Garden Eels

[Cammy]

Hey everyone, I've read as much as I can so far, but looking for as much information from anyone who has kept them successfully. I work in an LFS, and 1 Heteroconger hassi was included in an import shipment (we were meant to be receiving pipefish).

Currently the lil guy/gal is a measly 4-5" long and about as thick as a shoe lace. I've bought him for now and put him in my soft coral frag tank, changing the sandbed to 4-5" so it at least matches its current length. He's survived a full quarantine and went from eating live pods/baby brine to frozen copepods, red plankton, etc.

Never thought I'd be purchasing one, nor did I think I'd be planning a setup solely around a single fish, but here we are. He couldn't stay in the store as we run 1" sandbeds or bare bottom in all the store tanks.

So would love to talk to anyone who has successfully kept them long term!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@littlefoxx @Slocke

 

[Tahoe61]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/garden-eels.377875/
A lot of good information.

 

[Slocke]

@Fishfreak2009 has some

 

[littlefoxx]

They do best in groups.

 

[Cammy]

They do best in groups.

Yeah i read this, sadly haven’t seen any available near me or on our import lists for the rest of the month. Hopefully I will be able to find some down the line

 

[Fishfreak2009]

@Fishfreak2009 has some

The short and sweet version is initially healthy specimens. Try to watch them eat before bringing them home. Keep them in groups with very peaceful tankmates, a sand bed at least 6 inches deep of finer grade sand, and lots of open sand areas with minimal rock. Feed a variety of small meaty foods frequently

Here are my 2 survivors after a 4 day power outage killed the other 2...