The text below is from "moray eel FAQs" from wetwebmedia. Bold highlighting is mine. I expect a fimbriated may attack fish that won't fit in its mouth. Not a fish safe eel, IMO. If you want a community tank, I'd get rid of the eel, and carefully research compatibility of suitable-sized fish for that tank. I find the biggest challenge in keeping FOWLR tanks is selecting compatible species. This type of piscivorous eel, IME, will eventually go after your fish. Your tank is not big enough for both this eel and fish that *may* be big enough not to be threatened,
FAQs about Morays Eel Compatibility 1
Taming or Training Aggressive Eel. G. fimbriatus attacking wrasse - 26 Feb 2007 Please help…I have a 24" Fimbriated moray in a 90 gallon tank with An 8" lunare wrasse and a 3" puffer. All the levels are good, nitrates are a bit high 80 ppm, but nothing crazy considering the diet of the fish. <Nitrates are too high, indeed. Read and think about a refugium or get a better skimmer.> Anyway, the problem is that there isn't a lot of info out there on fish psychology.
The eel is extremely aggressive, he has bitten me before and he has a death wish for my beloved wrasse. <Watch out. Those moray eel bites can be dangerous due to secondary infections.> Granted the wrasse is very antagonistic to the eel, swimming up to the eels face with his hackles raised or swimming quick circles around the eels head. The eel has attacked the fish and severely injured him twice before, and I nursed him back. The LFS says the wrasse is the natural prey item, size and shape wise, for the eel and so the eel will never leave him alone, because there are some fish the eel won't take a second look at. For instance the puffer, the eel never even looks at, or a tang or even an engineer goby, the eel seems to be friends with, the engineer goby that would be a perfect meal for him. Question, can the eel be taught or trained or coerced into leaving the wrasse alone? <No.
There is no guarantee any fish below 12 inches is safe with your eel at all in the long run, even the puffer. Trying to swallow a puffer may even result in a dead moray eel.> Is the wrasse initiating the attacks by his behaviour, could it be something personal? <It's probably considered food by the moray, might smell tasty, I don't think that can be called personal.>
Why does the eel, which eats ten silversides every other day, insist on wanting to eat the wrasse? <It's in their nature. Some are peaceful and well fed for years and kill every other tank inhabitant within days> Is there any modification to the tank that could be made to house but keep separated the eel from the wrasse? <A perforated acrylic separator could be used, but they don't look nice and will drastically decrease swimming space, and thus could only be a temporary solution. I'd rather set up a second tank for the moray. If you connect the two tanks you'd also have a much larger volume of water and life rock and could get rid of those nitrates. In case you want to do that, be sure to research and read a lot at WetWebMedia and in books.> They have grown from a couple of inches to their current size together and they are my pets. I would hate to loose them, but I am at a loss for things to try to reduce the aggression. One of your articles mentioned putting the mean fish in a small tank for a couple days. Would that approach be of any use here? <You'd probably only stress the moray eel.> Does the eel want to eat him or just injure him? <Probably eat.> The attacks always happen at night, if I used a light source at night also would the eel be at a disadvantage? <Possible, but 24/7 light will not be appreciated by your fish at all.> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Ivy. <Hope I could help. Cheers, Marco>
