Eel Questions!

[Holokai]

Hey all,

I'm finally in a stable enough living situation that I can have a tank set up for more than 4 months at a time (YES!! )

Living in Hawaii our coral selections are pathetic due to regulations and whatnot, so I was leaning towards an eel or two. I think the snowflake eels would be the best choice given my tank size (75 gal w/ 22gal sump). However, It sounds like I couldn't even have any hermits or snails for a clean up crew. Is that the case? What do other eel owners do in lieu of a normal clean up crew?

I'm doing pre-tank set up research at the moment, I have nothing but the tank, stand and sump. Otherwise I'd give you more details on the system itself.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Jerry W]

Your snowflake should not bother hermits, snails or even cleaner shrimp. I kept a rather large SFE with these and he never touched them. Soft shelled crabs like emeralds, porcelains, sally lightfoots, etc, would eventually be eaten though.

 

[SkinnyPete]

I'd say it's a toss up with snowflakes. All eels are individuals, obviously, but I would suggest if you have the room go Zebra Moray. I've owned 2 zebras and 2 snowflakes and I'd say from my experience Zebras are more likely to get along with snails, shrimp, small fish, and hermits. Crabs have always become a quick meal but both of my zebras left everything else alone. Cleaner shrimp, peppermint, pistols, snails, hermits. I had a pretty unpredictable snowflake who would had snail and hermit shells all around his cave.

Zebras get a little bigger than snowflakes I believe but I had mine in a 110 which is the same dimensions as a 75 but taller (which doesn't make much difference for an eel other than water volume) and they were pretty comfy.

 

[pinkie]

I have a snowflake and he occasionally eats my hermits, but I keep replacing them. They get really lazy though, and usually decide to wait for the good you give them, rather than go through the work of hunting down and attacking a hermit.

You can keep the same clean up crew as any other tank, you just will have to replace some of them more often than less aggressive tanks.

 

[wanabebell]

zebras can get huge i wouldnt recomend them for a 75
although a jeweled moray would do nicely if your looking for an eel that stays relativly small but has some attitude

 

[myerst2]

get a dwarf golden moray. Talk to Les from Wet pets Hawaii. He has them or better yet if i lived where you lived I would get a license and catch one myself. Tim

 

[LukFox]

A 75 is rather small for a snowflake. I'd go with a dwarf or stout moray, both of which are found in Hawaiian waters and shouldn't be too hard to find. The dwarf gets a foot, and the stout gets two feet. Depends on what sort of tank you want. I wouldn't get both of them, though. The dwarf might get eaten. As far as having two 2' eels in a 75, I don't think I'd do that either. They need room to get away from each other if they want to. Just go with one and get other fish to fill the space . Neither of these will eat hermits or snails.

 

[SkinnyPete]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12666076#post12666076 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wanabebell
zebras can get huge i wouldnt recomend them for a 75

You can certainly make a case for a 6ft tank for a larger adult zebra. After keeping them in a 110 (same footprint as a 75), I'd still say a 4 foot would probably do depending on bio-load and total water volume, etc. Either way, they certainly don't get huge. They usually max out at about 3' in captivity, and 4 in the wild. That would be a "smaller" sized moray in a general comparison. Larger than the snowflake and jeweled, yes. But, smaller and much less aggressive than most and much more likely to get along with a clean-up crew than either of those other eels.

 

[Holokai]

Thanks for all the information guys. I'm not set on any one type of eel yet, so thanks for offering suggestions. I do like the idea of a dwarf golden Moray, but based on the prices I've seen they are a little cost prohibitive. However, I DO live in Hawaii, maybe they are cheaper here.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12666630#post12666630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by myerst2
get a dwarf golden moray. Talk to Les from Wet pets Hawaii. He has them or better yet if i lived where you lived I would get a license and catch one myself. Tim

It's funny you mentioned Les and his company, I work with the guy at another Job I was planning on calling him up about stocking the tank a little closer to when I need live stock Nice to know He has fans out there, I'll let him know.

As for catching them myself, have you ever seen an eel in a reef? I have no idea how they catch them! It amazes me that they can do it without cyanide. Those buggahs are escape artists in the ocean too!

