Pairing snowflake eels?

[palmer373]

I just got my first eel, a snowflake about 6". He(?) is in my 75 with two damsels right now. There is another 6" (maybe 8ish) snowflake at the LFS im interested. Im curious if i could buy the second one and form a pair out of both. Is it possible to do that? I thought eels started as one sex and changed into the other like clowns? Would one eel have to be bigger than the other for the pairing to work? The eel and two damsels are the only fish in the tank right now. I think Lukfox or someone paired two yellow head morays like that.

Thoughts? Thanks for the help.

 

[LukFox]

Luckily snowflakes are also likely in the protogynous hermaphrodite group (not all eels are), so you can try it. At 6 inches I wouldn't really worry about aggression between them, but be ready to separate just in case as always.

 

[DoubleM 10]

IMO it prolly wont work. im sure the one you have now has been in the tank for a bit. most fish of the same species do not mix well if added far apart from each other.

 

[palmer373]

Ok LukFox ill do more research first and then possibly do it.

DoubleM- i just got the first one today and if i get the second one itll be next weekend. Think that is too long?

 

[Moray keeper]

I don't think you will have a problem, especially if the other snowflake was recently added and they are simila in size. Main thing is to make sure you have numerous spots for them to hide and monitor at feeding time which is usually when a you have the greatest chance for a problem to arise.

 

[hotrodolds]

I saw a ~10" bent on eating an ~8" at the LFS one day. It was pretty serious about attacking it. Point being similar size really is no guarantee

 

[DoubleM 10]

I don't think you will have a problem, especially if the other snowflake was recently added and they are simila in size. Main thing is to make sure you have numerous spots for them to hide and monitor at feeding time which is usually when a you have the greatest chance for a problem to arise.

i agree with this now that i know they will be added at a similar time

 

[anbosu]

I tried this with two small snowflakes once and ended up with one. Whether the one simply died or was attacked by the other I'm not really sure. I never saw any agression, but at the time they were the only fish in a 120 gallon tank with a lot of live rock.

Generally with fish you are better having a big one that has already chosen a sex and pairing it with a smaller one that is still both. I would imagine this is true with snowflake eels as well, but not many people pair eels. If I can ever find a small zebra eel I am going to try to pair up my current one, which is about 2.5'. I don't think I would ever try to pair my snowflake again, as it is getting progressively more aggressive with age.

 

[snorvich]

The person on RC that I have found is the most knowledgeable about eels is syrinx. You might contact him.