Snowflake eel and dwarf lion tankmates

[littlefoxx]

Hey all getting a 125 in a few weeks. It is coming with a 10 inch snowflake eel, owner says he is good with bigger hermits and snails, just not smaller fish.

Ive always wanted an eel and a dwarf fuzzy lion. I had planned on putting them in a predator only tank, but one of my maroons is wayyy to small right now to be good with either. So I was considering these take mates in the 125:

blue tang (3 inchs)
Naso tang (3 inches)
Purple tang (4-5 inches)
Niger trigger
2 adult clownfish (come with the 125)
Dusky wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse
Six line wrasse
Fuzzy lion
Snowflake eel (comes with the tank)
Elbli dwarf angel
Baby porcupine puffer

I know I will need to get a bigger tank when these guys grow to adult size, just dont have the room at the moment for a bigger tank. Tank is 6 feet, sump is like 30 gallons.

I plan on having halloween hermits, turbo snails, I have seen serpent or brittle stars are good with them, and urchins. I also have a sea hare in my 70 gallon at the moment that I can move over for hair algae.

I know @lion king is very good with these kinds of fish and tank mates!

Anyone that can weigh in on the tankmates would be very helpful!

 

[blaxsun]

Clownfish may be ok depending on size. Ditto for the yellow coris wrasse. Sixline is definitely going to end up being lunch along with possibly the dwarf angel.

 

[lion king]

While the types of fish are compatible, your list is unrealistic for a 125g, I would cut that list in half.

 

[littlefoxx]

While the types of fish are compatible, your list is unrealistic for a 125g, I would cut that list in half.

Gotcha! But the smaller baby tangs will be okay with the lion?

 

[littlefoxx]

Clownfish may be ok depending on size. Ditto for the yellow coris wrasse. Sixline is definitely going to end up being lunch along with possibly the dwarf angel.

Ah okay, lll just get them off the list then! The clowns are fine with the eel. The clowns have been with the eel 6 or so months no issues!

 

[littlefoxx]

Probably go with the 3 tangs, trigger, dusky wrasse, the two clowns, and the puffer.

 

[blaxsun]

Ah okay, lll just get them off the list then! The clowns are fine with the eel. The clowns have been with the eel 6 or so months no issues!

It's all about the eel. If the fish can fit in the eel - eventually it will end up in the eel...

 

[lion king]

Probably go with the 3 tangs, trigger, dusky wrasse, the two clowns, and the puffer.

That's more like it, there are some considerations. The naso really needs to be in a mature tank, their nutritional needs will not be met with nori. You may be fine in you are adding live macro, but they need micro algae growing to continuously graze. The dwarf lions usually don't do well in an active semi aggressive tank with aggressive eaters, feeding them is a challenge even in the best conditions. Established snowflakes are not so quick to eat fish except for smaller, passive, slender bodied fish that just slide down their throats. They are a pebble tooth eel(blunt teeth for crushing) so they can't grab and wrestle down fish with some heft and some fight.

 

[littlefoxx]

That's more like it, there are some considerations. The naso really needs to be in a mature tank, their nutritional needs will not be met with nori. You may be fine in you are adding live macro, but they need micro algae growing to continuously graze. The dwarf lions usually don't do well in an active semi aggressive tank with aggressive eaters, feeding them is a challenge even in the best conditions. Established snowflakes are not so quick to eat fish except for smaller, passive, slender bodied fish that just slide down their throats. They are a pebble tooth eel(blunt teeth for crushing) so they can't grab and wrestle down fish with some heft and some fight.

Gotcha! This is a tank lm taking over, been established six or so years

 

[Aspect]

Never had an issue with my Snowflake eel eating anything in my tank. Had him for over a year and he is about 20" and pretty thick. That being said he is fed routinely twice a week. It really depends on the eel, I have heard about Snowflakes killing larger tangs by crushing their skulls. Nothing is guaranteed with a predator, but if he is well fed and has comfortable hiding spaces, more than likely he will not cause any issues. Also make sure your tank has lids and your overflow is eel proofed. They will get out if extra precautions aren't taken.

 

[littlefoxx]

Think I might hold off on the lion for now at least and get the hang of the eel!

 

[lion king]

Never had an issue with my Snowflake eel eating anything in my tank. Had him for over a year and he is about 20" and pretty thick. That being said he is fed routinely twice a week. It really depends on the eel, I have heard about Snowflakes killing larger tangs by crushing their skulls. Nothing is guaranteed with a predator, but if he is well fed and has comfortable hiding spaces, more than likely he will not cause any issues. Also make sure your tank has lids and your overflow is eel proofed. They will get out if extra precautions aren't taken.

