Eel or other ill eat you alive fish.

Corbin · #1 10-11-2011, 06:43 AM

See i come from a back ground of monster fresh water fish, having a peace full reef tank with no blood shed is awesome and all but i need some action
I use to have a Snowflake eel I sold to Anthony (seahorse) years ago, Still have it? It always was fun to feed.
I kept it in a 55 with two toadfish i converted to saltwater from fresh and not another thing in the tank.
I got a 33G right now, probably give it 6 months till something bigger appears in my room

Im not to worried about it messing with my corals, i know they(snowflakes) go for crustaceans, my question would be, think my snails would live, like a giant ass turbo or something, something to keep the tank clean, i know my cleaner shrimp will become dinner.
Or another type of eel.
Ive seen a couple Ribbon eels around recently they look awesome, but kinda delicate.
Something that would be consider monster. have had my eye on some frog fish and J&L, anyone got any experince with them?

edit, oh and along the lines of reef safe..

whatcaneyedo · #2 10-11-2011, 01:35 PM

I've had my snowflake moray for over 6 years. Its pretty close to 2'-6" and lives in a 120gal. In a 33gal it could almost reach the entire length. Maybe a golden dwarf moray would be a better fit? Any fish that is small enough to be eaten will be. Its never touched a snail of any size. I also feed it anywhere from 3 to 8 silversides or up to around 12 krill at a time depending on their sizes so filtration is another big consideration.

naesco · #3 10-11-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corbin

See i come from a back ground of monster fresh water fish, having a peace full reef tank with no blood shed is awesome and all but i need some action
I use to have a Snowflake eel I sold to Anthony (seahorse) years ago, Still have it? It always was fun to feed.
I kept it in a 55 with two toadfish i converted to saltwater from fresh and not another thing in the tank.
I got a 33G right now, probably give it 6 months till something bigger appears in my room

Im not to worried about it messing with my corals, i know they(snowflakes) go for crustaceans, my question would be, think my snails would live, like a giant ass turbo or something, something to keep the tank clean, i know my cleaner shrimp will become dinner.
Or another type of eel.
Ive seen a couple Ribbon eels around recently they look awesome, but kinda delicate.
Something that would be consider monster. have had my eye on some frog fish and J&L, anyone got any experince with them?

edit, oh and along the lines of reef safe..

I agree with the other comments. Your tank is to small to accommodate their growth.
Here is an excerpt from Robert Fenners, www.wetwebmedia.com. Ribbon eels are more than delicate.
"hinomuraena species, the Ribbon Moray Eels. Ninety nine percent plus do not live a month in captivity. Most starve, refusing all food. Next most common category of loss is escape through the smallest of top openings, or plumbing. Last is "simple stress".

The written record shows some people's success with netting food and eel together and shaking, training on select live skewered items; but most black to blue to all yellow female ribbon morays perish within a short while. You've been cautioned. Rhinomuraena quaesita: Fiji image at right or a changeling female and male. Below, a juvenile (black) and male in N. Sulawesi and a female in Mabul, Malaysia. Females are mostly to all yellow in color. "

Corbin · #4 10-12-2011, 04:41 AM

well yeah, i wasnt planning on putting on in a 33, and if i did it would be a baby and like i said id have a bigger tank not to far off.
Also why i didnt get a ribbon eel, i want something more hardy.

The golden dwarf eel does seem pretty nice, kinda cute for a monster :P

any other monsterish fish for SW that dont get big, or do, besides sharks/etc.

Corbin · #5 10-12-2011, 05:11 AM

was also looking at a Richardson moray - more of a fish eater so snails should be fine, my damsels better learn to run and not sleep. they stay around 12" also and are somewhat more aggressive

reefwars · #6 10-12-2011, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

I've had my snowflake moray for over 6 years. Its pretty close to 2'-6" and lives in a 120gal. In a 33gal it could almost reach the entire length. Maybe a golden dwarf moray would be a better fit? Any fish that is small enough to be eaten will be. Its never touched a snail of any size. I also feed it anywhere from 3 to 8 silversides or up to around 12 krill at a time depending on their sizes so filtration is another big consideration.

mine loved snails but only the babys and he would eat them shell and all ,he never touched any of the large snails but when my turbos would breed he would eat the tiny little babys that were around his lair.he also ate a very large cinnamon clown. ive been bit by him and it isnt pleasant like someopne cutting you with a steak knife, and they can be quite sneaky for escaping so a lid is a must. when mine was a baby he was in my 33 and he never grew alot as a juvie but like my old one i had once he hit the 8-9" range he started to fatten up and grow considerably and would have outgrown my 33 in a matter of no time.as juvies they are friendly and can even be fed my hand like mine was but once they are able to fit fish in their mouth and see fish as available food nothing is safe including your hands. if you have sand in your tank as juvies they are quite good at digging tunnels in and around the live rock. if your looking for a deadly or aggressive animal as a juvie a snowflake eel just isnt it im afraid lol

reefwars · #7 10-12-2011, 05:27 AM

6 yrs is quite the long time russell alot of people dont keep one past a year or less, have you been able to sex yours??

Corbin · #8 10-12-2011, 05:39 AM

yeah thats why im thinking more of a richardson moray, more aggressive stays small.
as for a lid, what do you think the best would be, good ol glass lid?
i was thinking of a steel mesh one, like ones for snake/lizards, and cutting it so its glass for most of it (as not to defuse light) and then use the mesh around back to cut room for my hang on skimmer/cords, or considering i ahve a AIO, just cut it and bend it so it dips in the water flush against the back, so then i dont have to make a lot of little cuts and would be safer.
what have you guys used?

whatcaneyedo · #9 10-12-2011, 01:49 PM

My 120gal is actually open topped. I do have a crown around the front and sides and plumbing over the back. In the 6 years I've had the eel it has never jumped out. Knock on wood. One of these days I need to make a top of some sort. I'm thinking of just using plastic mesh/chicken wire (sold at Crappy Tire) like what I've used over my frag tank to keep the wrasse from jumping out.

I guess like every fish they have their own personal habits. I've has ceriths, astrea, trochus, turbo, fighting conch, nassarious, abalone... and perhaps some other snail types. None of them were ever eaten by the eel.

Sorry I have no idea what its gender is. Is there an easy way to tell? I haven't researched into it.

If I was going to do a small predator tank I'd probably get a leafy scorpion fish Rhinopias. However they can be pretty pricy.