Juvenile Snowflake Moray

[Barbelist]

Good afternoon,

Last week I added a juvenile Snowflake Moray to my stock....lovely looking small Eel of about 8" that immediately melted into the rockery. In the meantime I have seen the Eel a few times moving through gaps in the rocks and once sat behind a coral peering out

I am wondering whether I should introduce a pipe or a bottle of some sort in an effort to "house" the Eel in a position in the reef where I will be able to see it more and target feed??

Would it seek out such a place for a home as such? or would it prefer the rockwork??

My system is 5.5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft and is a soft coral dominated reef.

Thoughts welcome please



Paul

 

[themoraykeeper]

Hey there, I recently just added a dwarf moray into my tank a few months ago, and it does like you explained and has a route of tunnels in the rocks that it follows and I just have to keep track of it, watch for his little head popping out and feed him then. Also it took him around 2 weeks to get adjusted and start feeding so wouldn't panic just yet

Although this doesn't apply to me as the dwarf moray only grows 10 inches, the snowflake can reach a reasonable size 2ft + in a few years, but as long as caves and suitable hiding spots that it can fit into are provided, he should be happy

Had a zebra moray for 6+ years and all he needed was 2 good sized, comfortable caves and good feedings, room to swim (which you have) and he was happy.
Would just keep feeding every 2-3 days and it all should work out.
Hope this helps!

 

[rssjsb]

You can add a pvc pipe in the sand if your rockwork will permit and he MAY take to it.

But if your rockwork is secured on the bottom, I would let him settle in and find a spot by himself. Be sure your tank is securely covered - these eels are particularly likely to escape.

 

[zachfishman]

Once accustomed to the tank, and after they figure out that you = food, it'll be out pretty often.

 

[slief]

Once accustomed to the tank, and after they figure out that you = food, it'll be out pretty often.

+1

Give the eel time to settle in. Once he gets acclimated to his new environment and realizes that you are the one feeding him, he will be very attentive when you are near the tank.

I'd suggest getting one of those large thin acrylic feeding sticks with a pointy end on it to feed him small strips of squid, fish and shrimp. Just be aware that the more fish you feed him, the more likely he will be to become predatory on his tank mates. Snowflakes are one of the least likely to pray on other fish in the tank but you never know.

Once you have him stick trained, you can begin raising the stick closer to the surface until you have him trained to eat at the surface. At that point, it should take the food directly from your hand if you feel inclined to hand feed. Personally, I've always hand fed my eels.

 

[Codski]

Like the others said, they are very shy creatures. They will normally come out of the rock work looking for food when hungry. Feeding every 2-3 days is around the norm. My LFS feeds their's frozen krill and he loves it. Even just putting the krill in when he is in the rock work gets him to come out. They don't have the best sight but their smell is truly astounding. Every time I go to the LFS I feed the snowflake that they have on hold for me there. I truly can't wait till I get my tank set up as he truly is a beauty and a monster. If I had to guess I'd say he is at least 24" long and pretty thick.
Also a note on hand feeding, they do have teeth and like I said above, not the greatest eye sight. So do be carefully that he doesn't get a bite of something that isn't food. :lol:

 

[slief]

Also a note on hand feeding, they do have teeth and like I said above, not the greatest eye sight. So do be carefully that he doesn't get a bite of something that isn't food. :lol:

LOL.. Snowflakes have baby teeth but your warning in truly sound advice for the uninformed. While I no longer have eels, they are one of my favorite sea creatures and are amazingly docile if well fed and understood. When I say understood, I mean understanding the fish and it's personality. And yes, you do need to watch your fingers when feeding them as they are not great with their aim. I'd always keep my fingers out of the water while dangling the food in the water.

I've handled many eels including wild ones while scuba diving. Snowflakes while shy are about the easiest and one of the more gentle eels although they are a bit wary of people until they get used to you.

This was my pet Green Moray. He was about 5' long. Now he had REAL teeth but he loved to be pet, scratched, rubbed and handled. He would lean into my hand to get a good scratching under his chin or on his side. He really loved to have his chin rubbed and never exhibited any aggression towards me but I also knew him real well and developed a bond with him and could read him like a book.

He would even let me pick him up and pull him completely out of the tank.

 

[Cu455]

Your eel is acting normal. No need to add a pipe if you have a lot of rock work, but add it if you want. What are you feeding the eel? I have two of them in seperate tanks. One eats squid and one eats shrimp. Both eat hakari carnivoure sticks. Right when the food enters the water they come out. You should have no problem target feeding it.

Here is my older guy he is about 8 years old. I moved him to a bigger tank at my dads. I missed having him in the tank so I got a new one.