Garden Eel

[fisheze]

Has anyone tried a Spotted Garden Eel (Heteroconger hassi ) in their reef tank?

They've had some in a local shop here for some time. Very neat looking and very entertaining. I'd love to have one in my 75 gallon reef.

I think I'd need to add a little more sand to the front of the tank area - I've got about 3 inches of sand there now. I've read that they need about 6 inches of sand (although there's not that much sand in the shop tank)

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these in a reef tank.

Thanks

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

Becasue of the speicall requirements ( deep sand, peacefull tankmates, limited light ...) they should not be placed in a normal reef tank and do much better in an dedicated tank.

 

[EvilMel]

Also, I heard they can be kind of hard to keep. I think the problem that I read about was infection in their tails. Apparently they can get an infection in the tail and then are unable to get back down in their hole.

Anyways...I'm definitely not the authority on these guys, but that's what I heard years ago. They do totally rock though. I love love love those.

Here's a picture of some I took at the new Georgia Aquarium:

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7650336#post7650336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Schmiedel
Becasue of the speicall requirements ( deep sand, peacefull tankmates, limited light ...) they should not be placed in a normal reef tank and do much better in an dedicated tank.

I said the same thing before, yet was quickly corrected by a couple people keeping them, I believe, with not a DEEP sand bed, suggesting they can burrow down then sideways? They also said they eat anything that floats by. I'd be anxious to hear if they still have them.

I saw them in a species tank...either at the long beach or maui aquarium. Can't remember which. Very cool though!

 

[EvilMel]

That's interesting. Every tank I have ever seen them in has had 12+ inches of substrate.

 

[Bret61081]

theyve had one at a LFS here in Ft Laud for about 4 months now! the owner forget it was even there till I pointed it out a few weeks ago!! Very cool fish

 

[fisheze]

I stopped by the shop today after work. Still had them. I asked to see them feed and they eagerly took live brine and they swam past them.

 

[fisheze]

>>I asked to see them feed and they eagerly took live brine and they swam past them.<<

Oops...I meant to say AS they swam past them.

 

[sedgro]

I have a group of about 9 Gogasia preclara (striped garden eel) and one Heteroconger hassi living in the deep sand bed/plenum in my 225 gal sump. I say about 9 because some of them will disappear for weeks at a time only to reappear again later in a different spot looking fine. They are suprisingly tough when established and eat brine and mysis without problem. They are very shy and live only with one starcki damsel and a pair of sleeper gobies. I set up the sump specifically with them in mind. The sand bed is about 5 in deep - they seem to be able to burrow horizontally as well as vertically. I will try to get a picture.

john

 

[Peter Schmiedel]

John.

I had no sucess with 4 precalre as htey where way to shy and only one did eat enough to fatten up. I keep them in a spezies tank but their own ... sad story as the preclara is sucj an interessting nice fish.

Peter,
I agree that they dont need a too deep sand bed to dig into vertical. My preclara had no probs with 8-10 cm sand abd indeed also burried sideways.

 

[Angel*Fish]

I had one for a while - very cool and he seemed to be doing ok. But one day he went missing and was later found dead in the overflow.

But as I stated in my post here http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=793727&highlight=garden+AND+eel I wouldn't have bought him if I'd done enough research. I'd never heard of them & LFS told me the were just cool eels that stay small

He got plenty of food in my tank because I feed like a maniac & use a lot of live food. I wouldn't do it again wo/9-10 in. of sand & a quieter tank.

 

[skylar]

I tried one as well - with negative results. They seem to need a very species specific set up. I had too much light, current, and not enough sand. Super cool if you can dedicate a tank or large sump for them....