Bulge on side of fire eel

BleuJ

I rarely see my fire eel anymore, and I think this bulge on it's side may be why. It's not as active anymore, and doesn't come out to it's outside place anymore (behind the heater, that's leaning on the glass so it rests where the glass and heater touch, heater is never really on). Today I saw a bulge, it got me worried. There's not really scales to look for the stick out, and the bulge is on one side.
My hopes is that it's just constipation or something. I suspect it was the minnow it stole from the needle fish I was feeding. Holding one for a friend, and I put a minnow in about a week ago and it got away from the needle fish but my eel got to it, could that possibly cause this bulge? If so, would garlic on a pea or bread work with the picky eater fire eel?
Everything else seems normal, normal breathing, no contact with any other fish (only odd thing is it no longer swims with the juvi Oscar at night, otherwise doesn't fight or get attacked by anything else), it switches its hiding spots all day, and at night I can see it swimming around searching for food.
It does lay on it's side on occasion too, which it only did when it had ick, that hasn't shown for months now since the last outbreak was treated.

Any suggestions? Or ideas of what could be wrong.
I'm attaching a pic, its blurry but shows the bulge

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901e65c954fd__1284632066000.jpg (10.7 KB, 21 views)

kitten_penang

poor thing i do hope he gets better soon.im so sorry i cant help

BleuJ

Thought it was getting better, he came out for food and swam for a bit, but now he's laying in the back the tank with the bulge part trying to float up, making an L shape. Turning upside down to try and fix himself. Seems he's trying to fight it and be better. Swimming occasionally every once in a while.

Either something went wrong inside, or that minnow doesn't want to be digested. He's being very uhmm fidgety? Jerking his head around as if trying to spit something out or something was touching his head.

No signs of ich, no fin rot or any other disease, it could be a parasite too.

Anyone have this kind of issue or behavior with any fish of this type?

Freddy

I am very sorry to hear about your eel. It sounds like it may be about to die. If the eel is floating with the bulge up, then maybe it's something wrong with its swim bladder. I don't think the bulge is a minnow. It is probably messed up somehow and there is no way that I know of to help it. I hope your eel gets better!

BleuJ

You're probably right. I have the lights off and it's swimming around like normal, but that bulge seems to be messing with it's floating. I hope it survives. Nothing else is stressing it. The only other fish that comes in contact with it is the Oscar who usually just swims with it if the Oscar isnt begging for food (odd pair? when the Oscar was torn up and injured by a JD we used to have the eel would lay on top of the Oscar as the Oscar stayed still on the bottom of the tank recovering, gave away the JD to someone who had cichlid tanks, it was a really odd sight, wish i had taken a picture).
The others fear them both and it seems to eat fine. temperature is near constant, varying from 78 - 82, rarely hitting those two numbers.

I'm gonna get some oranges and some garlic stuff to rub on some peas to see if that will help attract it to eat a little more, and vary it's diet from small pellets and brine shrimp. Trying to see if a different diet will help.

Thanks, I think the swim bladder may be the problem, just need to see how things work out.

BleuJ

He died...

kitten_penang

did you do a post op? i heard minows some times carry tape worms in them... so sorry to hear he din't make it.