Snowflake eel or tomato clowns first

2manyideas

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I have a 55 gallon tank that’s set up and I was just curious as to whether or not I should add a pair of tomato clowns with a bta and let them settle and pair with the anemone or add the snowflake first. I have the snowflake in a smaller tank. The snowflake is about 10”-12”
 

monkeyCmonkeyDo

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Add the snowflake last. Ive never owned an eel but ur gonna want a decent lid and he still may end up eating ur clowns depending on sizes and eating habits. E.g. how much u feed ur eel.
D
 
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2manyideas

2manyideas

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Add the snowflake last. Ive never owned an eel but ur gonna want a decent lid and he still may end up eating ur clowns depending on sizes and eating habits. E.g. how much u feed ur eel.
D
I have a hood on the tank. So he shouldn’t be able to escape. And I do feed him pretty regularly.
 

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Clowns first, I’ve had an eel with clowns, tang , cleaner shrimp , emerald crabs ect. The key is to add the eel last so it doesn’t immediately own the tank and to set a strict feeding regime with the eel so it doesn’t relate the tank mates to being food. For me I had a pair of tongs or skewer , I tapped the top of aquarium before feeding, but it got to the point if the eel saw tongs at all he would start swimming crazy because he knew it was feeding time. Tongs/skewer meant food not the tankmates
 

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Add the eel first. Tomato clowns are known to be b****s and will have no problem fending for themselves. And a snowflake that size will not be a risk to your fish, it's only when they get over 2' that they can be an issue.
 

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Just my experiences but I kept two snowflakes one around 30 inches. They were housed in a tank with multiple smallish fish fireclowns, dwarf angels, ect and had no problems in the time I had them, had to part with them for a move. I did feed them 2 times a day though so they weren’t ever on the hunt.
 

monkeyCmonkeyDo

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One of my lfs killed their black tip reef shark with a skrewer feeding... cant remember what happened but i think the shark ended up getting stabbed in the head.
D
 

dvgyfresh

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One of my lfs killed their black tip reef shark with a skrewer feeding... cant remember what happened but i think the shark ended up getting stabbed in the head.
D
Use wooden skewers meant for kabobs , I didn’t use metal ones for fear of rust/ eel hurting itself
 
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2manyideas

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Clowns first, I’ve had an eel with clowns, tang , cleaner shrimp , emerald crabs ect. The key is to add the eel last so it doesn’t immediately own the tank and to set a strict feeding regime with the eel so it doesn’t relate the tank mates to being food. For me I had a pair of tongs or skewer , I tapped the top of aquarium before feeding, but it got to the point if the eel saw tongs at all he would start swimming crazy because he knew it was feeding time. Tongs/skewer meant food not the tankmates
I’ve had the eel with the clowns a coral banded shrimp and a dwarf angel for over 3 months with no issues. He’s used to eating with tongs and the fish get fed out of a turkey baster. The coral banded shrimp attacks the eel when he gets close.
 
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2manyideas

2manyideas

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Just my experiences but I kept two snowflakes one around 30 inches. They were housed in a tank with multiple smallish fish fireclowns, dwarf angels, ect and had no problems in the time I had them, had to part with them for a move. I did feed them 2 times a day though so they weren’t ever on the hunt.
I am thinking about getting another eel… how did you house two together? I want to get a skeletor to go with my snowflake but I’m undecided and could very well settle for another snowflake my lfs has two in one tank right now.
 

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I am thinking about getting another eel… how did you house two together? I want to get a skeletor to go with my snowflake but I’m undecided and could very well settle for another snowflake my lfs has two in one tank right now.
The tank was 150 gallons so they had lots of room and rock, but they actually ended up sharing the same cave and they never showed any aggression. I could’ve been lucky it wasn’t my intentions of having two but the little one was placed in by my dad as a “gift”. They were both super chill and I wished I still had them.
 

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Get large tomatoes, and should get them first or the eel may think they are used for food. It should be be fine. Fish aren't what pebble tooth eels want to hunt and eat, though they will. They primarily eat crabs, shrimp, and other inverts in the wild.
I have had a couple snowflake eels, and I far prefer the less popular Chainlink eel, much better personality and a more docile species. May not look as good, but don't expect to see the snowflake often!
Also a BTA wont offer any protection from an eel, mine swins throughout them and pulls food out when he wants.
 
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2manyideas

2manyideas

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Get large tomatoes, and should get them first or the eel may think they are used for food. It should be be fine. Fish aren't what pebble tooth eels want to hunt and eat, though they will. They primarily eat crabs, shrimp, and other inverts in the wild.
I have had a couple snowflake eels, and I far prefer the less popular Chainlink eel, much better personality and a more docile species. May not look as good, but don't expect to see the snowflake often!
Also a BTA wont offer any protection from an eel, mine swins throughout them and pulls food out when he wants.
I was planning on getting larger tomatoes. What would I be better off using as protection for the tomatoes? I wanted to use tomatoes because they will take to bta (I read they were a natural pair?) and they are more aggressive so they would hold a chance against the eel if he ever decided they looked tasty.
 

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I was planning on getting larger tomatoes. What would I be better off using as protection for the tomatoes? I wanted to use tomatoes because they will take to bta (I read they were a natural pair?) and they are more aggressive so they would hold a chance against the eel if he ever decided they looked tasty.
No small pebble tooth eel will have interest in large tomatoes/maroons. Use shrimp to adjust it to frozen food and it wont show much interest in them or any medium sized fish. BTA may help, my only point was that I doubt it would stop the eel. I don't think the eel will go after them if you add them first. Though I occasionally add some emerald crabs for my eel when they are very cheap, it keeps the hunting instinct somewhat intact.
 

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