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Not sure how the mountain stone and the reef stone will mix but I don't want to try and make complex shapes with mountain stone.
I would be very cautious using the mountain stone. The last time I used freshwater stone (lava, slate, seiryu, etc.) in a marine system, it never left the diatom phase. @EverydayAquarist also has issues with lava rock in his display:


In any case, I am excited to see where you take this system! Following!

Open to suggestions too
My knowledge on eel compatibility is quite limited, but here are some suggestions:
Dead man's fingers (Codium sp.): very "eel-like" in my opinion. This is a hardy green macroalgae that grows slowly and has minimal requirements. Highly inedible, even for herbivores.
Adult engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia): fits the eel theme.
Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes sp.): Can consume very small fish though would make for an interesting sand-sifter as they bury themselves. Salty Bottom Reef Company has what appears to be a hogchoker sole (Trinectes maculatus) labeled as Bothus lunatus.
 
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I would be very cautious using the mountain stone. The last time I used freshwater stone (lava, slate, seiryu, etc.) in a marine system, it never left the diatom phase.
Hmm. Well I guess we'll see. My original though was lava rock but I saw that everyday aquarist video and assumed that it was the porous and varied nature of lava rock that did it. Thus I turned to the seriyu stone as it seemed a very hard rock that hopefully wouldn't leach into the water. But who knows, I'm no geologist.

My knowledge on eel compatibility is quite limited, but here are some suggestions:
Dead man's fingers (Codium sp.): very "eel-like" in my opinion. This is a hardy green macroalgae that grows slowly and has minimal requirements. Highly inedible, even for herbivores.
Adult engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia): fits the eel theme.
Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes sp.): Can consume very small fish though would make for an interesting sand-sifter as they bury themselves. Salty Bottom Reef Company has what appears to be a hogchoker sole (Trinectes maculatus) labeled as Bothus lunatus.
I love the macro suggestion, that would look really great!

I'm holding off on any bottom dwellers as snake eels are bottom fish who like to hunt and live in the sand. Much as I like engineer gobies I worry they may become live food. I really do like those flatfish though.....
 
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tempImage1uImCe.png

It's got water!
Though these lights are awful (came with tank) the creepy look is actually quite thematic.

I've got a couple more coral rocks to go in. I think to blend in the two types of rocks I'm thinking of getting some branches.https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/branch-liferock-dry-live-rock-caribsea.html
 
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Adult engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia): fits the eel theme.
Much as I like engineer gobies I worry they may become live food.
Whoops. I've seen both the juveniles and the adults and seen both of them labeled as engineer gobies. But not until this exact moment have I realized that they are the same beast. :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

You're right I should consider an engineer goby if I can get an adult. Or maybe raise some... in one of my other tanks and then transfer. Thanks again for the suggestion>
 

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I like what you're trying to do here but to be honest that house cat needs a 225g minimum.. I hope you've upgraded it's housing. It really should be kept indoors exclusively due to predation.

No but really, I thoroughly enjoyed this thread. I've always loved eels, just dont have the room to get them myseelf.
 
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I like what you're trying to do here but to be honest that house cat needs a 225g minimum.. I hope you've upgraded it's housing. It really should be kept indoors exclusively due to predation.
Haha! That's Fred aka trouble. We call her trouble for a reason, not least because of how she gets into everything.
 
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I've swapped filters so that my established filter is hopefully superseding the cycle. On top of that I got some live sand and transferred some bio media and rock. Put in some GSP last night and it's already fully open and happy. I think my tank will be ready for fish pretty soon with all that considered.
My knowledge on eel compatibility is quite limited, but here are some suggestions:
Dead man's fingers (Codium sp.): very "eel-like" in my opinion. This is a hardy green macroalgae that grows slowly and has minimal requirements. Highly inedible, even for herbivores.
Adult engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia): fits the eel theme.
Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes sp.): Can consume very small fish though would make for an interesting sand-sifter as they bury themselves. Salty Bottom Reef Company has what appears to be a hogchoker sole (Trinectes maculatus) labeled as Bothus lunatus.
Speaking of which this LFS I went to for the sand had an interesting deal on a couple adult engineer gobies ironically. I was looking for chalk bass as my first fish but those seem fairly unavailable right now.
 

