Banded Snake Eel help

[Chrisv.]

It was active a couple hours yesterday up until I fed it. (I was trying to feed it sooner but Petsmart decided to take forever to tell me I couldn't have their ghost shrimp because "they need a couple days to acclimate to our tanks before we can see them".) But so far its schedule during the day is a few hours of nothing followed by 5-10 minutes of swimming/foraging on the sand, repeat. But at night it is very active.

I'm looking at a bigger tank but I do have weight and money restrictions but I'm hoping to get something within a couple months. I'm looking at a 90 gallon right now or a larger acrylic. That would be when I'd look more into substrate too. I'm thinking I look at garden eel care guides for substrate suggestions?

I'm also thinking about tank mates once I upgrade. My LFS kept it with several other eels, ribbons, snowflakes, and another BSE, and never had any problems. He suggested a zebra eel as being the best eel due to its lack of aggression. His other suggestions was one of the more peaceful pufferfish.

I know these could just be sacrificial offerings, but I'm extremely curious to know how it does with small peaceful fish. The videos of them online make me think they might be disinclined to pounce on a fish mid water column unless very hungry.

I'd love to see how they did with a salt acclimated freshwater molly added to the tank as a trial. A Molly would have the benefit of not being a potential disease vector, and is captive bred and cheap, so if it becomes a snack, it's ok.

Personally I would not be inclined to make this a traditional predator tank. The eel is pretty derpy and a puffer could do some serious damage. Maybe.

I'm sure it will be fine in the smaller tank for now as long as you keep up with the water chemistry and don't add a whole ton of other fish.

 

[lion king]

Good ideas; if you can swing a 6' tank that would be great, and a finer substrate is a good plan. Other than the dogface puffer, puffer can be notorious nippers, and bothersome. Look into the small tangs.

I think their habits are in line with eels in the sense they get more active at night. People do restrict them in tank size thinking they are just going to be tucked away in hole all the time. The cruising during the day is likely hunting. It's fine to spoil them a bit with food in the beginning, they have likely been underfed for a while. Eventually try to get into the gorge/fast feeding cycle and see if he responds. Species that eat this way in the that are fed too frequently can develop fatty liver disease. I can't definitively answer if that is his natural feeding cycle, but it does make sense, all other eels and even land snakes eat that way.

 

[Slocke]

I know these could just be sacrificial offerings, but I'm extremely curious to know how it does with small peaceful fish. The videos of them online make me think they might be disinclined to pounce on a fish mid water column unless very hungry.

I'd love to see how they did with a salt acclimated freshwater molly added to the tank as a trial. A Molly would have the benefit of not being a potential disease vector, and is captive bred and cheap, so if it becomes a snack, it's ok.

Personally I would not be inclined to make this a traditional predator tank. The eel is pretty derpy and a puffer could do some serious damage. Maybe.

I'm sure it will be fine in the smaller tank for now as long as you keep up with the water chemistry and don't add a whole ton of other fish.

Yeah, my experience from freshwater is that puffers are obnoxious nippers and none of those grew into giants. But that's what the LFS suggested and also a fish my friend thinks is "super cute".

I doubt it the eel would go after anything larger than its head. It seems quite placid. What about other eels? I do love the look of zebras.

 

[lion king]

Just be reminded that the zebra gets huge so you would definitely need a 6' tank, i usually recommend a 180g for a zebra. Really any of the pebble tooths will be fine.

 

[Slocke]

Just be reminded that the zebra gets huge so you would definitely need a 6' tank, i usually recommend a 180g for a zebra. Really any of the pebble tooths will be fine.

That is big. A snowflake is sounding a much better option.

Feeding again today and it is now eating salmon. But it only eats small pieces and struggles with anything larger even the medium large krill. It is also not finding the food easily and often misses bites or bites other things accidentally.

 

[lion king]

It's great he is eating salmon, a very important ingredient in a dead diet. They also need some bone, shells, and guts in some form. Hikari silversides might be worth a try. The way he is eating reminds me a bit of a ribbon eel, try slicing slivers the width and thickness that can easily fight into their mouth, the length can be an inch or two, he'll work it down his throat. Here;s a write up I di on the ribbon eel.

The chronicles of a Rhinomuraena quaesita

Aka the black ribbon eel in the juvenile form, the blue ribbon eel in the male form, and the green ribbon eel in the female form. This is another notoriously difficult fish to keep, I've had some success with one and would like to share my observations. I've witnessed a couple friends and other...

www.reef2reef.com

Here's a cool alternative to a snowflake, not seen as often.

