Chain, zebra, or snowflake eel?

[littlefoxx]

Been really looking and considering eels. Anyone know how these eels will do in a reef tank? Would be getting aquarium conditioned ones. Ive got some anthias, a baby clown triggerfish, mandarin dragonet and a juv dwarf angel. The rest of my fish are too big to be eaten besides a bi color blenny and lawmmower blenny, both live in a barnacle. Would these eels have a chance at being okay with these fish? I know it depends on the individual eel but just curious what everyones experience is. Also considering a banded snake eel, but I have a thing for moray eels

 

[blaxsun]

Everyone tells me that if it can fit in the eel... it will probably eventually end up in the eel.

 

[littlefoxx]

Everyone tells me that if it can fit in the eel... it will probably eventually end up in the eel.

Ive heard this also but I never really hear from people who own these specific eels either so Im curious if anyone keeps them with fish like the ones I listed

 

[Huff747]

I have four damsels, two Rolland’s, and two Azure, as well as a small yellow coris that have lived with a zebra eel for the last 6 months (had to combine two tanks for a bit while floors are redone) without issue.

 

[littlefoxx]

I have four damsels, two Rolland’s, and two Azure, as well as a small yellow coris that have lived with a zebra eel for the last 6 months (had to combine two tanks for a bit while floors are redone) without issue.

A cool! Is the zebra as docile as some sites claim them to be? And how big is your eel?

 

[littlefoxx]

@lion king i know you keep predators but not sure if you keep any eels?

 

[Huff747]

A cool! Is the zebra as docile as some sites claim them to be? And how big is your eel?

He’s pretty chill as far as I can tell. I never see him unless I feed frozen. Then he comes out looking for food. They definitely don’t see well. He looks like he’s going to snag every fish that comes near him when it’s feeding time but I’ve never seen him open his mouth at a fish, I think he just can’t tell it’s not food til they’re right in his face. He will hammer whatever you have on the tongs for him and sometimes grab the tongs as well and has a good grip so he’s not calm during feeding. After he gets his fill he returns to his pvc pipe.

Currently everything is in Rubbermaid tubs so I just have 2 pipes laying on the bottom he uses. So you may see them more in an actual display if you design a spot for him. But this is temporary due to new floor so I dropped 2 pipes in the bottom and basically piled my rocks in however they would fit without much design. He does not come out and swim the tank during the day like some sites say they will but if I check in after dark I’ll sometimes find him out and about. I’d guess he’s between 2&3 feet. I’ve only had him a year or maybe more, I can’t recall.

 

[littlefoxx]

He’s pretty chill as far as I can tell. I never see him unless I feed frozen. Then he comes out looking for food. They definitely don’t see well. He looks like he’s going to snag every fish that comes near him when it’s feeding time but I’ve never seen him open his mouth at a fish, I think he just can’t tell it’s not food til they’re right in his face. He will hammer whatever you have on the tongs for him and sometimes grab the tongs as well and has a good grip so he’s not calm during feeding. After he gets his fill he returns to his pvc pipe.

Currently everything is in Rubbermaid tubs so I just have 2 pipes laying on the bottom he uses. So you may see them more in an actual display if you design a spot for him. But this is temporary due to new floor so I dropped 2 pipes in the bottom and basically piled my rocks in however they would fit without much design. He does not come out and swim the tank during the day like some sites say they will but if I check in after dark I’ll sometimes find him out and about. I’d guess he’s between 2&3 feet. I’ve only had him a year or maybe more, I can’t recall.

Cool! Where did you get him?

 

[Rmckoy]

I have four damsels, two Rolland’s, and two Azure, as well as a small yellow coris that have lived with a zebra eel for the last 6 months (had to combine two tanks for a bit while floors are redone) without issue.

If I’m not mistaken zebras grow huge but prefer crabs over fish

 

[littlefoxx]

If I’m not mistaken zebras grow huge but prefer crabs over fish

Ill look up size for sure!

Edit: 5 feet!!!

