My dream eel finally!

[ladyfuzz2518]

Oh yes I love Nebby. Shes my zebra, always coiled up in her rock. Very sweet eel. But she is huge. Shes probably just over the 3 foot mark now and super thick. I loved them too so I upgraded my 125 gallon to the 300 and got her! Here she is. The second picture is her in her cave with Ghost, my snowflake. You can see how small Ghost is compered to Nebby. Ghost is also fully grown. Nebby isnt full grown yet

Wow! Such beauties!

Yeah, I will rethink the zebra for now. I'll find another more compatible for what I have.

Maybe one day.

 

[ladyfuzz2518]

Ive kept puffers with eels, no issues. However most puffers get way too big for a 150 gallon. You could do some of the tiny puffers. They get like 3-5 inches total.

I'll look into this then! A mini puffer may be the middle ground!

 

[littlefoxx]

I'll look into this then! A mini puffer may be the middle ground!

just keep an eye, some puffers can start to be nippy with eels and you might have to get rid of it. Ivar (my jeweled moray) did kill a stars and stripes puffer. He went for the same food as him and Ivar really messed him up. He died from the injuries. Also something to think about. Ivar is my most aggressive eel. He will eat small fish as well.

 

[ladyfuzz2518]

just keep an eye, some puffers can start to be nippy with eels and you might have to get rid of it. Ivar (my jeweled moray) did kill a stars and stripes puffer. He went for the same food as him and Ivar really messed him up. He died from the injuries. Also something to think about. Ivar is my most aggressive eel. He will eat small fish as well.

Thank you! I'll look into maybe moving one of my freshwater tanks in with another tank and maybe doing a smaller saltwater for a small puffer. I don't know.

 

[rhitee93]

Another plus for putting a new eel in an observation tank for a while is that you can get it eating a little easier. My snowflake spent several weeks in my QT tank. (without copper) It gave me time to learn how to feed it in a simple environment, and gave it time to learn how to eat from me.

I reflected at the time that I was thankful I didn't have to deal with the other animals and complex rockwork while we got used to each other.

I have a green spotted puffer in with mine and they seem fine. The puffer was not much more than a fry when the eel went in the tank. I was a bit worried the puffer would get eaten, but they don't bother each other. Both the puffer and my trigger fish are fearless about trying to eat food off the skewer while I'm feeding the eel. Quite often the eel has to shove them out of the way to get to the food.

Here is some spotty documentation of my introduction to eel keeping:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-snowflake-eel-parent.1025381/

 

[littlefoxx]

Thank you! I'll look into maybe moving one of my freshwater tanks in with another tank and maybe doing a smaller saltwater for a small puffer. I don't know.

yeah really depends on your specific eel and their temperament. Snowflakes are pretty chill. Ghost just hangs out most of the day with my other eels and they just poke their heads out of the rocks. My biggest issue with fish is my sailfin tang actually, shes just rude and likes to smack the eels (regardless of the times they bite her fins). But they dont hurt her other than torn fins, they just bite at her when she wont leave them alone. Its her fault 99.9% of the time otherwise they dont mind fish. Lots of my fish actually will chill near them or sleep in the same caves as them. My grouper likes to float above them a lot and they dont mind at all

 

[littlefoxx]

Another plus for putting a new eel in an observation tank for a while is that you can get it eating a little easier. My snowflake spent several weeks in my QT tank. (without copper) It gave me time to learn how to feed it in a simple environment, and gave it time to learn how to eat from me.

I reflected at the time that I was thankful I didn't have to deal with the other animals and complex rockwork while we got used to each other.

I have a green spotted puffer in with mine and they seem fine. The puffer was not much more than a fry when the eel went in the tank. I was a bit worried the puffer would get eaten, but they don't bother each other. Both the puffer and my trigger fish are fearless about trying to eat food off the skewer while I'm feeding the eel. Quite often the eel has to shove them out of the way to get to the food.

Here is some spotty documentation of my introduction to eel keeping:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-snowflake-eel-parent.1025381/

Lol yep thats triggers for you. Titan (my clown trigger) has a bad habit of that he never is faster then them though so I dont know why he tries when he gets a ton of food before I feed them

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I posted on the new to saltwater and reef page but I think this is more where my heart is!

I have wanted a snowflake eel for years! Years, is NOT an exaggeration. I have several freshwater tanks but never wanted to splurge on a tank big enough for a good saltwater tank. Welp! My family surprised me with a 150 gallon tank for Mother's day! To say I am over the moon is such an understatement!

I have questions.
I obviously have the tank but I still need all the other things. I need to know what I need to make a perfect home for my soon to be new baby in a few months! (If it's able to be achieved in a few months, if not, whenever I can bring them safely once my tank has completely settled)

Also, 150 gallons... Is that room for multiple eels? No? Can a snowflake share a tank with another type of eel?

Ohhh... Puffers? Are they good tank mates or will the snowflake try to eat it?

If you've made it through my ramble, I'll apologize for it being a ramble! I am truly so excited and just want to do it all right!