Yellow Spotted Moray 'Skeletor' Eel: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

www.liveaquaria.com

 

[Slocke]

That skeletor is a beautiful eel. I was not aware the blue and black ribbons were the same species.
I'll use the silverside suggestion though I think he'll struggle to eat whole ones at least at first. I like the idea of a varied diet.

 

[lion king]

I would slice the silversides into slivers he can get down. Slice them when they are still frozen and it;s easy, this is how the ribbons would eat them. Once he settles in he will likely get more aggressive in eating, I used the rule of thumb of the width of their eyes, in width and thickness.

 

[Slocke]

Should have cut this bit of squid in half but it was quite entertaining watching it try to eat it. As I said earlier it has a much smaller mouth than morays (from what I've seen) and I'm still surprised how small the pieces have to be for it to eat it without struggle.

 

[lion king]

Have you seen this one, I wonder if different species in the same genus can live together,

Goldspotted Snake Eel (Myrichthys ocellatus) | Caribbean Tropicals

Goldspotted eels are a "false" moray. Grow to 30", we get them about once or twice a year.

www.caribbeantropicals.com

 

[Slocke]

Have you seen this one, I wonder if different species in the same genus can live together,

Goldspotted Snake Eel (Myrichthys ocellatus) | Caribbean Tropicals

Goldspotted eels are a "false" moray. Grow to 30", we get them about once or twice a year.

www.caribbeantropicals.com

That site has some very interesting fish on it and I'm certainly tempted on that eel. It got on with another banded at the fish store and seems very placid so I'd presume they'd get along. Those the blackedge eels are also very tempting.

 

[lion king]

That site has some very interesting fish on it and I'm certainly tempted on that eel. It got on with another banded at the fish store and seems very placid so I'd presume they'd get along. Those the blackedge eels are also very tempting.

The black edged can get nasty.

 

[Chrisv.]

I'd still love to see how a black Molly does with this guy. I'm curious how willing they are to take a fish from the water column.

Fantastic that you have him on squid. I'd say this is a win!

 

[Slocke]

The black edged can get nasty.

AH. Still very interesting site I've been going through it for a while now.

I'd still love to see how a black Molly does with this guy. I'm curious how willing they are to take a fish from the water column.

Fantastic that you have him on squid. I'd say this is a win!

I'll do it at some point but I doubt it. Its got downward facing nostrils and its eyesight is absolutely awful so I suspect its a bottom and substrate hunter mostly like in that video you sent me.

 

[Chrisv.]

AH. Still very interesting site I've been going through it for a while now.

I'll do it at some point but I doubt it. Its got downward facing nostrils and its eyesight is absolutely awful so I suspect its a bottom and substrate hunter mostly like in that video you sent me.

I would absolutely love to have one of these in a big reef tank. I would of course need a big reef tank first. But I could just imagine one of these being incredible in a 72x32x25 peninsula that I will be probably never own.

 

[Slocke]

I know the feeling. I originally got into this hobby after hearing about the epaulette shark. Maybe someday...

 

[Slocke]

It's great he is eating salmon, a very important ingredient in a dead diet. They also need some bone, shells, and guts in some form. Hikari silversides might be worth a try. The way he is eating reminds me a bit of a ribbon eel, try slicing slivers the width and thickness that can easily fight into their mouth, the length can be an inch or two, he'll work it down his throat. Here;s a write up I di on the ribbon eel.

The chronicles of a Rhinomuraena quaesita

Aka the black ribbon eel in the juvenile form, the blue ribbon eel in the male form, and the green ribbon eel in the female form. This is another notoriously difficult fish to keep, I've had some success with one and would like to share my observations. I've witnessed a couple friends and other...

www.reef2reef.com

Here's a cool alternative to a snowflake, not seen as often.

Yellow Spotted Moray 'Skeletor' Eel: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

www.liveaquaria.com

Noticed live aquaria has some of those skeletor eels for sale on their divers den. When you say pebble toothed eels are those eels within the echidna genus?

 

[Slocke]

Noticed live aquaria has some of those skeletor eels for sale on their divers den. When you say pebble toothed eels are those eels within the echidna genus?

And a gold spotted snake eel. I've had a terrible experience with LA but I have heard their divers den is far better.

 

[lion king]

Noticed live aquaria has some of those skeletor eels for sale on their divers den. When you say pebble toothed eels are those eels within the echidna genus?

Yes those are pebble tooths and a fine eel. I don't like either of those suppliers. Check with your lfs, if he's getting snake eels and ribbon eels, I'm sure he could find you a skeletor. A gold spotted may have to just be put on a wish list, they don't come around that often. Ask your lfs if they have seen them offered at their suppliers.

 

[Slocke]

Yeah that's probably the best plan. Also my LFS sells at a far more reasonable price and yet their creatures are far more healthy then anything I've gotten from LA.