Snowflake Eel in Reef

[run-ne1]

We took the word a friend on a Snowflake Eel that never harmed inverts. They said the same about the Spotted Puffer. We introduced them yesterday. The puffer just ate a horseshoe crab so he is outta here (easy to catch). I'm nervous about the eel now and want him out too. Any advice on catching him or experience with such a BAD decision as this?

Tank (175 bowfront) houses mandarin, scooter blenny, 3 cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, coral banded, 4 perc clowns, flame hawk, purple tang, 2 brittle stars, sand sifting star.

 

[hgbarwick]

Bad move on putting the eel in. He is going to be hard to catch.

 

[tangyreefer05]

Ouch, Yeah the eel and puffer do not belong in there but rather a FO system. I do not have experience with catching eels, but have heard it isn't fun. Here is what I would do, Get a PCV pipe that is 2" around and a decent length so he can hide inside, He will eventually check it out hopefully and block the ends with nets and you have him.

 

[stykthyn]

I used to have one in my reef. as long as you dont mind not having any shrimp/crabs they are great. they also get all the food out of those hard to reach spots.

 

[w3ish3ng]

dont they feed on small fish or so? like neon goby or fish that are like 2" in size?

 

[stykthyn]

unfortunately. when i had mine in the reef I had a pair of grown clarkii's, a coral beauty, and a jewell damsel. all of them were over 3 inches long so it pretty much left them alone. the only thing it did kill was a purple lobster which I thought had died /b i never saw it. within 10 minutes it homed in on that thing and was chasing it around the tank.

 

[w3ish3ng]

erm, i guess i will wait for others experience. but are they hardy? easy to get them to feed? i am interested to keep them but my fish list are mainly small fish

 

[falco]

I tried a snowflake in my reef once. It took him a whole 12 hours before he started to go after my shrimp. What I did was take a 5 gallon bucket fill it half way with tank water. Mine during the day always hid in the rocks, so I pulled the entire rock that he was in and placed it into the bucket. Now that you have him in a confined space lure him out of the rock with food. Once he is out of the rock (even half way) pull the rock out of the bucket. The eel will fall to the bottom of the bucket and you put the rock back in your tank. I know it sounds like alot of work, that beacuse it was. After him eating a fire shrimp and a cleaner, I was about to do anything to get him out. Hope this helps.

 

[thorsen]

I did the same thing (put a snowflake in my tank). I tried everything I could think of to remove him, and I'm sure the rock method would work if he had gone in a rock, but in the end I had to take just about every rock out of my tank to catch him.

 

[mandrin13]

Just keep him well fed.I know someone with a 150 gallon reef,and the have had one in there reef for a long time.And he has lots of shrimop and crabs.I think if you keep him well fed on silversides and stuff he will be fine.

 

[jam05pr]

I had a snowflake and he didnt bother anything in my tank. I didnt have any colars but I did have small fish.

 

[Serioussnaps]

NO NO NO.....never put a puffer in a reef at all....dont believe anyone that said they did and had no problems...they are lying to you or just flat *** blind

you can put a snowflake in a reef no problems so long as you dont care about any inverts like cleaner shrimp, peppermints or what not....it will likely not bother hermits or snails as they arent slick enough to get them out of there shells and it definitely wont harm your corals...

only issues with snowflake in a reef is you have to keep it covered thus cutting down light....eating of shrimp or any non shelled inverts like emerald crabs.....and eating small fish or chasing any other centerpiece fish and causing them undue stress....and lastly, eels have a very high bioload and if you plan on keeping your reef very very clean you might as well forget it....
------if you dont care about these problems go for it(you can kiss your clowns good bye if you keep him)

if you want him out drain the tank and leave the rock in and he will flop around bam got him...if you dont like this idea you better get some buckets and time to start pulling the rock out and then rearranging them

 

[Serioussnaps]

dont forget the 2 net trick....but he is a bugger to catch cuz he goes under rocks and stuff...

i took all my rocks out to get my old one out a few years ago(in a fish only) and when i went to get him he jumped and flopped up under a couch....little adventure..nonetheless he was fine and sold to a LFS(he was almost 3 feet long and very aggressive...kicked a triggers butt....only thing that kept him in check was a fricking damsel ....lol..)

 

[w3ish3ng]

so no small fishes with them?