of hobbyists out of the interest with them>
(Play the lottery tonight, and tomorrow. From what I understand, this is the aforementioned owners 4th attempt at an lfs shop, albeit under different names of course)
>> Bizarre<<
He has not eaten as of yet, at least not in front of me. Roughly how long can an eel go, say a 2 foot relatively thick one go without eating before you start to worry?
<Gymnomuraena; IF started in "good condition" (index of fitness); weeks to a few months. Have you tried crustaceans/shrimp; live?> ( Cocktail shrimp, silversides, krill, nothing alive)
>> Have you read here?: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zebramfdgfaqs.htm<<
And lastly, in the past to weeks, I have had two different fish have one eye blow up, becomes a giant bubble for 3-4 days, before the eye falls off and the fish goes downhill after. I know one eye generally indicates a mechanical injury, but at that rate my tank would be fishless.
<Mmm; worrisome. If not coincidence, then what at play here?> (Well the answer(s) could lie in here. My water is dirty, I am on round three of Praziquantel (Prazi-pro), absent of a skimmer because of this, and other than water changes, my water I imagine is quite high in organics, bacterial blooms etc)
To me that sounds like the wrong kind of luck, is there any precautions you would take to attempt to slow this?
<Checking all parameters you can; even sending a water sample out for analysis. Do you check for electrical issues in your water?> (With my hand, no shock. I will obtain a volt meter)
>>Good<<
Perhaps removal of sharp edges rocks
from tank?
<Maybe; but... fishes in the wild avoid running into sharp objects>(pondered this, and considered the only difference is the ocean has ample rock on the bottom, with plenty of meters of open ocean above it, compared to my tank with lots of rock, and less than two feet of open water above it; likened it to driving a car in the salt flats of California, to a jam packed city, but I now agree it still shouldn't be an issue)
Boost tank magnesium to help with injuries and swelling?
<Perhaps> ( will significantly boosting magnesium raise salinity greatly or negatively?
>>Depends on what is added. Try some and see<<
Mainly throwing the salt in and minerals out of balance?)
>> Keep [Mg] at 3:1 ratio with [Ca]<<
The fish in question that it happened to are a subadult Koran angel, and Sailfin tang.
<These are very agile species...> (Agreed. Problem maybe in the medication and lack of clean water. I have been fighting these nematodes for a while, Prazi just limits them, not eradicate. Perhaps I'm best off axing the treatment, doing major water changes and getting the "debris" out of the water)
Thanks in advance, bob
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
(I have heard of fish getting eyes blown up in size, then returning, not falling out in less than a week.)
On a side note, with your global and science endeavors, someone with cancer, what supplements would you consider or look into? To me chemo and radiation are nothing more than money driving cash cows, with more
negative consequences. Again, I know your not an MD, but I have always admired your outside the box approaches.
>>Am really enjoying new research, application into cell/gene therapies<<
Thank, bob
>>W. B<<

Re: eels 11/18/2010
Hello Marco
<Hi Callum.>
I just saw a extremely crowded tank on eBay and the guy was selling it to some poor sap :(
It makes me sad because one of the inhabitants was a gorgeous Zebra moray.
<Yes, without any caves.>
The tank was only 130 litres and I'll attach a picture for you to look at.
<Sadly, we can't post this pictures (copyright). For the readers: It's a Zebra moray (G. zebra), a Stars and Striped puffer (Arothron hispidus) and a Harlequin Tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus). All three fishes get much too large for this tank... Happens all the time. One reason why WWM exists.>
Thank you for your time
Callum :)
<Cheers, Marco.>
Re: eels
Hello Marco
<Callum.>
I talked to the guy and hes <...> relisted it as fish only where hes goin <...> to sell them seperate from the tank to someone with a larger tank
<Very good, but please see
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm especially point 3a when writing us. I'm no native speaker and sometimes have a hard time correcting some of your "typos".>
Thank you for you time
Callum
<Welcome. Marco.>

