Snowflake eel looking a bit chunky

[Littlewolf]

Got my snowflake about 9 months ago. She has gone from about 6 inches to 20inches. She is a very aggressive eater and I'm worried she may be getting over fed. She comes out actively hunting about every 3 days, sometimes every other day. If I see her come out of her tunnel, I don't always immediately feed her if she just ate the day or 2 before, but by the next day she is actively going after my fish. I don't want her taking a bite out of anyone, but she's getting quite chunky. Her diet generally consists of shrimp and wild caught salmon. I also offer her scallops, krill, lobster, oysters and mussels. Those are hit or miss on if she will actually eat them or just spit them back out. She typically eats 6-8 .5 inch x .5 in chunks at a time. I have attached a couple pictures if her...it's the best I can get of her full body. She moves non-stop when she's out of her tunnels. Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.

 

[littlefoxx]

She looks like a healthy eel to me! I let my snowflake and jeweled eels tell me when they are hungry. They eat about every 3 days as well. Are you feeding her until she wont take food anymore?

 

[littlefoxx]

And what kind of fish do you have with her?

 

[Cell]

Littlewolf meet Littlefoxx!

Fatter fish the better imo.

 

[littlefoxx]

Littlewolf meet Littlefoxx!

Fatter fish the better imo.

LOL I totally didnt even look at the user name! Thats awesome

 

[Littlewolf]

She looks like a healthy eel to me! I let my snowflake and jeweled eels tell me when they are hungry. They eat about every 3 days as well. Are you feeding her until she wont take food anymore?

She looks like a healthy eel to me! I let my snowflake and jeweled eels tell me when they are hungry. They eat about every 3 days as well. Are you feeding her until she wont take food anymore?

Ok good. I just want her to live a long healthy life. I dont offer her food unless she comes out looking for it, i was just concerned she was coming out to eat too often. I feed her until she goes back in her tunnel and won't take anymore. I then usually give her a few mins just in case she decides she wants more.

She is currently with a tomini tang, 2 clownfish, an orchid dottyback and a midas blenny. Also numerous snails, hermits, corals, emerald crabs, a cleaner shrimp and a fire shrimp. She has her own PVC pipe tunnel system that I've run underneath the sand and rockwork with 3-4 exits per side of the tank.

 

[littlefoxx]

Ok good. I just want her to live a long healthy life. I dont offer her food unless she comes out looking for it, i was just concerned she was coming out to eat too often. I feed her until she goes back in her tunnel and won't take anymore. I then usually give her a few mins just in case she decides she wants more.

She is currently with a tomini tang, 2 clownfish, an orchid dottyback and a midas blenny. Also numerous snails, hermits, corals, emerald crabs, a cleaner shrimp and a fire shrimp. She has her own PVC pipe tunnel system that I've run underneath the sand and rockwork with 3-4 exits per side of the tank.

Ah yeah she might just be really hungry. Also be prepared for her to eat the shrimp and emeralds since she is a pebbletooth eel and those are their main foods in the wild! Also depending on the clownfish size she might try to eat those, the dottyback and blenny. If it fits in an eel’s mouth its possible they will eat them. My jeweled moray ate a wrasse and a blenny. My snowflake would eat a shrimp or crab in a heartbeat if I put one in with her. Just keep it in mind! Most snowflakes wont go after fish but can if they are hungry enough or maybe you just got a rouge one! Smallest fish I have with my eels is a 3.5 inch male clown. Everyone else is bigger than that and they dont go after the fish

 

[Littlewolf]

Littlewolf meet Littlefoxx!

Fatter fish the better imo.

Haha too funny

That is usually my philosophy too. I just know eels can get very overweight and it'll cause all kinds of issues with their liver and such. I want Elsa to live a long, healthy life....and not eat my fish in the meantime lol

 

[littlefoxx]

Haha too funny

That is usually my philosophy too. I just know eels can get very overweight and it'll cause all kinds of issues with their liver and such. I want Elsa to live a long, healthy life....and not eat my fish in the meantime lol

Lol yep! I feed Ghost (my snowflake) table shrimp, squid (this is her favorite food) and other meaty foods. She also loves jumbo mysis and will snag some when I feed that for my other fish lol. Ivar (my jeweled) likes squid, but silversides and salmon are his favorite foods. He will eat a shrimp if I cut it in half and it doesnt look like a shrimp lol. They are goofy eels

 

[Littlewolf]

Ah yeah she might just be really hungry. Also be prepared for her to eat the shrimp and emeralds since she is a pebbletooth eel and those are their main foods in the wild! Also depending on the clownfish size she might try to eat those, the dottyback and blenny. If it fits in an eel’s mouth its possible they will eat them. My jeweled moray ate a wrasse and a blenny. My snowflake would eat a shrimp or crab in a heartbeat if I put one in with her. Just keep it in mind! Most snowflakes wont go after fish but can if they are hungry enough or maybe you just got a rouge one! Smallest fish I have with my eels is a 3.5 inch male clown. Everyone else is bigger than that and they dont go after the fish

Minnie, my tomini tang is kind of the boss and will throw her weight around when Elsa gets too close. It's kind of funny. Elsa actually let's my cleaner shrimp clean her mouth and come into her tunnel to steal food scraps. They have the weirdest little relationship. She is generally a model citizen and I could almost forget she's in there until she come flying out of her pvc pipe like a streak of lightning in a frenzy looking for food. I'll just keep feeding her when she comes out. I know they need a gorge/fast cycle so was just worried she was eating too frequently.

 

[Littlewolf]

Lol yep! I feed Ghost (my snowflake) table shrimp, squid (this is her favorite food) and other meaty foods. She also loves jumbo mysis and will snag some when I feed that for my other fish lol. Ivar (my jeweled) likes squid, but silversides and salmon are his favorite foods. He will eat a shrimp if I cut it in half and it doesnt look like a shrimp lol. They are goofy eels

So far, I'm not sure she even knows the emeralds exist. I forget they exist most of the time because they only come out at night. Though I was actually peaking around the tank with a flashlight the other night and watched my emerald release 1000s of tiny baby crab larvae into the water column. One of the coolest things I've ever seen happen in my tank.

I appreciate your help. Getting her to eat something other than shrimp has been a challenge, but I knew she needed some fattier foods like the salmon to balance out her diet. Trying to work the other things in, but half the time she just turns her head away and looks at me like "what are you trying to poison me with" as I'm attempting to give her fresh, better quality seafood than I even eat myself

 

[littlefoxx]

So far, I'm not sure she even knows the emeralds exist. I forget they exist most of the time because they only come out at night. Though I was actually peaking around the tank with a flashlight the other night and watched my emerald release 1000s of tiny baby crab larvae into the water column. One of the coolest things I've ever seen happen in my tank.

I appreciate your help. Getting her to eat something other than shrimp has been a challenge, but I knew she needed some fattier foods like the salmon to balance out her diet. Trying to work the other things in, but half the time she just turns her head away and looks at me like "what are you trying to poison me with" as I'm attempting to give her fresh, better quality seafood than I even eat myself

Lol yeah Ivar does that sometimes. I have to give him silversides first then he will eat other stuff. Ghost loves squid, thats her favorite. She will gulp down shrimp so fast so she can have her squid lol