Eels new home

[Brandon3152134]

My eel has finally started getting to big for my 32 gallon reef. I've been keeping like 150 pounds of live rock in a 55 gallon tank from my old reef and I put it up on a new stand with the sump getting connected soon. It's real cloudy right now but it will clear up. The lights plumbing and cords all have to be arranged but it's getting somewhere and the eel will have a large enough home for the rest of its life with around 110 gallons of volume. I'm gonna run grow lights on this tank and try to from as much hair algae as possible. This will not be a reef tank so I want something to be growing on the nutrients and I think it would be cool to have a natural look in this tank. There is a few species of soft coral still on the rock from the previous reef so that might grow as well.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Oooh an algae tank, keep us posted on how it looks! What kind of eel are we talking about? Pictures?

 

[Brandon3152134]

This guy is about 9 inches and I've had him for 7 or 8 months

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Nice, what kind of tank mates will it have? I don't have any snowflakes anymore

 

[Brandon3152134]

He can be alone in there unless I find something interesting and impulse buy it lol. Dang what happened they look like old eels tho. Live a long time?

 

[Brandon3152134]

Surprisingly easy to catch the eel but he's in the big tank. No need to cycle this tank has been running for months just had to move it. I've got 2 powerful grow lights on this thing running 12 hours a day so I hope we can get some real algae growth. I don't have a lid so I am keeping the water level 6 inches below the top of the tank and it has a small ridge on it so I hope it's enough to keep him in.

 

[Brandon3152134]

It will be like a huge refugium

 

[xxkenny90xx]

He can be alone in there unless I find something interesting and impulse buy it lol. Dang what happened they look like old eels tho. Live a long time?

They were just very old. A friend of mine froze them and eventually us d them for halibut fishing bait

It will be like a huge refugium

You should look into growing some nice macro algae in there!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Surprisingly easy to catch the eel but he's in the big tank. No need to cycle this tank has been running for months just had to move it. I've got 2 powerful grow lights on this thing running 12 hours a day so I hope we can get some real algae growth. I don't have a lid so I am keeping the water level 6 inches below the top of the tank and it has a small ridge on it so I hope it's enough to keep him in.

I did lose a 4 yr old snowflake when it jumped out of the tank. And I've witnessed a pretty big one climb out of a half full 5g bucket. I'd look into getting a lid...

 

[Brandon3152134]

I'm going to lowes for some plumbing for the sump the lip is just temporary when I get some plumbing parts I'll grab a 48 by 24 inch peice of plexiglass. It's clear and I used it for my reef to keep him in and it was great.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Got home from work and he has found a cave for himself in the rocks. Ate a good sized silverside because I haven't feed him in a few days so he would go into my trap easier. But he's nice and full now

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Good call on the lid, it's a horrible feeling to find an eel dried up on the floor. Plexi will work but tends to get salty and bent up. I made my lids out of window screen bar and clear plastic mesh from eBay (brs has it too). Also I found long ago that it is cheaper and healthier to ditch the silversides and go get some clams, shrimp, mussels, squid, octopus, salmon, ect from the Asian supermarket.

 

[Brandon3152134]

I give him silver sides, krill, publix shrimp, as his main diete and the occasional minnows and small crabs from the beach when I go. He goes nuts for crabs. I might see about finding a screen lid because your 100% right on the bending of the plexiglass I'd have to flip it over all the time or it would start to dip into the water.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I give him silver sides, krill, publix shrimp, as his main diete and the occasional minnows and small crabs from the beach when I go. He goes nuts for crabs. I might see about finding a screen lid because your 100% right on the bending of the plexiglass I'd have to flip it over all the time or it would start to dip into the water.

Nice! I didn't mention crabs because I know not everyone has beach access but I used to do the same thing. Go to the beach and grab a bunch of shore crabs for the eel and puffer. I'd even freeze a tupperware full of them.

 

[Brandon3152134]

I usually take the class off. A bit cruel but I don't want the hurting my eel lol i should probably look into some more fresh food for him I don't really like frozen.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I usually take the class off. A bit cruel but I don't want the hurting my eel lol i should probably look into some more fresh food for him I don't really like frozen.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Lol he doesn't seem to mind