Eel in a reef

[rssjsb]

Damn. So snowflakes are a bad choice? Everything I've read suggests that they are among the safest choices. I just got a 7" guy that is now hiding in my sump since he keeps getting into overflow. I was about to grate it off but maybe I should remove this guy and get a zebra if they are that much safer. How long until this guy reaches sexual maturity?

They're pretty good until they hit about 24" in length. They're mostly a risk to small fish once they reach their adult size, but they have been known to take down small tangs and rabbits. It will probably take a few years before your eel gets that big.

I don't mean to be an alarmist. It doesn't always happen, maybe you'll get lucky and never have a problem. I just think people need to be realistic in their choices up front.

 

[G4546]

This is largely moot because the OP has decided to go with a dwarf. However, echidna eels (at least snowflakes) do not keep their grinding molars for life. Once they reach sexual maturity, their teeth change and they can become a big problem for other fish in the tank.

My apologies, I didn't see the OP stating he already had purchased the animal. Just wanted to throw out some information for him, considering he had not already bought the animal.

Snowflake eels at any age in captivity, during a routine tank feeding, can go into a frenzy and take down a small fish such as a reef chromis (the likelyhood of this is very slim). The teeth changing has no effect on what the Echidna nebulosa eats. I've seen some very large snowflake eels in my time, all of which still have their 'pebble teeth'.

Rssjsb, I think you meant to say that once a male reaches sexual maturity the teeth take on a slightly different shape. Being somewhat and mildly pointed with some of their teeth being serrated. You don't find this in females or juveniles.

:thumbsup:

 

[rswift]

I purchased a up and running 60 cube in Oct. and it included a Black ribbon eel. A photo of the tank that had been taken in the Spring of 2012 showed it to be about 14" long. In Oct. it was about 20" long and now it is over 24" long. Fast Grower. Eats a silverside from tongs every third or fourth day. Its burrows extend under every piece of live rock in the tank. Spends a lot of time looking out from the burrows and cruises the tank now and then. I had a Psudochromis "fin" up against the eel for a few days right near its head and I didn't know what to expect but it did not get eaten. Some may think it is to big for the tank but it seems to be thriving. Will keep it and see if it turns blue like they will with age. They are entertaining, for now harmless but are fast growers.

 

[badbrady06]

While I have decided on the gdm I am yet to find one. Hopefully my search doesn't take to long. Rswift that is awesome about your ribbon eel. I don't hear many success stories. Hopefully it'll live a long life in your care. A healthy and feeding ribbon eel is the only thing that could change my mind.

 

[rssjsb]

Snowflake eels at any age in captivity, during a routine tank feeding, can go into a frenzy and take down a small fish such as a reef chromis (the likelyhood of this is very slim). The teeth changing has no effect on what the Echidna nebulosa eats. I've seen some very large snowflake eels in my time, all of which still have their 'pebble teeth'.

They've also been known to eat angels and other bigger fish. They can twist themselves up in knots and eat fish that are much bigger than you would think. Some of this may be accidental strikes due to poor eyesight and close quarters.

However, I have read a number of reports saying that this behavior starts or gets worse after sexual maturity. (I know that anecdotes aren't data, but in my own experience, once my SFE got to be about 24" long and started that knot-tying behavior with shrimp I gave him, my other fish started hiding when the eel would come out and cruise around, signaling that it was hungry. These included a grown manilla puffer and a very large rabbitfish, neither of which was shy at feeding time.)

As to whether it's related to the change in their teeth, I have to wonder why that change takes place if there is no accompanying change in diet. Animals do not tend to undergo physical changes arbitrarily, so I have to think it affords them some advantage, like the ability to eat bigger prey as they get bigger and stronger themselves.

To the OP, sorry for the derail. I don't mean to prolong this, it's just something I find interesting and hope it's helpful to others.