Re: Question about Zebra Moray Eel 9/29/10
Thanks so much Marco, I appreciate the info. Personally I would be more likely to adopt an older eel (or any other animal) than a younger one. I have one more question for you. Would you mind if I use the information you gave me for an article I'm writing? If it's accepted, it will eventually go on the site "e-how" and your web site (as well as you) will be given full credit for the info and listed as a reference. If it's not accepted then it wouldn't go anywhere :) Chances are it will be accepted though, do you mind if I share the information you gave me?
<Fine with me. A link to WWM would be great, since there is found much more on these animals.>
Have a great day!
Janice Farnsworth
<Cheers, Marco.>

Re: Red Sea Books/ habitat... Jake Adams... circ. input 2/5/09 Hi Bob, <Simon> Snowflake Morays are also listed in your FAQ as coming from the Red Sea - would you suggest that I swap the pair of Zebras out for a pair of Snowflakes instead for this Biotope? <Mmm, no...> The trip to Egypt has been sanctioned by the way! It was the possibility of seeing either/ or Whale Sharks/ Mantas that did the trick! Cheers, Simon Trippick <Heeee! Have been quite a few times, never seen these there... Shhhh! BobF>

G. zebra, Red Sea Books/ habitat... Jake Adams... circ. input Gymnomuraena zebra does indeed occur in the Red Sea. 2/5/09 The first reports are by Klunzinger (1871) from Quseir, then Fowler (1945) from the Sudan coast and Clark et al. (1966) from Dahlak. Another specimen I know of is from Ras Muhammad, Sinai and was confirmed by Randall and Golani in 1995. The USNM also has two from the Red Sea. Cheers. Marco. <Well I'll be. Thank you for this Marco. Bob Fenner, who has never seen this species in the Gulf of Aqaba... but...>

Hey WWM Crew 5/17/08 Hey WWM Crew, Giant Clam, Zebra Moray comp./sys. <Okay...> Sorry to bother you. I know you guys get swamped with questions. I have a 90 gal grow out tank for my 14inch Zebra moray before I move him to a 150 gallon later this summer. The tank right now has the Zebra moray, mushroom anemones, and various beginner polyps. The wife really likes how the giant clams look and wants to add some to the tank. I was just wondering if small 3-4inch giant clams are safe with Zebra morays? <Yes, should be fine... in terms of not being predated/eaten. The bright light needed by the Tridacnids may prove to be too much for the Gymnomuraena... this lighting might be best supplied by a directly overhead placed small MH of low/er wattage... allowing one side of the tank to be dimmer> I wanted to ask you guys first before I went out and spent hard earned cash on a clam. Thanks in advance for all the help. Jason <Thank you for sharing! Bob Fenner>

