Snowflake eel

[chicki]

Got a small snowflake today at Big Al's. Say it eating mysis shrimp.

Gotta keep up with Dez :lol:

[Delphinus]

I really like these. But don't they get to about 24" ? I'm concerned I couldn't keep one. The tank I would keep one in, would have cleaner shrimp and percula clowns (I suspect it wouldn't work out?)

Share some pictures when you can, please? 8)

[chicki]

They stay pretty small about as thick as my baby fingers. Dez has one with his clown and its fine. They seem to really get trained onto "food on a stick"!

[UnderWorldAquatics]

Ive had many snowflake eels and they dont stay too small. Mine usually got over 24" long and about 1 1/4" thick. They can eat like pigs and if you dont feed them well they will eat anythng they can fit in their mouth.

[chicki]

It should do well here then as I Love to feed!!!LOL

[Delphinus]

They don't stay all that small, but compared to other morays maybe they're not all that big either. But still get to 30" according to this..

A Serpent For Your Reef Tank: A Look at Fish-Safe Eels
(http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/index.htm)

[chicki]

If you read the compatibility part of that article, it states that these are ideal reef eels, reaching only 24". Usually have no interest in consuming fish, especially if stick fed. They really prefer shrimp,squid, crabs etc.

[Delphinus]

This article basically says that if they're trained to take food from a stick, that they will "likely" not eat other fish. However, it goes on to say that they may bite other fish if there is food in the water. The concern I was expressing about one for my OWN setup, well, perculas are about one bite in size for an adult moray. In this case I highly doubt 24" or 30" is going to make a significant difference. Plus I have cleaner shrimp. How about you? Any shrimp in your tank?

They are a pretty little eel, espescially when they're small like that. Good luck with your and let us know how it works out.

[Dez]

I have a snowflake eel in my 54 Gallon....set up for about 1/2 a year now. The snowflake was one of the first creatures in it, along with a bi-color blenny, and a small tomato clown. Nothing bad so far. I feed it krill, silversides, clams (in the shell), and mussel (in the shell). The tank is full of soft corals and 3 types of gorgonian. I do have a long-spined urchin (diadema) and it is fine. I do not have hermit crabs but there are a few hitchhiker snails in there and they're still there. The snowflake was from a friend who's had it for more than a year, It's about 28 inches now.

In my 180, I have a zebra eel and the smallest fish are the blue devil damsels. I have 4 of them and they are compatable. This eel also feeds off of a feeding stick. This tank is a full soft coral reef with one LPS in it (an oversized green brain). There are no crabs or snails in this tank. my algae control is a Kole tang and soon to have a Clown tang (thanks Deb). There is also a picasso trigger and niger triggers.

I have had a very good time with the eels....and I don't feed them much....about twice a week (usually when company is over....for their entertainment)....

Hope this little bit helps for all who are considering.

If anybody has any snails with triggers, let me know. I want to try some but I don't want them to be a meal to the triggers.

Thanks.

Des

[EmilyB]

In my 180, I have a zebra eel

I am so envious !! I had one http://www.members.shaw.ca/bhadford1/ZebraEel.JPG

He was awesome......slipped through into the overflow and ended up return flow stew... :cry: It upset me so bad, that I changed the big tank over after that. Eels are really blind, at least zebras - don't know about snowflakes.

[chicki]

This is a FOWLR 7' tank. The smallest fish in there is a 2" flame. "Piketo" (small one in Spanish) how can you tell I just got back from Mexico !LOL
he is taking food off the stick and I've been feeding him twice a day? maybe thats too much? I would think if he wasn't hungry he wouldn't be taking it? So far he has excepted shrimp, clams, squid and crab.

[Delphinus]

So far, nobody has confirmed or denied my beleif that you couldn't keep cleaner shrimp in a tank with a small moray????

[EmilyB]

Well, it's probably one of those "maybe" things I would guess.... Several people on RAMR keep morays with cleaner shrimp - you've seen pics I'm sure of morays in the ocean with cleaners inside their mouth and gills? Or take a look in Scott Michaels book, and see how many eels have cleaners hanging about !

I think it might depend on the size relationship and how hungry the thing happens to be too.