Eels in a reef aquarium

lion king

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The importance of an observation tank. To observe and manage disease, eels come in with internal parasites frequently, really small ones not so much. To establish feeding and a feeding routine. Some eels may be difficult to initially feed, and it can become very difficult and sometimes impossible if initially put into the display. To establish a dead diet and the routine for feedings; this trains the eel, what is food, they will recognize what is food and will not recognize tank mates in the display as food.
 
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Small eels need more frequent feeding, 2 or 3 times a week is fine, an 8" eel every other day. As they mature feedings should go to once a week or so, you start to spread out feedings as they grow. Properly fed eels grow very fast, usually reaching full grown in an average of 1.5 years from under a foot. Over time eels will show you their metabolic balance by becoming more active, hunting in a sense, when they are hungry and ready to be fed. It's best to let them cruise for a day before feeding. You feed them their full, they will continue to take food until they are full, then they retreat into their dens. The best success you will have is to always start your research in the wild, and pay attention to how long and what conditions the hobbyist has provided. Tank size, introduction size, acclimation(did they use an observation tank), how long in the tank, size and species of other tank mates, and so on. The ones mentioning small tanks will not have success.
When hes hunting wouldn't he try to get the small fish or will he be fine till the next when I feed him? And is that why alot of people have snowflake eel eat there smaller fish like clownfish and wrasses? I've done alot of research on keeping eels in a reef tank just wanna make sure what I know is correct.
 
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Lavabrine ninja

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The importance of an observation tank. To observe and manage disease, eels come in with internal parasites frequently, really small ones not so much. To establish feeding and a feeding routine. Some eels may be difficult to initially feed, and it can become very difficult and sometimes impossible if initially put into the display. To establish a dead diet and the routine for feedings; this trains the eel, what is food, they will recognize what is food and will not recognize tank mates in the display as food.
The snowflake eels at the lfs hes had em for about a week or so and there eating good.
 

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If you’re going for the look of an eel, but worried about your livestock too much, don’t forget about engineer gobies. Great eel mimic without the fear.
 

lion king

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The snowflake eels at the lfs hes had em for about a week or so and there eating good.

Still ignore the last sentence and wonder why an eel from capture less than a month might eat their small fish. Put an eel large enough to eat your small fish and wonder why. Many eels will have a reset when moved and their feeding routine will need to be reset, and it doesn't give opportunity to observe for disease. Take shortcuts then blame the eel when they recognize their tank mates as food, like their nature in the wild.
 
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Lavabrine ninja

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Still ignore the last sentence and wonder why an eel from capture less than a month might eat their small fish. Put an eel large enough to eat your small fish and wonder why. Many eels will have a reset when moved and their feeding routine will need to be reset, and it doesn't give opportunity to observe for disease. Take shortcuts then blame the eel when they recognize their tank mates as food, like their nature in the wild.
I have a 10g qt. But if I wanna get a snowflake eel I'll have a better chance of success with a smaller eel. And I do have a "acclimation box" made out of 1x1 egg crates. I can put the eel in the while hes in the tank.
 

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The way an lfs feeds eels and other predators, for the most part, is not an adequate feeding method. They tendto squirt some mysis or such into the water column, and you see them snatch a fee morsals, anx they "see they are eating". Or they drop some krill in the tank and one snatches up a chunk, that's not how they will survive. They need to be target fed, and oh yeah, krill kills. The #1 most deadly food to feed your eel or other predators; krill contains a very high amount of thiaminese, which binds vitamin B1 and will prove deadly within months to rarely more than a year.

An eel will go right through an eggcrate.
 
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Lavabrine ninja

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The way an lfs feeds eels and other predators, for the most part, is not an adequate feeding method. They tendto squirt some mysis or such into the water column, and you see them snatch a fee morsals, anx they "see they are eating". Or they drop some krill in the tank and one snatches up a chunk, that's not how they will survive. They need to be target fed, and oh yeah, krill kills. The #1 most deadly food to feed your eel or other predators; krill contains a very high amount of thiaminese, which binds vitamin B1 and will prove deadly within months to rarely more than a year.

An eel will go right through an eggcrate.
I feed mysis and brine shrimp to everyone else and have frozen shrimp to feed the eel
 

GARRIGA

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If iirc the snowflake eels at the lfs are under a ft but I could be wrong. I do plan on feeding the eel every day or every other day. But what is a good way to prevent the eel from trying to go after small fish? I do prefer getting the eel smaller
No way of knowing with any particular fish or people how they will behave. Unfortunately only trying will figure it out. I’d find something where their mouth can capture your smallest.