Gymnomuraena hlth, lack of info., Anglish 1/25/07 Hi, my name is Laura and I have a question about a zebra eel. My boss got a zebra eel from some <?> off employees for christmast <A perverse religious-icon/ship cross?> a few years ago and he had been doing great. About 2 months ago we added some different fish to his tank and I noticed that one of them was picking at him real bad <Mmm, does happen... Gymnomuraena are very passive> and it looked like he was making the eel hurt. I finally got the fish out and figured that the eel would calm down. Since this time the eel has stopped eating and has lost all of his wait. <Too impatient?> I talked to the guys that clean the aquarium for us and they just told me to leave him alone for a couple of weeks and then try to feed him which I did. <Good advice> I still can't get him to eat. I usually feed him squid from the store and he has always loved it, but he won't eat it so I went and bought some Krill for him to see if maybe he wanted something different. He will put the Krill in his mouth and act like he's going to eat, but then he just spites <To frustrate you?> it out. He has also develop <Tense...> all the red blood spots all over him and all around his mouth. I noticed last Friday that he had what it looks like white pockets on the roof of his mouth that I haven't seen before. I talked to my local fish store about him and they told me to buy some ghost shrimp to see if maybe that would stimulate him to want to eat <Also good advice> but it hasn't so far and I am kind of wondering if maybe he has all the blood around his mouth because he's been trying to get the ghost shrimp. <A worthy guess> I'm kind of at a loss because I don't know what to do anymore. My boss tells my I'm to attached but it's hard not to be when you feed them and care for them everyday. I just don't want him to suffer if he's going to die. Thanks for your time. <Mmm, not much to proffer due to a/the lack of information presented re the system itself... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/zebramdisfaqs.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Sand Trouble... dust, in the tank... dude! 11/30/06 Morning fishy folk... <And a good morning to you as well, David. JustinN with you this morning.> I have a newly installed 3" CaribSea Aragamax Sugar Sand sandbed in a new 200gallon setup. The package says little or no rinsing required. I put about 10lbs at a time into a bucket with some freshwater, stirred it up and then scooped off all the particles as well as the cloudy water. Then I'd repeat again until the water produced no particles, yet stayed a little cloudy. <Ok> Anyhow, I have a sump system and am using a small Fluval filter with sponge material to help clean out the water. I read in your FAQ's a few times there was the mention to NOT filter out the sand dust. In other FAQ's you providing tips on how to filter out the dust. <Simply the result of many minds working together here, difference of opinions. The finer dusts are more soluble into the water column as freely buffering the solution. Both methods will work fine, its all in your patience levels *grin*> It's been about 10 days and I can JUST now see through to the other side of the tank. I imagine that the majority of the results are from filtration, and partly due to some of the dust settling. <Likely a balance of both here> At this point, all I have is the sand, the salted water running through my sump/pump, and a small Fluval helping to clear it up. I think if I put in my liverock to aquascape it will cloud up again because of the disturbed sand. I'm wondering if I should stir up the top layer of my sand to cloud the water a bit in hopes of the filter cleaning it up a bit more for me and getting rid of the settled dust? <Mmm, too likely to 'make things worse' here> Or if I should just proceed and likely let the water cloud up again when I place my cured liverock? <Bingo> The water is milky, not gritty... my pre-rinsing seems to have taken any fine particles. One of the first critters I wanted to introduce is a Snowflake eel and I'd imagine that it'd stir up the sand a little. I guess I'm afraid of it stirring up the sand frequently throughout the day and me not being able to view the tank for a week or so after the fact. <Of little concern here, once all settles> Of note, I am currently using that tiny Fluval which is rated for tanks up to 40gallons... again, it's only being used to clean up the dust (it's the filter I use on my quarantine tank). I wonder if it'd be worth while for me to dish out the $150 for a filter that could handle up to about 200 gallons? <Mmm, I would not, with your existing sump. Canister filters can become nitrate factories very quickly.> With an eel, a lionfish, and other critters, I'll have messy eaters... The bigger filter would allow me to better handle carbon, etc... if needed in the future? I see also on your FAQ's the mention of using DE Filtration? It seems uneconomical to purchase a DE filter from a pool company just to clear a tank and none of my retailers have or rent out filters. <There are specialty filters for aquarium use that will do exactly this, I believe they are known as diatom filters.> In short, once my tank clears should I be fine just placing my liverock and living with a bit or a lot of dust until it eventually all filters out over a month or so? Or, do you think I should make the purchase of a larger filter? Any harm in a lot of dust with critters in the water... i.e. them stirring up the sand to create the dust? I've noticed the dust is like a minor smog in my aquarium room... you can't see it, but you can smell it. My external pump also has a fine light white colored dusting on it. <I would simply add the rock here, and stay the course. All will settle with time. Do be sure to blast any sediment accumulation on your rock away after all clears up.> Oh, going off on a tangent here. I was at my retailers two weeks ago. At the time, a guy was trying to sell back a Zebra Moray of substantial girth (it must have been a few years old?). I was quite curious as I've been interested in either a snowflake or a zebra... so I watched the retailer staff member place it in an empty tank (which had no cover on it). The eel swam at the surface for about 30 seconds before it started to jump/spill out over the top where this staff member goes to grab it with his bare hand behind it's head to push him back. The eel clamped onto the underside of this guys wrist to create quite a bit of a mess of this guy. <Ouch! That's one mistake you don't make too many times...> In short, even with just the molar crushing teeth... seems like these guys can still deliver a pretty nasty bite. <Indeed> I'm building my chain mail glove as we speak... hehehe. Dave <Hehe, even with chain mail, it would likely still 'hurt like the dickens!" I would stay the course with your tank as you are currently going, add your rock when you feel comfortable, and don't sweat the sediment settling. It will eventually clear, no matter how cloudy it seems. As a tip, when I've filled tanks after adding oolitic sand, I simply use a trash bag to cover the surface of the sand, held in place by a dinner plate. I add the water to the surface of the dinner plate, and when done, remove all from the tank. I still get a bit of kick-up, but using this method I was able to add about 30 pounds of sand to my 40 gallon tank without rinsing, and the water was clear within a day! Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Zebra eels Hello Mr. Fenner my name is Joe Reza (aquarist/zoo keeper) and I have a couple of questions concerning a setup that we would like to do at my work place (El Paso Zoo). We have 2 tanks that are approximately 400 gallons each, in our California sea lion exhibit. <Man, those Zalophus get around! Keep them!> We have decided to stick with a Baja theme for these 2 aquariums. We would like to put zebra eels in one tank, which is more of a rectangular shape, but I'm not sure how many we can keep in this tank. <Mmm, not really social animals, but can be placed together just the same... don't really have "teeth" on the principal jaws as many piscivorous muraenids as am sure you know> I know that hiding spaces are to be taken into account, we ordered some artificial corals from living color and they provided us with some pieces that have built in caves. The main piece looks like it has enough room for 2 or 3 eels ,but I don't know if they would get along and if they would share the same cave. <Should get along. Might well co-habit> I also wanted to know if the zebra eel could be trusted with fish like longnose butterfly or longnose Hawkfish, <Yes... Gymnomuraena is almost entirely a consumer of crustaceans... very rarely live fish flesh.> I have read that they are docile and usually don't prey on fish. The other tank is a bowfront and we have decided it would be a fish only exhibit for now. There is only one problem, our local fish store is the only approved vendor at this time and we had asked him to provide us with a list of fish from the Baja region that he can obtain. He came up with a fish list of about 10 different species, that include( passer angel, longnose Hawkfish, longnose butterfly, zebra eel, coral Hawkfish, rainbow wrasse, Mexican hogfish, black-eyed goby) and we have to stock these 2 tanks with these fish. I would really appreciate any suggestions or ideas that you can provide. <Mmm, have this supplier contact me... I will in turn help them with their suppliers... there are a few more species collected/available seasonally/periodically> We have no choice, but to go with these types of fish, since these tanks have to be stocked pretty soon. I would also like to say that I really enjoy your articles in TFH and I'm looking forward to meeting you at the IMAC conference in Chicago, Il. Thank you so much for your time . <Ahh! Look forward to it... am "cheating" right at this moment, working on responding, posting while at the WMC conference in Sacto, during Sanjay Joshi's pitch on light/ing. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Brand New Zebra Moray 1/27/06 Hi - I just got a zebra moray eel! And first of all I have to thank you for answering questions and putting so much information up on wetwebmedia - it has been REALLY helpful. <Thanks for the kind words :)> I have a 180 gallon (fish only) tank, loaded with live rock and a protein skimmer and UV sterilizer, with about 8 eight other small - medium sized fish. The LFS had him for about a year and he was very used to being handled and fed very well. He has adjusted very well, and I have been feeding him clam meat from the fish counter at the organic grocery store. I did some research before bringing him home, but I need some clarification on feeding. My LFS was feeding him everyday (frozen krill or crawdads (with the claws removed)). And I have been feeding him everyday and he is eating like a pig - but after doing more reading, I am beginning to see that feeding him everyday is not encouraged. He actually comes out looking for food when I feed the other fish, and I have been dropping chunks of clams (3-5 chunks) and he gobbles them up. (I just ordered a pair of feeding tongs) Sometimes he misses small pieces, which the other fish enjoy. So am I overfeeding????? <feeding an eel every day is not recommended because in the wild they rarely eat daily. they generally eat a couple to a few times per week..(if that). I would try to feed him a little less at first, and then begin trying to feed him every other day. It sounds like he is extremely healthy.> Also if I buy him shrimp, should it be cooked or raw? Also should the shrimp be peeled or does the shell offer some nutritional value? <keep the shell and cooked/uncooked doesn't matter> Also, I have a valentini puffer in there, will he bother the eel? <he shouldn't' Just as an FYI the other fish in my tank are (sorry for the common names) Fox face Freckled face hawk fish Imperator angel (juv) Scopas tang Clown fish (2) Chalk bass Six-lined wrasse Convict blenny (3) Thank you so much for taking the time to read my e-mail - it is greatly appreciated!<sounds like a good mix of fish> Jennifer<good luck, IanB>