Originally posted by SkinnyPete
You can certainly make a case for a 6ft tank for a larger adult zebra. After keeping them in a 110 (same footprint as a 75), I'd still say a 4 foot would probably do depending on bio-load and total water volume, etc. Either way, they certainly don't get huge. They usually max out at about 3' in captivity, and 4 in the wild. That would be a "smaller" sized moray in a general comparison. Larger than the snowflake and jeweled, yes. But, smaller and much less aggressive than most and much more likely to get along with a clean-up crew than either of those other eels.

Yeah that's Kinda what I'm weighing in my mind, SFE and no worries with (medium or larger) fish, but possible invert-icide, or Zebra living in peace with inverts but not with the fish.

Thanks!
- Chris

 

[SkinnyPete]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12685739#post12685739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Holokai
or Zebra living in peace with inverts but not with the fish.

Why not with fish? Zebras are absolutely peaceful toward fish. You're still taking a risk with inverts even with a zebra although in my opinion less than with a snowflake. But zebras are not fish eaters.

 

[Holokai]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12685778#post12685778 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkinnyPete
Why not with fish? Zebras are absolutely peaceful toward fish. You're still taking a risk with inverts even with a zebra although in my opinion less than with a snowflake. But zebras are not fish eaters.

Really? My understanding from what I have found thus far on the web was that Eels can be divided up by their diet - mostly inverts or mostly fish. SFE's diets consist mainly of inverts, and since I read Zebras leave most inverts alone I assumed(yeah I know, I know) that they must go after fish.

- Chris

 

[LisaD]

my zebra won't touch fish, alive or dead. it IS an invert eater. it kills live fiddlers and ghost shrimp, though I usually give it frozen food. it has not gone after the big hermit in the tank. I don't have experience with how it would be with other inverts.

 

[Holokai]

Really. Sounds like it's one of those "depends on your individual" type things like SkinnyPete said. I guess I'll just have to take the plunge and see if any empty shells start decorating the entrance to his "lair"

Thanks for the help all!

 

[sean48183]

My snowflake doesn't mess with any hermits or snails but shrimp and crabs are goners. I tried it with a cleaner that was already in the tank and he ate in the first day. I have a huge red hermit and him and the eel have some serious fights over food. I feed the hermit a peice of shrimp every few days and the eel actually sticks his head in the shell and the wraps his body around the shell and they roll around the bottom of the tank for a few seconds. The eel always gets the food but suffers damage to his face from the hermit. He heals up after time but it is hilarious to watch. He can't eat the crab though.

 

[Holokai]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12689160#post12689160 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sean48183
My snowflake doesn't mess with any hermits or snails but shrimp and crabs are goners. I tried it with a cleaner that was already in the tank and he ate in the first day. I have a huge red hermit and him and the eel have some serious fights over food. I feed the hermit a peice of shrimp every few days and the eel actually sticks his head in the shell and the wraps his body around the shell and they roll around the bottom of the tank for a few seconds. The eel always gets the food but suffers damage to his face from the hermit. He heals up after time but it is hilarious to watch. He can't eat the crab though.

Man, that is awesome(except for the eel getting scratched, that's probably not good). Reminds me of my first tank, my emerald crabs really came out of the woodwork whenever I dropped in shrimp pellets. But Starfish Willy (Brittle star) also liked them, and they used to tussle. Willy always won, but the emeralds never gave up. I'm surprised Willy never lost a limb.

- Chris

 

[eyecanwalk]

I HAVE A 2 !/2 FOOT SNOWFLAKE IN A 150 SET UP FOR 6 WEEKS & HE HAS NOT EATEN YET
ANY IDEAS?
I COULD ONLY GET HIM TO EAT SHRIMP BEFORE NOTHING ELSE

 

[eyecanwalk]

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A CAVE FOR HER?

 

[stykthyn]

OMG CAPS!!!!

try feeding glass shrimp
if he eats those move to krill that have been soaked in garlic. it is imperative that it starts to eat immediately. two months without food will not kill an adult eel,but it's fat reserves are seriously depleted. if you live anywhere where you can get live bait shrimp try those as well. it is costly,but they should entice the eel to eat.
also put a length of PVC for the eel to hide in.