Compatible clean up crew for zebra Moray eel

[Flagg37]

I understand that the zebra Moray eel will eat crustaceans. I'm overall pretty fine with this. I'm not big fan of crabs but I do like snails. Will it try to eat say a fighting conch or a turbo snail? I'd be surprised if it bothered with trying to eat smaller snails like nassarious snails. I also read one source that said they loved urchines. Is that true? What about sand sifting starfish? Or a Tridacna clam? Lastly there was a source that said that cleaner shrimp (Lysmata) aren't 100% out of danger but that they aren't likely to be eaten if the eel is well fed.

I'm just trying to get a sense of what kind of a cuc I can safely house with it.

 

[scooter31707]

I think if you keep it well-fed, you may have a chance.

 

[Cliving1]

Agree with above, keeping it well fed is your best bet. It may be trial and error until your sucessful.

 

[LotsaTanks]

My eels are a xl zebra eel and a xl snowflake. They are beautiful creatures and when I got them they were already trained for eating off a stick. They are in a 300 gallon reef. They actually only know how to eat off the stick and don't bother snails or hermits. They also pretty much stay in their caves until it's feeding time. I feed them every 3 days to keep them well fed. I don't know how they would do with something like peppermint shrimp but based on their behavior they may be fine. They eat a lot and need either a big tank for lots of water volume or lots of water changes. And a big skimmer.

 

[Flagg37]

He's slated to go in a 125 gallon but I've got a vertex alpha 170 skimmer. This is all good to know.

 

[jda]

They will not go after your snails. If you have any crabs walking around, then maybe, but not even for sure. I had cleaner shrimp in with mine and they would clean the zebra's mouth. I would not trust a snowflake with a cleaner.

Go to the asian market and pick up all kinds of meaty treats - shrimp, cuttlefish heads, squid, octopus, etc. were all readily accepted if raw.

I found zebra eel to be incredibly easy and cool fish. It freaked me out the first time that it hid and fasted for a few weeks, but I got used to it.

 

[jda]

BTW - you will nearly always be safe with Mexican Turbo snails. I had a gunea fowl puffer, queen and titan triggers that would destroy a glass heater, rock, my arm and anything else in the tank and they could never get to a Mexican Turbos. They always work for a CUC - only think that will kill them is lack of algae and nitrates, IME.

 

[Dmorty217]

My Zebra eel would decimate snails, shrimp, hermits, pretty much anything except starfish and cucumbers. Keeping your eel "well fed" may prove to be more difficult than you think because of water quality issues. Mine would eat 3 large, raw shrimp a day when I had it. In smaller tanks (200g and smaller) that could quickly become a issue.

 

[anbosu]

I've had two zebras over the years but I've never had one eat a clean up crew. Snowflakes, on the other hand, will tear one up.

 

[MreasyC]

My zebra doesn't even look twice at hermits. Just scares them as he runs them over on his way to squid chunks.
I think it just depends on the animal


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[LotsaTanks]

My big snowflake doesn't bother anything in the tank including snails and hermits. But he eats a decent amount of shrimp about 3x per week.

 

[Flagg37]

Alright so I'll stock the tank like normal and intend on keeping him well fed.

 

[ponokareefer]

The only thing my 2 zebra eels ate from my tank was an urchin.