Eelysium

[Slocke]

Tank build specifically for the purpose of housing a variety of small eels. Though it was time to show what I'm doing with this tank and the fairly unconventional setup.


Current stock:
Fish:

• Banded snake eel 26"
• Gold spotted snake eel 25"
• Snowflake eel 15"
• Engineer gobies 10"
• Magnificent foxface 7"
• Pearscale butterfly 3"
• Regal angelfish 2.5"
• Zebra angelfish 4"
• Red coris wrasse 3"
• Melanarus wrasse 4"
• Dragon wrasse 3"
• Bluestreak cleaner wrasse 2"
• Falco hawk 3"
• Maroon clownfish 3.5"
• Volitan lionfish 3"
• Lunare wrasse 2”

Inverts:

• 2 Gray scaly brittle stars
• Trochus snail
• Mexican turbos
• Tuxedo urchins
• Rock urchins

Corals

• Green star polyps
• Red rhodactis mushrooms
• Purple nepthea
• Pandora zoas

Tank is a 125 gallon (~6'x1.5'x2') undrilled tank

What's the minimum tank size for a cat?

Using silicone to attach pipework and egg crate to the back of the tank. The pipe is for the eels; the egg crate for anchoring the background.

Added the rocks (black mountain seriyu) and put down the first layer of expanding foam.

 

[shakacuz]

looking good!

 

[Slocke]

Stocking plans:
Banded snake eel
Goldspotted snake eel
Few Bellus Angelfish (already have the two above eels and a bellus)
Snowflake eel
Skeletor eel

Maybes:
Briseltooth tang
Foxface
Group of chalk bass
Soft corals like GSP and xenia
Diamond goby

Open to suggestions too

 

[Slocke]

looking good!

Thanks!

Though I'd disagree at the moment :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:. But hopefully once I've finished the foam and cut it down to size it will be.

 

[shakacuz]

Thanks!

Though I'd disagree at the moment :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:. But hopefully once I've finished the foam and cut it down to size it will be.

the initial process always looks wonky but i can still see where you’re trying to take it. i’ve used the foam with my gecko tank

 

[Slocke]

the initial process always looks wonky but i can still see where you’re trying to take it. i’ve used the foam with my gecko tank

Nice!
Obviously I'm trying to use it and the rocks to hide the pipes and make it look more natural. The rocks go darker when wet so I'm hoping they blend together well.

 

[Goodair]

If you want more eels, I'd prob add more pvc tunnels that are separate under the sand, with 45s facing up.

 

[Slocke]

If you want more eels, I'd prob add more pvc tunnels that are separate under the sand, with 45s facing up.

In total there will be 18ft of pipe. 6ft of 2” which is what I attached to the back wall.
Then the rest of the piping, 3/4” and 1”, will be buried in the sand.
You can kinda see the 1” in the first two pictures and the 3/4” is in with the current eels and will be moved later!

 

[Goodair]

Ah cool, I thought it was the same pipe, but looking back I can see it's not the same, haha!
Good luck with the rest of the build, so far it looks good. If you got lights, you can do soft corals to kinda hide the pvc edges without much maintenance. Something like what I did with mine, don't mind the dirty glass. On the left the nems and zoas completely hide the entrance

 

[Slocke]

Ah cool, I thought it was the same pipe, but looking back I can see it's not the same, haha!
Good luck with the rest of the build, so far it looks good. If you got lights, you can do soft corals to kinda hide the pvc edges without much maintenance. Something like what I did with mine, don't mind the dirty glass. On the left the nems and zoas completely hide the entrance

I certainly can't see any pipes! And yeah I'm not sure yet but it is tempting to let GSP just take this over. I have a reef tank already So I just want something unique with this one.

 

[Karen00]

I didn't know there were aquatic cats in the hobby. I want one of those! LOL This looks like it will be a great setup for eels (and cats apparently). :-)

 

[Goodair]

One benefit is you don't have to worry about seeing the ugly algae growing on rocks once it's covered in softies. Your tank is gonna be nutrient heavy for sure.

 

[Slocke]

I didn't know there were aquatic cats in the hobby. I want one of those! LOL This looks like it will be a great setup for eels (and cats apparently). :)

They're already best of chums HAHA!

 

[Karen00]

They're already best of chums HAHA!

That is hilarious!!! That's a beautiful eel (and cat). :-)

 

[Slocke]

I've stress and fiddled with it long enough time to accept it for what it is. Not sure how I feel about it but I guess this is a trial tank. 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.

Next:

• a good rinse out
• Partial sand
• Pipes and cycled rock
• rest of sand
• saltwater

 

[Slocke]

Can't wait to see them in a big tank!!

 

[Slocke]

Added 75% of the sand. Think I'll add the rest once everything set up and I'm about to add the eels. That way I can transfer then cover the pipes currently in the eel tank.

 

[Lavey29]

Really cool build but I'm curious with a variety of eels in the tank how do they coexist with small fish? Aren't eels considered more predator side of livestock? I think it would look cool though having them peering out from caves in a reef tank with fish.

 

[Slocke]

Really cool build but I'm curious with a variety of eels in the tank how do they coexist with small fish? Aren't eels considered more predator side of livestock? I think it would look cool though having them peering out from caves in a reef tank with fish.

So far my experience with snake eels suggests that they are only a danger to things they can get in their relatively small mouths. They currently live with a small angelfish and they get along just fine. The moray eels are both pebble toothed eels so they primarily eat crustaceans and are about as fish safe as you can get. Nothing in their tank will be bite size so hopefully will be safe.
And even with larger predatory eels. If you keep them well fed their often good. Take a look at this awesome tank from @The Salty Reefer for example: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/big-eel-tank-set-up.890783/
(a tank that inspired me btw)

 

[The Salty Reefer]

So far my experience with snake eels suggests that they are only a danger to things they can get in their relatively small mouths. They currently live with a small angelfish and they get along just fine. The moray eels are both pebble toothed eels so they primarily eat crustaceans and are about as fish safe as you can get. Nothing in their tank will be bite size so hopefully will be safe.
And even with larger predatory eels. If you keep them well fed their often good. Take a look at this awesome tank from @The Salty Reefer for example: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/big-eel-tank-set-up.890783/
(a tank that inspired me btw)

Thanks for the kind words, and loving your tank and how its come along. One of the most common questions I get is about the Eel eating the fish, as as @Slocke has stated depending on what Eels you have will allow you to make some good decisions on how you stock the tank. The Feeding regime also has a major bearing on my Tank :)
Looking forward in following along