This is what they fail to tell you when they share a story of something like a snowflake crushing a tangs skull. !st they are likely jsut repeating some folklore they have heard or read. And 2nd, that scenario woukd go something like this. The snowflake was gotten as a mature individual and likely not in the tank long, the tang was likely very small and/or they introduced a new tang and the eel quickly responded in a feeding response. A tank raised snowflake is very unlikely going to wrestle down a fish if that fish is appropriately sized and introduced. A snowflake may snack on smaller wrasses or gobies or similar

 

[littlefoxx]

This is what they fail to tell you when they share a story of something like a snowflake crushing a tangs skull. !st they are likely jsut repeating some folklore they have heard or read. And 2nd, that scenario woukd go something like this. The snowflake was gotten as a mature individual and likely not in the tank long, the tang was likely very small and/or they introduced a new tang and the eel quickly responded in a feeding response. A tank raised snowflake is very unlikely going to wrestle down a fish if that fish is appropriately sized and introduced. A snowflake may snack on smaller wrasses or gobies or similar

Ah okay, so would my two baby tangs be an issue? The eel lm getting is tank raised and has eaten damsels and anthias according to the guy Im getting the tank from. My blue tang is 3 inches and the naso is 2. The purple is 4-5. The eel lives with two clowns now (3 inches for the female) and no issues. If I feed the eel well will he go after the baby tangs?

 

[lion king]

Ah okay, so would my two baby tangs be an issue? The eel lm getting is tank raised and has eaten damsels and anthias according to the guy Im getting the tank from. My blue tang is 3 inches and the naso is 2. The purple is 4-5. The eel lives with two clowns now (3 inches for the female) and no issues. If I feed the eel well will he go after the baby tangs?

Read my threads on eels, the "well fed" narrative is nonsense. You need to decide on appropriate tank mates for eels, by nature they are predators, and will do what eels do. Eels will need to fed on a fast/gorge feeding cycle or you will kill them by feeding them too often. In that fasting time if they have an opportunity, they will eat fish that are inappropriate.

 

[Aspect]

This is what they fail to tell you when they share a story of something like a snowflake crushing a tangs skull. !st they are likely jsut repeating some folklore they have heard or read. And 2nd, that scenario woukd go something like this. The snowflake was gotten as a mature individual and likely not in the tank long, the tang was likely very small and/or they introduced a new tang and the eel quickly responded in a feeding response. A tank raised snowflake is very unlikely going to wrestle down a fish if that fish is appropriately sized and introduced. A snowflake may snack on smaller wrasses or gobies or similar

I have no reason to not believe the story I was told. The guy said he had a 6" Purple Tang and a 2' Snowflake that grew up in the same tank together, eel came out to feed one day in a frenzy and crushed the skull of the PT.

 

[lion king]

I have no reason to not believe the story I was told. The guy said he had a 6" Purple Tang and a 2' Snowflake that grew up in the same tank together, eel came out to feed one day in a frenzy and crushed the skull of the PT.

What size tank, there are many variables and obviously details. Eels also get injured in feeding frenzies. The best protocol would be not to encourage your eels to get mixed up in feeding frenzies. Eels will actually settle into a feeding schedule, and feeding the eel first on feeding day before feeding the rest of the tank. Some people actually establish a routine of chumming the water to get the eel into a feeding response, this is a bad practice that sometimes can go wrong. This hobby is not absolute, most times a snowflake eel would be fine to live with a purple tank in at least a 125g tank.

 

[littlefoxx]

What size tank, there are many variables and obviously details. Eels also get injured in feeding frenzies. The best protocol would be not to encourage your eels to get mixed up in feeding frenzies. Eels will actually settle into a feeding schedule, and feeding the eel first on feeding day before feeding the rest of the tank. Some people actually establish a routine of chumming the water to get the eel into a feeding response, this is a bad practice that sometimes can go wrong. This hobby is not absolute, most times a snowflake eel would be fine to live with a purple tank in at least a 125g tank.

Would a blue tang, purple tang, naso tang, porcupine puffer, marine betta, 2 clowns, foxface and the eel be too much for a 125?

 

[Aspect]

Would a blue tang, purple tang, naso tang, porcupine puffer, marine betta, 2 clowns, foxface and the eel be too much for a 125?

Naso get over 1' long. Other than that you should be good, you'd just have a high bioload.

 

[Aspect]

What size tank, there are many variables and obviously details. Eels also get injured in feeding frenzies. The best protocol would be not to encourage your eels to get mixed up in feeding frenzies. Eels will actually settle into a feeding schedule, and feeding the eel first on feeding day before feeding the rest of the tank. Some people actually establish a routine of chumming the water to get the eel into a feeding response, this is a bad practice that sometimes can go wrong. This hobby is not absolute, most times a snowflake eel would be fine to live with a purple tank in at least a 125g tank.

180 gallon.

 

[littlefoxx]

180 gallon.

Yeah I know the naso will get huge. The one I am getting is 2 inches now, I fully intend on upgrading the tank down the road when all these fish get way bigger, I just cant afford a 180 right now, the biggest I found on FB market place was the 125!