Eel like fish

[Carmal]

I really love eels and I’m quite new and i plan on getting a 50 gallon and turning it into a saltwater, I plan on getting a pair of clownfish and 1 or 2 firefish gobys. I love snowflake eels but they will eat the fish, and I also love the garden eels but they are supposedly really hard. I have seen engineer gobies and i just want to know if there is anything else. I think the gobies are cool but I’m a little eh on them until I have seen them IRL. So what are some peaceful, semi easy-moterate eel like fish that would be good for a 50 gallon tank( other than the engineer gobies)?

Thanks in advance and all info is welcome! I am unable to respond to posts and post messages so just to let you know, I really appreciate responses and tips!

 

[85173]

Have a look into the Midas Blenny. Or if you're up for providing more advanced care, pipefish.

 

[Eddie Rogers]

My lfs always garden eel’s, they stay small

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Golden dwarf moray. Can be very hard to feed sometimes, but are usually "fish safe." Small firefish, blennies and gobys may become a meal, but I've had a hi fin goby and a tail spot blenny with mine until they died of some other unknown cause.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

If you can keep up a population of pods, maybe a pipefish..

 

[Kremis]

garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

 

[SashimiTurtle]

garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

What do you feed? Target?

 

[csb123]

Engineer gobies are very eel like. My wife won’t let me get one because they are too “snakey.”

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Curious wormfish and pike blenny are eel-like.

 

[Kremis]

What do you feed? Target?

i feed mysis/brine/blended frozen shrimps and fish eggs

if you try to target feed they will hide, you have to make sure the flow carries food over the sand bed so they are able to eat

 

[Jlentz]

garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

What kind of flow can they handle? How deep is the dsb? Is 4” deep enough?

 

[Kremis]

What kind of flow can they handle? How deep is the dsb? Is 4” deep enough?

I have mine in low flow, and sand bed is 4-5 inches deep. the eels themselves are 12+ inches but they just go out horizontally once they reach the bottom of the tank

 

[Ironwill723]

I second the engineer goby suggestion.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Another option might be some kind of jaw fish...

 

[tank o tang]

Blue spotted Jawfish are neat little fish. All you ever see of mine is it' head poking out unless it is feeding time. Then he'll swim out and dart back in.

 

[LetItReef]

maybe?
https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/400314/blue-gudgeon-dartfish-trio

 

[Forsaken77]

I don't know. Personally, I don't think there are any type of obtainable eel-like fish. The ones mentioned, besides the actual eels, aren't comparable in any way. I would say a freshwater snakehead or barracuda or some types of African Cichlids, but nothing close you could get for a saltwater tank.

The pipefish is an elongated fish, but is basically like a striaght sea horse, lol, and hard to care for.

Maybe a brackish Gar that you can transition to saltwater?

 

[135zman]

2nd a Midas Blenny.

 

[Pat Clark]

3 vote for Engineer goby.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Engineer goby - Love mine