Snowflake eel ?

[Haleigh]

Hey All -

So I have a snowflake eel currently in my mixed reef tank and hes quite the comical little bugger. Currently, hes housed with a pair of clowns, 6 line wrasse (who literally I've see take the food out of his mouth), and a flame angel. There used to be a goby with them but he tried to jump due to some territory dispute and has since become a sump inhabitant.


So my question is thoughts on a pair of Jawfish in the tank with him ? My snowflake is pretty decently trained to eat off my incisors frozen shrimp or squid, never fish. He pretty much stays in his burrow on the right side of the tank unless you're feeding. Theres also a fire shrimp that hes never touched.....model citizen so far.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I've always wanted a snowflake but you always risk them eating everything you want to keep. Lol

 

[Haleigh]

Absolutely but I've read a lot and it seems like training him to eat and what to eat helps A LOT. So I didn't know if anyone had any advice or experience with these two together.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

I think it depends on how much your snowflake eel is trained but I would say it's still risky...

-MJ

 

[Duke4Life]

I wouldn't add Jawfish with a SFE. I actually came across something yesterday that explains why they are fine with smaller for a time: all snowflakes are born female unlike most eels and eventually change to males, it's during this that they reach sexual maturity and their attitudes are known to change. Most other commonly kept eels are born male/female and stay that way. Zebra and dragons will switch to gender needed and ribbons go male to female.

 

[BoneXriffic]

You could go forever without a problem, or they could be eaten day one. I used to keep several eels, a dragon, zebra, and snowflake. With many fish small and larger in my 100g.

The flake and zebra never bothered anyone. The dragon however killed any and everything. The flake would eat a silverside every other day, you miss a feeding however and break routine the flake might find it self a meal replacment

 

[Waters]

If the Snowflake is hungry enough, it will make a meal out of any fish it can fit into its' mouth...especially fish that tend to remain on the bottom in one general location lol.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

I've heard a few horror stories pertaining Snowflake Eels, just like @Waters mentioned^. They're really odd, but I can see why people would add them to a tank, they look really cool.
Maybe try training it away from other fish for awhile? o_O

- C. Smith

 

[tj w]

I know a few people with sfe in their tanks with no problems. There's always an exception though

 

[Waters]

Your best bet would be to keep them well fed......and fed food that doesn't resemble anything in your tank :)

 

[Mbnym74]

So I just bought a small snowflake today and was wondering how do you train them? How do you hand feed them? The guy at the pet store who I know and trust told me that frozen food would be good but after reading on here it seems like everyone has there eel trained. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Mfreddy]

Get tongs or a feeding stick. I find she gets aroused by the smell when I feed the fish. She starts coming out or free swimming.

I wait till she's in a good position and have her some to it, pulling back as she advances.

 

[Mfreddy]

Come

 

[Mistborn]

I'd just avoid any fish that stay on the bottom and are small. A grouper sure. A goby snack time eventually.

 

[Darryl]

have everything in my reef from hermits shrimps gobbies small fish etc has been in tank for 5 plus years all he eats is jumbo mins and an occasional krill freeze dried soaked in vitamins hasn't bothered anyone . in fact have a blue velvet that use to tail back him but now are friends

 

[Mfreddy]

have everything in my reef from hermits shrimps gobbies small fish etc has been in tank for 5 plus years all he eats is jumbo mins and an occasional krill freeze dried soaked in vitamins hasn't bothered anyone . in fact have a blue velvet that use to tail back him but now are friends

Jumbo mins. Minnows?

 

[Darryl]

Jumbo min is a food made by tetra to replace live food
For oscars and large saltwater fish

 

[Mfreddy]

Jumbo min is a food made by tetra to replace live food
For oscars and large saltwater fish

Maybe I should try that. I've been feeding shrimp soaked in Selcon and garlic, alternating with silversides IQF prepared the same way.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

I lack experience training Snowflake Eels, so I'm sorry I cannot help you guys out. :(
Thankfully we seem to have some very nice R2R members on this thread that appear to have excellent advice.
Best of luck with your Eels! I hope you train them harder than a Pokemon. :p

- C. Smith

 

[Chrisfish]

Hi there, you might want to check out @FeliciaLynn 's threads she has a 40 gal. Breeder tank with a snowflake eel. She was recently featured in Reef magazine ( I think that's the name) and has multiple videos. I think they are awesome and hope to have one when I upgrade to a bigger tank:)