Ok to have cleaning crew with eels?

[LamboBoy]

I'm getting two Golden Moray eel (Banana) tomorrow. One 22" and the other 18". They will be residing by themselves in a 96x20x20" tank. Just redid the entire rock work to accommodate these eels.
Was wondering if I should add a cleaning crew, like Scarlet reef hermit crabs and Mexican turbo snails? Would the eels eat them? Would they swallow them whole with the shells? I know they would easily eat any shrimp.

 

[Rallos]

I thought golden morays are fish eaters? I know some fish eating moray will ignore CUC inverts but it's all up to the individual specimen when you get down to it. My puffer, for instance, doesn't give a damn about snails but any shrimp or crab is toast. You could try putting some cheap hermits and stuff in and see how it goes.

 

[LamboBoy]

I thought golden morays are fish eaters? I know some fish eating moray will ignore CUC inverts but it's all up to the individual specimen when you get down to it. My puffer, for instance, doesn't give a damn about snails but any shrimp or crab is toast. You could try putting some cheap hermits and stuff in and see how it goes.

That's a great idea, I'll order some and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[cougareyes]

Snails and hermits will be fine.

 

[jda]

Mexican Turbo Snails are tough enough to survive any predator. They can die with high nitrates, so keep them reasonably under control. They come from the same waters as the eel, IIRC.

Rallos- you are thinking of golden dwarf eels of the pebbletooth eel family, no the larger ones. The pebbletooths will even leave shrimp alone and I used to have an awesome picture of a cleaner shrimp cleaning the mouth of my zebra eel. This type of golden moray is a fang-tooth, but stays relatively small.