Is buying fish online safe ?? Snowflake eel tankmates
- Thread starter APEX_AIMZ
- Start date
mitch91175
Premium Member
With any normal Eel, you are going to be pushing it with the tank size. There are Golden Dwarf Eels that would do well in that size tank, but they are on the more expensive side.
mitch91175
Premium Member
Also, buying fish online happens all the time. Just plan accordingly when you are supposed to receive the fish and you will have better success. DO not want to keep the fish on your porch waiting for you to get home from work.
HBtank
Premium Member
While a snowflake eel might be OK in a 40-50, I doubt a significant amount of tank-mates would be as well.
Snowflakes can be relatively safe, but as with all "safer" eels, generally not with smaller tankmates. And a 50 with a messy 2' eel would not really accommodate additional larger fish, I think the tank would be essentially devoted to the eel.
Putting eels in mixed tanks takes large tanks or special examples (the golden) otherwise best in larger FOWLR or reef tanks that can hold medium/large livestock.
Snowflakes can be relatively safe, but as with all "safer" eels, generally not with smaller tankmates. And a 50 with a messy 2' eel would not really accommodate additional larger fish, I think the tank would be essentially devoted to the eel.
Putting eels in mixed tanks takes large tanks or special examples (the golden) otherwise best in larger FOWLR or reef tanks that can hold medium/large livestock.
Bent
I got nothin'
ok here’s my opinion.
A snowflake by itself would be fine in a 50, they aren’t very mobile and tend to just be pretty sessile.. Provided you lock that thing down like fort nox. I don’t mean just set a screen top on it and be done. I mean a locking top specifically meant for eels and octopuses. If you cut corners in this department you will find it laying in the floor one day.
Now, assuming the snowflake is small, he would be ok by himself. A few things will happen as he gets older.
1: your chances of having any type of coral will be out the window. A large animal, especially an eel l in a small space will produce a lot of waste. It’s highly doubtful that nitrates and po4 levels will be conducive to growing corals in there.
2: with the top closed up you will need to have a sump of some kind so you can keep the oxygen levels up. Let the water go to the sump and put a oversized skimmer and a very large air stone in there. Otherwise as he gets bigger and his o2 demands go up, he will suffocate.
3: you will be unable to put any other waste makers in there (I.e fish). Inverts will eventually be eaten as these are the eels primary source of food.
So yes, it can be done provided that you tailor your setup specifically for him and you understand the limitations and the work involved with maintaining a large amount of waste in a small amount of water, all of that has to be exported and unfortunately that involves you with a siphon hose on a regular basis.
A snowflake by itself would be fine in a 50, they aren’t very mobile and tend to just be pretty sessile.. Provided you lock that thing down like fort nox. I don’t mean just set a screen top on it and be done. I mean a locking top specifically meant for eels and octopuses. If you cut corners in this department you will find it laying in the floor one day.
Now, assuming the snowflake is small, he would be ok by himself. A few things will happen as he gets older.
1: your chances of having any type of coral will be out the window. A large animal, especially an eel l in a small space will produce a lot of waste. It’s highly doubtful that nitrates and po4 levels will be conducive to growing corals in there.
2: with the top closed up you will need to have a sump of some kind so you can keep the oxygen levels up. Let the water go to the sump and put a oversized skimmer and a very large air stone in there. Otherwise as he gets bigger and his o2 demands go up, he will suffocate.
3: you will be unable to put any other waste makers in there (I.e fish). Inverts will eventually be eaten as these are the eels primary source of food.
So yes, it can be done provided that you tailor your setup specifically for him and you understand the limitations and the work involved with maintaining a large amount of waste in a small amount of water, all of that has to be exported and unfortunately that involves you with a siphon hose on a regular basis.
HBtank
Premium Member
Yep.
My family thought I was crazy weatherstripping my canopy and screening/sealing any and every crack, gutter guarding and making a top for the overflow.. etc.. But yeah, seems like 75% of peoples eel stories end in this and I refuse to add my name!
monkeysee1
Member
Snowflake eels do best in a 125 gallon or more.
50 gallon bow is really too small.
If you insist on having one, be sure to really check compatibility with other tank mates.
They may harass and attack small, passive fish and are DEFINITELY NOT reef safe!!!
50 gallon bow is really too small.
If you insist on having one, be sure to really check compatibility with other tank mates.
They may harass and attack small, passive fish and are DEFINITELY NOT reef safe!!!
Last edited:
Indymann99
New member
So back 35yrs ago.. (yes when I was 15....) I had a 50gal. I had the latest in tech with undergravel filter driven by "powerheads", crushed coral, and a canister filter. I had a snowflake Moray, Niger Trigger, Volitan Lion, Yellow Tang, Pearlscale Butterfly and the Domino Damsel that survived the tank cycle (yeah back then we cycled the tank with damsel fish... :-( ). I had to do weekly 5g waterchanges and I was happy when Nitrates were below 60!!! (didnt know any beter) but had that tank for 5yrs with ALL the fish healthy and when I sold it the tank ran for another 3yrs (when I lost touch with the owner). Oh and between the Snowflake, Lion, and trigger I went through 15 "feeder" goldfish a week... I used to keep the feeders in a 5g bucket and buy them 50 at a time (25% discount for 50+ feeders). Oh the good old days... NOT :-(
So yes you can have a Snowflake in a 50g... would I do that again... nope...
So yes you can have a Snowflake in a 50g... would I do that again... nope...
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