Help With Zebra eel housing

[Titobattilocchi]

What is the smallest size of pvc pipe that can be used on a full sized Zebra eel for a hiding spot. Going to do rock work for it but would like to see what my options are. Any help would be nice thanks. This will be my first eel I have owned, tank size shouldn't be a problem 300 gallon tank. Is a DSD better or a shallow one for eel's never ran a DSD before are the benefits better or worse for a eel. I have a monster Reefdynamics skimmer for my tank so I believe that should help for filtering.

 

[Dmorty217]

No need for a DSB. The size PVC that will work is hard to say for sure. I would say if the eel is on the small side that 1" or 1-1/4" will work but the larger the eel gets obviously the bigger the PVC will have to be. I only see mine every 3-4 days when he decides he is hungry

 

[Titobattilocchi]

What kinda eel do you have. I heard zebras can get up to 3 to 4 feet in captivity.

 

[anbosu]

What kinda eel do you have. I heard zebras can get up to 3 to 4 feet in captivity.

Unless you want to build PVC smaller and replace it later on, I'd go with 2". That should be good for a very long time, at the least. They get pretty thick as they get older. Mine was about 3' when it passed due to a power outage and it was too big for the 1" pipes I had in my FOWLR.

 

[Titobattilocchi]

So what you are saying is that I should use 3 inch so they can't out grow it or do you think they can out grow a 3 inch pvc pipe. Thanks

 

[anbosu]

I have never seen or heard of a zebra that big. You'd be ok with 2" PVC for at least 5 years, I'd guess.

 

[Dmorty217]

What kinda eel do you have. I heard zebras can get up to 3 to 4 feet in captivity.

A zebra eel that is 12" long. 3" will work long term but won't make the eel feel secure if it's smaller, hence why I said smaller sizes. I believe they reach 5ft in captivity. They don't get as thick as some other non reef safe eels

 

[Titobattilocchi]

What I really want to know is. Will a 2inch size pvc pipe work for a zebra or will I have to tare my tank apart to put a bigger sized pvc pipe in because he out grow the size of the opening of the pipe. 2inch pipe =shallow sand bed 3inch pipe =DSD

 

[HPark]

Maybe do both....structure with larger PVC for the longterm but leave some smaller grade that can be easily removed for the short term.

 

[Dmorty217]

2" is big... I use it for my CL. I have seen big zebras and none of them would fill up 2" PVC. If you only use 2" I don't think the eel will use it. HPark has the right idea.