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I've swapped filters so that my established filter is hopefully superseding the cycle. On top of that I got some live sand and transferred some bio media and rock. Put in some GSP last night and it's already fully open and happy. I think my tank will be ready for fish pretty soon with all that considered.

Speaking of which this LFS I went to for the sand had an interesting deal on a couple adult engineer gobies ironically. I was looking for chalk bass as my first fish but those seem fairly unavailable right now.
exciting times, filter swap and live sand is sure to ramp up the cycle, GSP is a great choice, our zenia and gsp is going great guns and we are only using crap lights, so well pleased, some softy morphs etc are also a nice look,
 
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exciting times, filter swap and live sand is sure to ramp up the cycle, GSP is a great choice, our zenia and gsp is going great guns and we are only using crap lights, so well pleased, some softy morphs etc are also a nice look,
This GSP rock has survived so much. I got it amongst a bunch of other rocks not knowing it was coral when I first started and just left it in a bucket for days. Its a tough coral.
 

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What's the minimum tank size for a cat?
You know what would be funny? You could try to add a lone, adult eel catfish (heh… eels) to the aquarium but these do not seem very common and they are venomous (assuming my logic is correct, the eels might accidentally poison themselves by swimming into the catfish’s fins). Columbian shark catfish are more common and can be acclimated to saltwater from freshwater, but they are still venomous and I am not sure if adults are available in the hobby. :(
1657153492572.jpeg

 
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You know what would be funny? You could try to add a lone, adult eel catfish (heh… eels) to the aquarium but these do not seem very common and they are venomous (assuming my logic is correct, the eels might accidentally poison themselves by swimming into the catfish’s fins). Columbian shark catfish are more common and can be acclimated to saltwater from freshwater, but they are still venomous and I am not sure if adults are available in the hobby. :(
1657153492572.jpeg


Haha that would be quite the crew of fish. I do see them occasionally (small ones) but I hear they're quite aggressive. Also I think my bottom fish quota will be full unfortunately.

I do see that reefcleaners has that macro you suggested and I can get them when I get my full CUC.
 
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tempImageje0XFJ.png
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Added them this morning. About 7in each. The one on the left has been eating everything but has been otherwise quite timid hiding in holes all the time. The one on the right is a very picky eater but happily swims about the tank.

Any thoughts on what to feed?
The picky one will eat brine shrimp but this tank is too un-stocked to broadcast feed yet. It has also hesitantly eaten krill. Everything else its rejected. I've tried fresh squid, pellets, krill, and brine shrimp.
 
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Banded eel's in. It happily digs in the sand which is one reason I wanted a new tank for it. Last tank had special grade and the eel struggled to dig. This tank has Fiji pink which is far softer and finer (also it rinses far better and easier). It also uses the pipes on the bottom.

tempImagefJBOMa.png

Can you spot the eel? I did realize I have over 3ft in fish in here and yet you can't see any of it most of the time.

The gold spot won't be added for a while as I want to fatten up the banded and that's difficult with both as the gold is a hog.
 
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nice work, looks great, they will love it
Thanks. Just going to add some more purple branch rocks to complete the look. The banded is already acting much happier with it being able to dig. Nothings used the big pipes at the back yet but hopefully the morays will.

tempImagevPPYTr.png


 

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Thanks. Just going to add some more purple branch rocks to complete the look. The banded is already acting much happier with it being able to dig. Nothings used the big pipes at the back yet but hopefully the morays will.

tempImagevPPYTr.png



looks awesome, im sure at night and with time they will be in and out of it,
 

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