Wandering Bubble tip Anemone 11/16/05 I have a bubble anemone in my 55 gallon tank. They are settled on a 10 pound piece of live rock at the top (should they be in sand?) <No. BTA's are reef dwelling. They should be in/on rock.> Days after I got it, it split in 2 and both were hosted by my 2 perculas I have 1 18000k light and 2 blue actinic lights in the tank. <Splitting is often stress induced, so it is no surprise that it occurred when the anemone was moved.> One anemone became twice as large as it was originally but the other is constantly moving, has only a few tentacles sometimes, and is usually closed. The anemone is always in weird shapes and doesn't look that good. What's happening to it? <It is common for the "daughter" anemone to move about after a split. It also sounds like yours may have split very unevenly, possibly due to injury. As long as the anemone is safe from pump/powerhead inlets, I would let it wander (not much you can do anyway). If it settles soon, it will probably be OK, if it doesn't it may not make it, but it sounds like you parent will be OK. Best Regards. AdamC.> In most of the FAQ pages I read on Caulerpa, the problem seemed to be on how to get rid of this stuff rather than my problem. I know some of you (Anthony) prefer Chaetomorpha rather than Caulerpa, so I thought maybe I should try that instead. Does the Chaetomorpha have the same nutrient utilization capabilities as the Caulerpa? <Chaetomorpha does not grow quite as fast as some Caulerpa, so it does not take up nutrients quite as fast, however it does seem less sensitive and far less prone to "crash" and re-release nutrients into the tank. Also, for reef keepers, it is far less noxious to corals than Caulerpa.> Second question, which is unrelated: I have an approximately 30" Zebra moray that is very healthy and active, coming out of the rocks on occasion to take a look around. What I have noticed though, is that my 4" Bicolor dwarf angel will take bites or nip at the body of the eel any time he comes near him. The eel will jerk anytime this happens and it doesn't appear to be doing any damage to the skin, but I am afraid that it will discourage the eel from coming out and/or stress him. At this point it is only occasional but thought I would check with you guys to see if this is anything I should be worried about. Again thanks for your dedication and help. Steven R. Vejil <This interaction could go on forever without any serious problem, but there is a fair risk that the eel will either eat the angel or the angel will begin to cause injury or intimidate the eel from coming out to eat. I would suggest separating them, especially if the interaction gets any worse. Best Regards, AdamC.>

