Feeding my eel video with a hungry trigger bringing up the rear

[Jason McK]

Thanks Laurie, That's giving me some Ideas

J

[Delphinus]

You absolutely need a fence like Laurie's or a cover of some kind. Strainers in your overflow are a good idea as well if you use filter socks in at the sump entry point.

They WILL escape at some point. I can't be emphatic enough on this point. You'll have to take steps to ensure that they can't get out of the tank because if the "security hole" is there they will find it. If the worst that can happen is they end up in the overflow that's better than on the floor or stuck in a filter sock getting crushed by the incoming water. Or if there's no filter sock then no worries on the strainers in the overflow since ending up in a sump swimming around is still better than the alternatives. But they will find their way out of your tank sooner or later, you have to make it so they end up not dead when they do.

Other than this point they are a nifty addition and yes Brett they are totally safe with inverts although I would question the safety of shrimp if you ended up getting a shrimp eater like mine (maybe the bigger ones would be safe enough since they can see better than the eel and move faster than the eel, but smaller ones that could be swallowed in a single bite, I'd be nervous). But to give you an example the hermits and hitchhiker xanthids in my tank fear nothing, eel included.

The other potential drawback is the cost versus enjoyment factor. These are well-paid-for fish and if they decide to be social, you're golden, but if they decide to be shy and reclusive, you could end up spending $150-200 on a fish you see at best about 5 minutes per day when they come out for feeding and nary a glimpse otherwise.

So as cool as they are (and don't get me wrong I think they are the coolest little things), they are a carefully measured choice, IMO.

(Sorry to hijack there Laurie..)

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by Jason McK

Thanks Laurie, That's giving me some Ideas

J

No problem, Sarah aka Chaloupa gave me ideas back in March 2008 http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...lden+moray+eel it took me awhile to get one but I'm so glad I did

Originally Posted by Delphinus

(Sorry to hijack there Laurie..)

I agree with what you said Tony, and no need to say sorry, it's not hijacking when you're giving useful information that goes along with the thread Besides I believe I somewhat hijacked your thread which is what prompted me to start this thread in the first place.

On a side note I also think that these eels seem less likely to jump then most other types of eels and it also seems to help when you have a big tank for them to live in. That being said I feel better about keeping one knowing I have a "fence" (top cap) around the tank and gutter guard covering the overflow. Although my jawfish managed to get past the gutter guard and he ended up in the sump, so I'm not sure how effective it really is

[Myka]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!