snowflake and the missing cleaner shrimp!

[dangle]

Can a small snowflake eel, about 10 inches, eat a large cleaner shrimp?

My cleaner shrimp, whom I've had for almost a year now and was as large as they get I think is missing. And I see my snowflake who's only a baby with his head sticking out from under the rocks with cleaner shrimp antennae coming out of his mouth! The shrimps body was at least as large if not larger than the eels, I wouldn't think he could have eaten him without choking.

Could the eel have eaten the whole shrimp over night?

Thanks.

 

[SWonly]

Yea, with out any problem. Sorry for the loss

 

[sherm71tank]

A snowflake I had ate a purple lobster that was easily 3 times the body size of the eel. S T R E T C H chomp chomp and no more lobster! About that fast to!

 

[Petstorejunkie]

you know it truely amazes me that there are retail fish people letting aquarists go home with combinations like this in their tanks. i think it is cruel to make a buck on an unsuspecting customer, when you know that two critters are incompatable. when did it suddenly become okay to keep eels with small fish and shrimp, did they all suddenly become vegetarians (small hint of sarcasm)?

 

[Torno]

Petstorejunkie I 100% agree! My LFS owner sold me a medium choc chip star with a small (2") butterfly that he knew very well would be going in the same tank. Within 4 days I catch the CCS munching on the butterfly. I just wish I wouldve known..........

 

[dangle]

thanks for the replies.

 

[Chckrbrd Wrasse]

I have a snow flake about that size he has never messed with mine, how ever my spotted eel did. Once the snowflake can fit them in his mouth I have heard they would be gone.
Hope you donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t mind the image. I just got a new camera so I combined 2 images into an animated gif

 

[mitzel]

It's very posible! :sad2:





:wildone:

 

[dangle]

Not only it seems is it's possible, it definately looks like thats what happened now.

I did do research before buying the snowflake and I knew it was a risk, but I had also read numerous post about a snowflake and cleaner shrimp getting along just fine, especially if the shrimp is in there before the eel and the eel is small. I just didn't think if it happened it would happen this fast, I thought no way he could eat such a big shrimp.

And cool anim of the eel! I like that alot! Thats about as much white on a snowflake as I've ever seen!

Here's a pic of my little killer

 

[kjmst29]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6570526#post6570526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Petstorejunkie
you know it truely amazes me that there are retail fish people letting aquarists go home with combinations like this in their tanks. i think it is cruel to make a buck on an unsuspecting customer, when you know that two critters are incompatable. when did it suddenly become okay to keep eels with small fish and shrimp, did they all suddenly become vegetarians (small hint of sarcasm)?

I've had the two together for over a year now. My shrimp cleans the inside of my eel's mouth nightly. My eel is also slightly larger than 10". He's about 14" or so. Instead of blasting the LFS owners, ask the poster how often he feeds the eel.

I'm compatible with a dog or cat...unless I have a fire and have not eaten for a week.

My point is if the eel is not hungry, it will not kill. Humans are the only animal on the planet that hunt for fun.

As for the chocolatechipstar and the butterfly, How in the world does a star catch a butterfly???? I have a LARGE cc star and it moves VERY slow, so maybe the butterfly was already dead.

Let's all take a reality check. These are wild animals and anything can happen in nature. Nothing is 100% compatible. You take your chances hen you put any 2 living animals in a tank together, especially if you let them go hungry for a while.

 

[Chckrbrd Wrasse]

Thanks dangle,
On the comment on the animation.
Yeah it is the most white on one I have seen as well. I normally donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t get to see him much.
I had a spotted eel which had fought with him before. I was able to return the spotted eel yesterday. Which let me get some new shots of my snowflake. Hopefully now I will be seeing him more.
Nice pic. of yours btw.

 

[Patchy]

I seen many eels with cleaner shrimps. IE dragon morays, Snowflakes, goldens and a few more.
it comes down to the eels personality and hunger.

If the eels feels no gain from haviong a cleaning srhimp around of course he will munch it.

 

[Chckrbrd Wrasse]

My cleaner shrimp would actually service both of my eels. I would watch in disbelief. The spotted eel during feeding would charge them though. Finally they did meet their demise which I am sure it was the spotted eel only from the appetite he always showed.

 

[RGBMatt]

I think blunt-toothed eels like snowflakes are a lot more prone to eating shrimps than sharp-toothed eels. Most of their natural diet consists of crustaceans so it's to be expected.

In the wild, cleaner shrimps often live commensally with eels. It's not uncommon to look under a rock and see a very large moray with 2-3 cleaner shrimps on its body. These are typically fish-eating species of eel, though - I've never seen cleaner shrimps on a snowflake or zebra.

 

[Chckrbrd Wrasse]

Not really sure with both eels in the same tank, Only I had seen the spotted looking as he would by charging them. While the spotted was in the same tank, the snowflake came out less and less. I would have to push a silver sides into his dens entrance. But you never know it could have even been the checkerboard wrasse. Usally smaller shrimp for them though