So spam me with any and all advice, any pointers... Seriously, I want to hear it all!

And I will probably be reading every thread in this forum.

caves and hiding structures.
Good filtration as they can be messy housekeepers
Titanium heater as Ive seen more than one easily break a glass heater
have proper diet on hand and do not feed guppies or goldfish

Banana and snowflake are good entry level eels

 

[twentyleagues]

Sounds like the tank is not drilled with it having 2 hob filters. There are ways to tell if the tank is drillable and its not that hard to do if it is drillable. I would think 2 hang on backs may not be enough filtration. Its possible that a large canister filter or 2 with the hobs if maintained properly may be good enough. The problem then becomes a skimmer most hob skimmers are not that great or strong.

I have kept eels in the past and like others have said they are messy and way stronger than they look. They are also adept escape artists small holes or openings are not good they seem to be able to find the only small escape route and use it. I had 1/2" glass cut and edge polished to fit my tank thinking that was good and the tank had a sump so no openings in the top. My little snowflake still was able to pop off the lid to the overflow (yes I thought of that too) and end up in the sump. Luckily I found him before he ended up on the floor a little worse for wear but alive. The 1/2" glass was pretty heavy but my large snowflake was able to nudge it enough that he created an opening, he didnt get out I heard it happening before the glass fell wherever it would have fallen had he succeeded. I fixed that with reptile tank lid locks I still had laying around from when I kept snakes. These were not the best idea as they were a thin metal and rusted. They clipped onto the black plastic molding and pushed down on the glass and that part was perfect the rust not so much. Honestly I dont know how people successfully keep these guys, maybe mine were more adventurous than most? Maybe mine just didnt like the tank or the way the rock and pvc pipes were set up. I do like them and I keep some freshwater fish that look very eel like and have the same tendencies for trying to escape but I have not had too many issues with them.

 

[TeeSquared1214]

I saw live rock was mentioned somewhere. I bought from Tampa Bay Saltwater @LiverockRocks for my first saltwater/reef tank, and it ended up being miles better and cheaper than live rock I had bought at my LFS. The hardest part was the wait as I believe at the time it took a month to get in but it was well worth it. Based on your previous comments the tank seems in the planning stage so something to consider. Congrats on the new tank!

 

[Reef By Steele]

I have never had a problem with a snowflake being aggressive to other fish. Some even say reef safe, but of course no shrimp or crabs. You might look at a Mexican box puffer, I believe they stay smaller than others and resemble a porcupine. A 150 might be doable with a porcupine, snowflake and something less dirty like a wrasse. We have a sunset wrasse in a 160 and had a porcupine with him until we had a bacterial bloom and the puffer suffered. I really enjoy eels but don’t currently have one.

I do agree with the general consensus that the tank should either be drilled or another type of overflow installed for a sump as a skimmer is vital.

 

[Pridedcloth3]

you need a heavy lid.

Just a one inch gap is enough for a slip out, these guys are powerful creatures.

I still have a scar from a year ago of being bitten by my eel Lol

I'm gonna jynx myself here, but my snowflake has been in an open top with < 1 inch Hao between the room and waterline for over a year. The craziest thing is it comes to the surface firing feeding, then goes back under the sand afterwards. Can't say it doesn't make me nervous but seems it knows the boundary.

 

[rubensito1]

I would recommend almost any of the other Echidna morays. Of the fangtooths, banana eels seem to do well with snowflakes. I have a banana and a white cheek (E. rhodochilus) with my snowflake that I’m trying to grow out

 

[littlefoxx]

I would recommend almost any of the other Echidna morays. Of the fangtooths, banana eels seem to do well with snowflakes. I have a banana and a white cheek (E. rhodochilus) with my snowflake that I’m trying to grow out

Ooo where did you get the white cheek? Beautiful. So is the banana!

 

[vabben]

Most snowflakes are tiny when you first get them, I trained mine to eat from a chopstick while in a 40b QT with HOB equipment. Only other suggestion would be to build out some tunnels with 2" PVC under your scape.

 

[rubensito1]

Ooo where did you get the white cheek? Beautiful. So is the banana!

Thank you! I got the white cheek from Upscale Aquatics. I had to spend some weeks acclimating it as it was purchased from freshwater

 

[littlefoxx]

Thank you! I got the white cheek from Upscale Aquatics. I had to spend some weeks acclimating it as it was purchased from freshwater

Wait what? Whats the scientific name of it?

 

[rubensito1]

Wait what? Whats the scientific name of it?

Echidna rhodochilus

 

[littlefoxx]

Echidna rhodochilus

Oh! I was thinking it was a white mouth that are way bigger. Thats actually a really cool eel! Might have to look into one actually. How was your experience with Upscale??

 

[rubensito1]

Oh! I was thinking it was a white mouth that are way bigger. Thats actually a really cool eel! Might have to look into one actually. How was your experience with Upscale??

Great customer service. I had a small white mouth circa 2011, possibly the most beautiful moray in the hobby. The E. rhodochilus is one of the smallest morays