Snowflake eel.....

[Guygettnby]

well, after alot of reading and talking to people i finally had decided to get a snowflake eel. i knew what to expect and look for but i didnt expect after 2 days that the eel was going to try and escape every other hour and try to eat everything in the tank except the shrimp and crabs....lol...

just a heads up for anybody else wanting to try a snowflake eel in a reef tank. make sure your tank is sealed!! they will try to come out of your tank. also no fish is too big for this thing to try and eat. my hippo tang is about 4in and the eel had tried to eat him about 3 times now.

ok, im done venting.

 

[B.Pereira]

Thats an eel for you... keep trying to feed it once it recognizes that you provide its food it will come. Simple math problem

Eel+Full Belly= Safe Fish

 

[anbosu]

As long as you feed it regularly the only things in danger will be your shrimp and crabs. I've had a few snowflakes over the years and I've never had any issues with it eating other fish in the tank. Sometimes when they are young you really have to target feed them with a feeding stick or something to make sure they get enough to eat.

 

[Guygettnby]

i have been target feeding it with a copstick and it hasnt actually eaten anything. my shrimp and crabs are always crawling all over it and it doesnt bother them. my main concern is the fact the thing always tries to jump outa the tank when i feed the tank.

i really like the eel, but i cant have a top on any of my tanks beacuse of my lighting.

 

[Megistos]

All eels will try to get out of the tank regularly.

I am surprised the snowflake is going after fish and not your inverts, though. Usually it is the other way around, from what I've read.

 

[anbosu]

Are you wiggling the food to make it seem live? Some eels have really bad eyesight and you have to work to get them to eat.

 

[anbosu]

And I bet it is going after fish because they fed it comets at the pet store so it is used to attacking that motion.

 

[Guygettnby]

maybe so. it has never even looked at the inverts in that way though. still i cant have it always trying to get outa the tank. i had even though about putting some screen over the tank to stop it but then that will cut down on my light so thats outa the quesion. i think i am gonna trade it in at the LFS tomarow and just be done with eels all together. they are very cool to have, but i dont have the proper tank to house one without there being some sort of problem i guess.

 

[rottbo]

my snowflake has never tried to get out he is in a 76 galonn oceanic halfcircle with no top full reef. He has never killed a fish but has ate all of my crabs other wise great.. I thougt I would have a problem for awhile with my clams but he lays in my big derasa other wise wont touch it oh hes been in there about 1 year

 

[sean48183]

You need lighting diffusers that are cut to fit the top of your tank. Some people refer to it as eggcrate. Get it at home depot and cut it to fit on the top of your tank and around any filtration, heaters, powerheads in your tank. Light gets thru and eels don't get out. I have a snowflake and that is what I use.

 

[sean48183]

Actually have a picture of it in my gallery. That is from my 55g a few years back.

 

[Attreui]

All eels need a top... period. There is no sense in even chancing it. They will get out eventually. Mine like to spend time in my overflow... it used to freak me out that he could squeeze between the glass tops on that tank and the overflow, but he can... I used to try and get him out, now I leave him and he will get himself out eventually. Crazy little acrobats they are.

Also, snowflakes aren't normally fish eaters.. they may snap at them especially at feeding time but they shouldn't try and eat them unless they are small fish. I do feed mine silversides occasionally but he lives with out fish.

 

[zambavi]

The eggcrate option works great. Home Depot actually caries a very reflective mirror type eggcrate that's a little more expensive than the white eggcrate but what I decided to go for on my tank. It's not diminished the light into my tank at all. And my snowflake eel has no chance of getting out.

 

[TheH]

jeffncindy, I used that "silver" egg-crate previously. However, the coating eventually started disappearing (around 3-4 months) and I could see the white egg-crate underneath. I had a bad feeling that the coating flakes may have fallen into the tank.

 

[zambavi]

wow... thanks for that. I'll keep a close eye on it. I have the white eggcrate cut for my tops to. I will switch over at the first sign of flaking. Thanks!