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"RONALD P RAGLE says: August 27, 2021 at 4:27 pm I have what I believe to be a black spotted spiny eel. I’ve had him for 5 years. He’s about 2 feet long. He lives in a 120 gallon tank. I have a Fluval FX-6 canister filter. I use 6 bags of carbon and the rest is mechanical filtration and a 100 gallon Aqueon filter that sits on top of the tank with 2 carbon inserts. The tank also has 2 power heads hooked up to a under gravel system and a large air stone and a wave maker that shoots water right down where he hangs out so I believe the water has more then enough oxygen for him. His tank mates are 2 full grown tin foil barbs, one green terror and 4 plecostomus. He’s eaten 2 tiny red worms in the last 6 weeks. He refuses to eat and has heavy breathing all the time (panting). I’ve tried cooler water, warmer water, aquarium salt and API general cure with no good results. I don’t know what else to try. Now that I think about it in the years past he has had times of heavy breathing but not continuously. I never figured it to be a bad thing because he was always eating. But now he doesn’t eat and the breathing is very heavy. On the outside he has no scratches or scrapes or puncture wounds and there’s no signs of ick or any type of white fungus anywhere. His outer body looks normal. I checked the water with a test kit and everything seemed to be fine. I also took a sample to my local pet store and had the water checked and that test also came back normal. No problem with the water. If there’s anything you can suggest it would be greatly appreciated. He’s a beautiful eel and I don’t want to lose him. I sent some pictures and a small video with this email. pH – 7.6 Nitrite – 0 Nitrate – 80 – To me it looked close between 40 and 80 but the girl at the pet store said 80 so that’s what I’m going with. Ammonia – 0 The tank has been set up for 5 years. Size 120 gallons. Last water change 1 week ago. Water source tap water. I do use water conditioner when doing water changes. Regular water changes every 4 weeks. Water and filter change every 6 weeks. Water parameters were checked today August 24th. I used a liquid test kit. Temperature 82. Tank mates 2 adult tin foil barbs, 4 adult plecostomus and 1 adult green terror female small. Like I said in my original email the eel has always had periods of heavy breathing but not continuously like this and has never refused food. That’s all I got for you. Please help. "