Smooth Hound Zebra Eel combo 11/3/05 Hi, I have just a quick question. I have read pages and pages of Zebra Eel, and Smooth Hound Shark articles on various web sites but mostly on WWM. I have acquired a great deal of knowledge on both species, but my question is can they coexist in the same aquarium peacefully. I have a 400 gallon aquarium with 2 Grey Smooth Hounds, a Porcupine Puffer, and a Remora. My father is getting out of the hobby and has given me his 2 1/2 foot Zebra. Could this be a peaceful combination? <Could... or not. Hard to feed the Eel in the presence of the sharks, puffer...> With them both having poor eyesight and eating similar foods. I want to also mention the sharks are 1 male and 1 female still babies at about 20 inches, and the tank is a temp tank and will be moving to larger in a couple years as they all grow. Thanks for your time, Brandon <Mmm, worth experimenting... with intermediate temperature to accommodate all... Not likely to be much inter-species aggression here, but only first-hand experience can/will tell. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Grouper + Moray Tank Size 11/1/05 Can a 100cm long Gymnomuraena zebra coexist with a 40cm long Cephalopholis miniata? <In a VERY large tank I see no problem with this duo.> If so, what capacity tank would be required? <At least 240-gallons for the two alone, both are very large and both are very messy.> Apart from prawns and crabs, is there another kind of food that can partially replace the Gymnomuraena zebra's diet? <Anything meaty of a marine origin, fresh market fish, scallops, clam meat, silversides and squid.> Crustaceans are expensive! <Well it does not have to be live food, both of these animals are easily weaned to easily attainable frozen fair.> Is a zebra moray in general much less active than most other commonly kept morays e.g. Gymnothorax tiles? <I'm not sure about less active but definitely much more reclusive in my experience.> Some sites state that it is possible to keep the fishes in a "smallish" tank. However, personally I feel that 300gallons is sufficient. <Yes as long as it has plenty of surface area and not jus 'show' height. You'll also want to have a lot of water flow in this tank to keep to much detritus from settling as well as a very efficient skimmer for these carnivorous specimens.> What dimensions and size should the tank be in your view? <The BEST would be 96'x36'x24' (which would be a little larger than your looking for at aprox. 350 gallons but not to much more), you could get away with a 84' or 72' tank length too'¦.but surface area is definitely the key. Adam J.>