Just purchased some Hikari Massivore Delite. It’s for large predatory fish. Going to see if I can feed them this instead of shrimp. Perhaps keeping them well fed will keep them from getting interested in occupants. Plus this will keep my Nassarius happy until needed when something perishes or run out of detritus to eat.
 
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Lavabrine ninja

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No way of knowing with any particular fish or people how they will behave. Unfortunately only trying will figure it out. I’d find something where their mouth can capture your smallest.

Just purchased some Hikari Massivore Delite. It’s for large predatory fish. Going to see if I can feed them this instead of shrimp. Perhaps keeping them well fed will keep them from getting interested in occupants. Plus this will keep my Nassarius happy until needed when something perishes or run out of detritus to eat.
There was some frogfish, ghost eel, and I think a damsel in the tank with the baby snowflake eels
 

ThatReefer96

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I've heard of snowflake eat all the fish in a reef tank
I've had my snow flake for 2 years he's about 20+ inches he hasn't touched a single fish and I have him in a community tank with fish 1 inch all the way up to 8 inches. I've seen my 1 inch damsel slap him in the face with his tail multiple time believe it or not and he didn't touch them the fish even take shrimp away from him and he just searches for it. Ive had him since he was about 6 inches though. I think as long as you get them young and get them used to only shrimp and clams it would work out. I guess it all depends on the eels temperament. It's definitely not true that snowflake eels eat anything that can fit in there mouth. Mine only eats shrimp and clams tried giving him dead fish he didn't want nothing to do with them.
 

Wtyson254

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Banann Eel, thought likely will go after small fish. Mine is about 14” now, up from 9 when I got him on sept.

I feed him silversides, squid (from Whole Foods, soaked in Selcon), Mysis, and whatever is in reef frenzy.
 

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blaxsun

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Apologies for resurrecting the thread, but I may have an opportunity to snag a small (8" length) ghost/white ribbon eel.

I have a 160-gallon display with a very low rock profile and umpteen caves, crevices, etc. for an eel to take up shop. I've got a wide array of other fish (36), the vast majority above 2" in length (the smallest would be a striped dottyback and royal gramma (1.5" length). Mixed reef and fairly peaceful.

Other than a secure lid, is there anything else I need to be prepared for? Is this a good choice for a first (and probably only) eel?

 

Fishfreak2009

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Apologies for resurrecting the thread, but I may have an opportunity to snag a small (8" length) ghost/white ribbon eel.

I have a 160-gallon display with a very low rock profile and umpteen caves, crevices, etc. for an eel to take up shop. I've got a wide array of other fish (36), the vast majority above 2" in length (the smallest would be a striped dottyback and royal gramma (1.5" length). Mixed reef and fairly peaceful.

Other than a secure lid, is there anything else I need to be prepared for? Is this a good choice for a first (and probably only) eel?

My old one was great until he hit about 24", then started eating all his fish tankmates. He ate an ocellaris clown pair, a sixline wrasse, a lubbocks fairy wrasse, 2 firefish, a yellow watchman goby, and a bicolor blenny. Only thing he didn't eat was the red Japanese pistol shrimp and the pair of bluestripe pipefish. Tankmates slowly disappeared.

Traded him in when we tore the tank down. Went to someone with a bunch of tangs and no small fish.
 

blaxsun

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My old one was great until he hit about 24", then started eating all his fish tankmates. He ate an ocellaris clown pair, a sixline wrasse, a lubbocks fairy wrasse, 2 firefish, a yellow watchman goby, and a bicolor blenny. Only thing he didn't eat was the red Japanese pistol shrimp and the pair of bluestripe pipefish. Tankmates slowly disappeared.

Traded him in when we tore the tank down. Went to someone with a bunch of tangs and no small fish.
How long did it take him to hit 24" in length? My guestimate based on the video I took is that he's currently around 8" in length.
 

Fishfreak2009

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How long did it take him to hit 24" in length? My guestimate based on the video I took is that he's currently around 8" in length.
Less than 2 years. He only ever ate live ghost shrimp, live fiddler crabs, and live guppies, until he started eating tankmates. Never managed to get him onto prekilled food.
 

blaxsun

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Less than 2 years. He only ever ate live ghost shrimp, live fiddler crabs, and live guppies, until he started eating tankmates. Never managed to get him onto prekilled food.
Do you think if I got him hooked on mysis that would make any difference, or is it a case of born a predator - always a predator?
 

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