 

[littlefoxx]

Sooo chain link is probably a better bet as well as snowflakes, they are 2 feet long, better for my tank as its a 125. Also open to ribbons too

 

[vetteguy53081]

Been really looking and considering eels. Anyone know how these eels will do in a reef tank? Would be getting aquarium conditioned ones. Ive got some anthias, a baby clown triggerfish, mandarin dragonet and a juv dwarf angel. The rest of my fish are too big to be eaten besides a bi color blenny and lawmmower blenny, both live in a barnacle. Would these eels have a chance at being okay with these fish? I know it depends on the individual eel but just curious what everyones experience is. Also considering a banded snake eel, but I have a thing for moray eels

You want at least a 125g tank to start out with an eel which are messy housekeepers and do best with minimal fish which can compete with it for food. Due to their feeding habits, often nitrate levels tend to be higher. IF IT CAN fit in an eel's mouth- sooner or later IT WILL.
Snowflake will be the smallest

 

[Rmckoy]

Sooo chain link is probably a better bet as well as snowflakes, they are 2 feet long, better for my tank as its a 125. Also open to ribbons too

I saw a chain link and a snowflake at the lfs .

I had a snowflake before . They grow fast and ended up eating everything smaller .

 

[PhishMonger84]

be careful, I tried two snowflakes years ago at different times both ended up in my sump- on their own accord.
I’d go zebra as they are so pretty and I’m considering one myself I believe this is a fish that’s actually pretty affordable via dr reef

 

[Huff747]

Cool! Where did you get him?

Local Fish Shop

If you go with a snowflake do you have a good lid? I tried a snowflake when I first got in the hobby. I had it temporarily in a tank with a full hood and I taped over the cutouts for cords, and taped the lid down, and still found him on the floor. Couldn't tell you to this day how he got out.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Snowflakes are great, besides the fact that adult males have sharp teeth for catching fish. Chainlinks are known to hunt on land between tidepools and are unbelievable escape artists. Zebras get a lot bigger, but are far more specialized in their feeding, almost exclusively eating crabs and other crustaceans (heard rumors they'll eat urchins, but take that with a grain of salt).

Echidna eels are most likely you best bet, same genus as snowflake and chainlink. I have always hear they're more active than the sharptooth eels, and they all stay quite a bit smaller. The Skeletor eel in my personal favorite, I've been eyeing one at my LFS.

I've heard some good things about white ribbon eels too, but they're not common.

EDIT:
This stream by Melev's Reef is great, all about eels.

 

[hoffmeyerz]

I have a snowflake eel I got as a baby the begining of this year, it was prob 8" long when I put it in the tank. Eel is in with three pajama cardinals and a pair of clowns along with crabs and snails.
Fed it off tongs right away so it now knows that's where the food is. I keep it well fed and it doesn't bother anybody, crabs crawl right up to it and it doesn't care.....now if I held the crab in the tongs it'd be a gonner! Seven months and it's about 13-15" now.
Keep in mind they stay hidden in their cave/rock/tunnel unless they're hunting or ready to eat. They gorge/fast so I feed it about every three days and give it as much as it will eat. I feed scallop, shrimp, and silversides.

 

[Slocke]

I have a snowflake, Echidna nebulosa, and had a chainlink, Echidna somethingorothero. They both have never been an issue other than with each other. The chainlink was bullied so had to be rehomed unfortunately.

This is probably as bad as it gets. Zebras are supposedly very peaceful but I don’t have experience. The only potential issue is tank size. They do get very big.

 

[Rmckoy]

A week after I got it at 8” long , he made his way down the overflow into my sump and had his nose a little too far into the return pump . He lived but had a permanent scar from that journey .
I donated my snowflake to the lfs after he ate the third baby tang I added

A week later I went to the lfs to browse . The manager said ( my eel was found in the freshwater tank sound the corner but beside their salt system he was in
He cleaned out their whole tank of fancy guppies but had to be rescued and put back in his own tank with a new secure lid .

 

[littlefoxx]

I have a snowflake, Echidna nebulosa, and had a chainlink, Echidna somethingorothero. They both have never been an issue other than with each other. The chainlink was bullied so had to be rehomed unfortunately.

This is probably as bad as it gets. Zebras are supposedly very peaceful but I don’t have experience. The only potential issue is tank size. They do get very big.

Is your snowflake aggressive with fish? Got two small anthias, mandarin, dwarf angel and blennies. My blennies either stay in a barnacle on top of the rocks or jump and “swim” from high places.