My Snowflake is Broken

N

newtofish

Last night I went to feed my Snowflake Eel. I have been gone for a week and he is used to eating every 3 or 4 days.
I thawed a shrimp and stuck it in the water and he came swimming out. He grabbed the shrimp and dropped it. I watched as he chased it around but he could not pick it up.
I reached in and stopped it and held it for him and I noticed his bottom jaw is off to one side and he can not hold anything in his mouth.

I tore little chucks off and tried to feed him but it was not working.

I have no idea what he did to himself. I have not noticed any rockslides or anything else amiss.

Is he a goner? Can I do anything for him?

TIA
 
Who cared for your tank while you was gone? And isnt 3-4 days a long strech with out feeding him? Much less a week. Im sorry but those guys need to be fed more often than that, at least every other day at most. Chances are he was hungry seen something in a rock got in a bind and broke his jaw. Its a long shot for that but I sopose it could happen. Regardless feeding every 3-4 days is a little to long I think.
 
I have no idea if you can reset a jaw. I know I'd be really nervous trying. If there's an eel forum on Reef Central, I'd ask over there as well. Or in one of the expert forums on Marine Depot perhaps, like Kelly Jedilecki (sp?).
 
I started out feeding hi, every other day and after a while he would not eat everytime I feed him. He would come out and get it then let it go. I have had him for a long time and he kind of put himself in the every three day routine.

Is this to long of a time? Up until this incident he has always seemed fine.
 
did u ever git him to eat. if u feel like letting him go the best thing to do is bag him up in water and put him in the freezer that is the most humane thing to do
 
I got him to eat a few little bitty pieces but that was about it. He is still pretty fat, I am hoping that it will heal at least so he can use it some. He can move it so maybe he will make some kind of recovery. I am going to try to feed him some more very small pieces tonight.
I will probably do this every night for a while a see where it will goes.
 
If he can move it, it sounds like it's dislocated. Snakes intentionally disconnect thier jaws to eat food larger than thier mouths. I don't know if eels can do the same thing or not. Keep feeding him small enough pieces so he can eat. Maybe he will fix himself. I wouldn't attempt it myself and I wouldn't put him down because of it :shock:
 
I raised a snowflake from about 8" to over 30" in about 4 years. I ended up selling him to a LFS when I moved. It ate only once a week. I know they have some pretty intricate jaw structures, but I've never heard of one breaking or becoming seperated. Hopefully, it will heal or he learn to live with it. I wouldn't worry about trying to feed him everyday. Smaller pieces may help if he accepts them, heck if it's dislocated a large piece may put him in the motion of opening wide and posibly resetting it, just a long shot. Sorry, I'm not more help.
 
Thanks for the encouragement! Yea he pretty much set his own eating schedule. I have heard they are supposed to eat more often but mine did not want to.
 
Well, I tried to get a pic last night but he was not in a very photogenic mood. His lower jaw seems to have realigned itself some what and he is opening and closing it. He was able to hold on to some small pieces of food but could not move it around to eat. It is a big improvement over yesterday. I think I will just watch him for a day or two and see what happens.

Thanks for your help.
 
Well, After about three months the Eel did not make it. I was feeding it bits of fresh shrimp and at times he would eat the dried shrimp pellets (After I softened them).
His jaw would never totally align and he could not grip anything with it.

I am going to miss the guy, near the end he would swim out and almost lay in my hand while I ripped bits of shrimp and squid up hand fed him.
 
ouch, sorry to hear it. i have a zebra moray and would hate to lose him...i love to watch him, probably more than any of the other guys in the tank. did you ever try to find out exactly what may be wrong on another board? mine has put himself in a 3 or 4 day mode too, so i doubt it was his eating habits that hurt him in the beginning.
 
I was never able to find out what really happened. I still feel that when I moved tanks he must have been digging a new home and some rocks shifted.
 
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