Zebra Moray- will it be ok? 8/31/05 Hello, I have been looking at your site over and over for a long time now and I must say, it is the best information I have managed to find on eels anywhere! I have two quick questions to ask which I don't think have been asked before (at least this specifically). 1. Would a 125 gallon (UK) size tank be adequate for a zebra moray to live in for its whole life? <Mmm, likely so> The zebra moray grows to three feet long but I plan to keep it alone in the aquarium. So would 125 be enough? If not, what size would you recommend as its lifetime house? <Well... the "bigger the better"... this species does grow rather slowly, and lives a good long time... we had some specimens for teens of years in service accounts...> and question 2 would be: How much live rock should I keep in the aquarium (if its 125 galloons) ? <"Enough" to make caves, yet leave some open space to move about... two "piles" would be better than a continuous wall> Is there a way of working out how much is recommended for each tank size? <Mmm, to some degree... as their is a range of density and shape of differing rock... You can always add more... but a hundred pounds or so to start of any type will get you started. Cheers, Bob Fenner> Many thanks my friends Phillip

Moray + Starfish = OK? Hi, I have a 24" Zebra Moray. He eats everything that I feed him (squid, shell on prawns, and krill occasionally - all w/VitaChem). Anyways, I was wondering if I added a Chocolate Chip starfish (my tank is FOWLR), would he eat it? Thanks! <Should be fine together... Do read re CCS predilection for dying easily though (on WWM). Bob Fenner>

Sick Zebra Moray Eel My firm has had a Zebra Moray Eel now for several months and a couple of weeks ago I noticed some white blotches (which looked somewhat like scars) on his skin. He had been eating his shrimp well previous to this discovery (3 X a week - which I realize is probably too many times from reading the other entries), but all of a sudden he has decided that he is not interested in his food anymore, and has not eaten much, if at all, over the past couple of weeks. Also breathing seems somewhat labored and every now and then his whole body seems to jump or act like it is convulsing (kind-of like a human having the hiccups). I know we have a service company that comes out 2 times a month and cleans the tank, changes the water, checks the chemical balance of the water, etc., so I don't think that would be what's causing his issues, but please tell me if I am wrong in this assumption. The Zebra Moray Eel is in the tank with several other fish, but they don't seem to be having any problems since I noticed the spots on the Eel. Do you think there is any reason to be concerned? We would appreciate any suggestions or treatments you could give us! Thanks! <Tracy, being that this tank is serviced by an aquarium servicing company, I'm thinking they selected the fish to put into it, correct? If so, I would have them come out and take a look/see. It would be hard to make an accurate diagnosis with seeing the fish. Has anyone been cleaning the glass with an ammonia based cleaner? I'm also curious as to the tank size. James (Salty Dog)>

Sick Zebra Moray Eel - II As it turns out, we actually pick out the fish in the tank. The aquarium company just tells us what we can and cannot put in there. Besides the eel, we have the following fish (plus a couple of others that I cannot identify): Square spot Anthias, Speckled Grouper, Royal Dottyback, Longnose Hawkfish, Threadfin Cardinalfish, Ocellaris Anemone fish (Clown Fish); Yellowtail Blue Damselfish, Moon Wrasse, and Purple Tang. I have been told the tank is 180 gallons. Hope this helps! <Tracy, don't know what kind of filtering system is employed but none the less this tank is exceeding its capacity. The eel, grouper and tang all get quite large. My rule of thumb is one cubic inch (not length) of fish per five gallons of water. When tanks become overcrowded, the chance for disease is heightened. I would ask the aquarium maintenance company if they can remove the eel and treat it at their place for resale. You

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