eels and lions?

[kaiboshi]

I have a question regarding compatability.

Among my many tanks is an established and well filtered 65 gallon tank that houses a 20" snowflake eel. I've had him for quite some time now so I'm sort of attached. I picked up an antennata off of DD a few weeks ago and I've had him in QT to teach him to eat since I acquired him. My plan was to put the antennata in the 65 with or without the snowflake eel. Therein lies the question: With or without the eel.

My concern is that the eel, while normally completely docile, freaks out like a mad man when it "smells blood in the water". I feed the eel squid, octopus, shrimp, cuttlefish, and whatever I find at the grocery store a few times a week but every time the eel smells the food in the water it just goes ballistic. I would REALLY hate to see this little antennata turn into a snack. The lion is only ~2.5" right now.

Now I used to have this same eel in my 125 mixed reef and never lost any fish but the fish in question were all faster swimming fish than a lion.

Any advice or ideas?

 

[namxas]

I have a question regarding compatability.

... a 20" snowflake eel. ...The lion is only ~2.5" right now.
Any advice or ideas?

'Nuff said...

Altho lions are primarily crepuscular, they do sleep, and a sleeping fish is perfect prey for a prowling eel. That's when my SFE was the worst about eating tankmates.

 

[rubensito]

Not so much in this case because of the size discrepancy, but I wouldn't risk the eel getting stung either, especially during the "feeding frenzy"

 

[namxas]

Not so much in this case because of the size discrepancy, but I wouldn't risk the eel getting stung either, especially during the "feeding frenzy"

Actually, a 20" SFE could swallow a 2.5" lion...morays can unhinge their jaws much like a snake to eat larger prey. What they can't swallow, they will tear chunks from via "knotting". At 20", that SFE is right on the verge of where many specimens start to become very aggressive.

Altho it can be a great deterrent, a lion's venom doesn't make them invincible.

 

[sacremon]

When my zebra moray, considered by many to be the moray species that is least likely to eat a fellow fish, gets into a feeding frenzy, he will lunge towards the biggest thing he sees moving. Fortunately, at present that is a 7" Naso tang that is way too fast for him to get his mouth onto. Eels are somewhat blind, primarily using scent to find food. My eel still runs into my radiata on occasion, but backs off immediately when he feels the spines.

 

[rubensito]

Actually, a 20" SFE could swallow a 2.5" lion...morays can unhinge their jaws much like a snake to eat larger prey. What they can't swallow, they will tear chunks from via "knotting". At 20", that SFE is right on the verge of where many specimens start to become very aggressive.

Altho it can be a great deterrent, a lion's venom doesn't make them invincible.

You're 100% correct, I wasn't saying that can't happen, my original post was just stating that in general I would be concerned about eels getting stung by scorps accidentally. I wasn't saying it is a major concern in the scenario presented by the OP.

 

[psusocr]

I had a monster brazlillian dragon horned moray with two softball sized lionfish in a 300 gallon witout any problems. However i think that was due to frequent feedings and the size of my tank.