Chainlink moray tank size

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

A lot of people says that this eel needs 50 G or less, but others say it's +100 G, which is the minimun tank size?

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

Ok, maybe this is confusing, so what I want to ask is that which is the minimung tank size for a chainlink eel, since some websites say that is 30 G or more (which I greatly doubt) and others say that is +100 G

 

[Hugh Mann]

If you go by the 1" per gallon rule of thumb, then a 30 would technically suffice. However the bioload would be huge and would need an insane level of filtration to maintain decent water. My lfs has had a dragon moray about that size in roughly a 30 gallon for several months now. Can't even stretch out its full length.

I am far from an eel expert, but I would think, depending on the other stocked fish, a 55 would do, but again, your filtration would have to be amazing. I kept a 14" greyfaced moray in a 55 FowLR with only a few other fish and my nitrates, with a 10% weekly WC, sit about 60.

Same eel is currently happy and content alone in a 30 gallon, but DAILY 10% changes keep the nitrates hovering at ~60.

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

Wow, that's a lot of maintainance even for a eel, any alternative eel that will do well on a ~57 G tank not counting snowflake eel or golden dwarf?

 

[Hugh Mann]

Mind you I don't run a fuge or skimmer, but you'd have to run both for sure if you wanted nitrates low enough to consider a reef.

Unfortunately I do not, sorry. Even my greyfaced will force me to upgrade to a huge tank, as it grows up to 4'. It looked exactly like a GDM at the lfs I swear...

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

Well, I think If I want an eel I will need to buy either the snowflake or the Caribbean Chestnut Eel (good luck finding one), since they are the only 2 eels that can be kepth in a ~57 G tank without being crazily hard to maintain (I will eventually get a snowflake since the CCE is the most hard to find of almost every eel)

Happy reefing!

 

[flabryth]

A lot of people says that this eel needs 50 G or less, but others say it's +100 G, which is the minimun tank size?

30 would be ok for a single animal with next to no tankmates. I have about a 5 inch baby in my 75 gallon and I only see it when it is looking to be fed, its a baby so I can expect it to spend most of its time hiding. Eels as per say are not really active animals as we normally define the term. They perch a lot and look cool most of the time...when my snowflake eel that had for 6 years came out to swim it took down the locations of the emerald crabs so she could come back and eat them later. I would say 55 should be the smallest I would go just because I would like to give the guy space to move about and different caves to live in as it sees fit.

 

[coreytrv]

Ignoring the arbitrary “gallon” rule. What space / environment does the Moray eel actually need?

Is lateral space, like a Tang? Would tall rock work be OK?

Trying to see if my 400 gallon tall, which is 40 x 40 x 72 tall is acceptable.