Clown Advice Please

[little_fish]

I dont think you understand phastroh, it is perfectly safe to keep them with fish. Many, many, many, many, many people keep them with other fish totally fine!!

All we have tried to tell you is that is very risky to add fish after they have been established. Several people on here have had that same issue.

You are more than welcome to try and add those clowns with the eel in there. Just dont come crying to me if he eats them, because i told you it was a possibility. I didnt say it was for sure, i told you it was a possibility and you need to consider it.

Just leave the eel alone, he is in your tank, and it looks like for at least for a few months. Just try the clowns and see what happens.

 

[Sir Alex]

+1 little fish.

 

[phastroh]

Common LF I do understand but when I have to backtrack to things it may appear as if I don't. I totally got it that it could be good or bad and about before and after.

I am pretty good remembering stuff you say I just like post other things I find. You know to show I did read something or found something to show why I didn't think it was a big deal to get am Eel.

I just take offense to the guilt trip that you get as if me or anyone wants to have bad things happen which this proves can when you didn't expect it after reading.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I think you should get some clowns but just get some big ones!

 

[AmberSunrise]

Did you not read the article I linked. They don't eat fish as their main diet. They eat fish sometimes and while some people never have a problem some do. Its not like I am killing it I want to take it to a store. I tried to sell it to another reefed as well.

The dog/cat reference was a bit extreme don't you think. While I can respect your opinion I do not agree with it in this case because the chance it will eat the fish is not 100% so it wasn't as if I bought it thinking nothing of it until people on this forum said well be careful so I am.

I can't see letting it get so big it eats everything and if you want to blame me fine but just know that not all research points to not havng them with fish and removing it is my decision if I do eventually.

1. No I didnt read your article because like I said in my first post I didnt read every page of this very long thread.
2. No its not extreme I was just saying its not fair for the animal that you had first to get the boot becaues the new animal doesnt mix well
3. I think if you put some fish in there they need to be big and equally aggressive so as not to appear like a snack for the eel

I say get the clowns and get em big! Let us know how it goes :D

 

[little_fish]

Phastroh, within the last two month we have two threads specifically about eels eating the fish that were introduced after them. Now, i dont expect to read every thread, but i figure you check out the threads.

https://www.livingreefs.com/yellow-tang-substitute-t33418.html

https://www.livingreefs.com/hes-outta-here-t32787.html

But here are several things from the article you linked to.

Snowflake Eel Question
Hi. I recently added a 10" snowflake eel to my tank (120 gallons) and I am really enjoying him, however, my fish are disappearing. First, it was my Picasso Trigger, then my clown fish, then my Chromis. I have been feeding him other things like shrimp and squid but I later find that he has taken them off his feeding stick and hidden them in his cave. Is he going to have to be kept by himself? <I would say so lol> He has started to lunge at my yellow tang (which is one of 2 fish I have left besides the eel). Any suggestions would be helpful.<get rid of that eel!!!., IanB><<A piscivorous Echidna nebulosa? I don't think so. RMF>>
Thanks
Ashley

First, I have a FOWLR 35 gal tank with 2 false Percs in it. I also use it for a hospital tank and quarantine tank on occasion. I treat it with Cu once in a while when I have a fish in need from my main tank. Would it be OK if I put a snowflake moray in it?
When the eel gets too big, I want to move it to my main tank. Will the Cu hurt the eel? Is the tank just too small? The LFS says it'll be fine, but you know how that goes.
<Well, to be quite honest with you, I'd avoid placing a Moray in this tank for a number of reasons. Copper in it's chelated form will generally not hurt the eel, but I'd avoid putting the fish in there nonetheless. The physical size of the tank (i.e.; the volume of water) will be a huge challenge for you, because of the copious amount of waste material that these heavy feeders will release. Maintaining good water quality (which is very important to these fish) is tough in a tank with this small a water volume. You also have to take into account the amount of water taken up by the rocks. Then you're talking about a REALLY small water volume. And your clownfish may end up on the menu, so that's another reason to hold off on acquiring this fish for this tank>

Hi WWM, <Steve Allen this AM>
I would like to seek your advise about keeping the snowflake moray
eel. <OK> I bought a batch of 12Kg live rock this afternoon and now I found there is a 8" to 10" eel that came along with the rock. After searching in the internet, I found its an snowflake moray eel. <Lucky you. I paid $30 for mine. Eels do occasionally show up as LR hitchhikers.>
Well here is the problem, I have 4 x 1.5" common clowns, one 2.5"
African clown, 4 more about 3/4" fishes, one doctor prawn & a lot of coral. Should I keep the eel or remove it? How to remove it (easy to catch?). Thanks. regards, ws teoh
<Well, you do have a problem. The shrimp is a goner for sure. The eel may not quite be big enough to get the clowns yet, but it will be. The 3/4" fish are already in mortal danger. I'd get him out now. The only way to do this is to remove all of the rock and net him. Be careful: they bite hard, the wriggle like mad, and they can escape through the smallest opening. Good luck. You ought to be able to sell him to a fish store.>

Hi guys! <Hi there, Steve Allen today>
I'm a big fan of the site. been a frequent visitor to the website, but this is my first time to actually write. Most of the hobby's knowledge that I acquired is due to the WWM crew. Anyway, on to the reason I am writing to you. a sad experience:
I have had a fish only tank for about 10 months now, but have helped my father with his reef tanks for over 10 years. I really wanted a FO tank because of the wider variety of fish I could own. I fell in love with a pair of eels that a local pet store had: a beautiful 2.5 foot zebra eel and an 18 inch snowflake eel. <interesting and attractive indeed. I have a snowflake about the same size.> They have been with me for 8 months, and now I am faced with a dilemma. All the research I did, concluded that these two eels would not harm my fish. especially the zebra, which eats only crustaceans <but will occasionally take the opportunity to eat a small fish if it can get it.> I know that the snowflake eats fish, mainly smaller ones (I feed him sand eels soaked in ZOE). <Actually, Snowflakes eat mostly crustaceans too. Check the WWM articles about these two eels.>
I had a large Volitans lionfish, an anglerfish, a 5 inch clown and Niger triggerfish, and a 6 inch harlequin tusk. The eels had never pestered them, nor tried to consume them. Well, all of my fish died (except my eels!) a month ago, and I got depressed. <So sorry. Were you able to figure out why?> I'm barely starting to buy fish again. Recently, I bought a beautiful 5 inch Foxface lo. <Another beauty--I have one too.> I had him for about 3 days, and he was just starting to lose his shyness. I then purchased a nice semi-adult passer angelfish and a yellow tang. <You should go slow and quarantine all new additions for a month. Read the WWM quarantine articles.> The angelfish is a little bigger than the Foxface and the tang is a little smaller. The eels left them alone. until tonight, just about an hour ago, actually. I fed the eels a couple of nights before I got the new guys.
I was showing off my new fish to a friend and fellow hobbyist, when, in the corner of my eye, I saw a jerking motion. I turned and saw the snowflake eel with the Foxface's head in it's clutches. The Foxface struggled, but in vain. the snowflake eel swallowed it before I could get a stick to disturb him. <wow> We couldn't believe that he attacked and ate a fish, and that he could swallow something that much larger than him! That eel had a $34 meal. I caught him, and he's in an acrylic "aggressive fish container" and I'm debating whether to find him a new home or ask the pet store to take him. I really do not want to chance it with my two other new fish, especially the angelfish. Have you guys heard of anything like this with a snowflake eel? <Yes, see the WWM FAQs if you want to read other tales.> I read they were the least to eat piscine tank mates and one of the few eels that are good with other fish! Well, I was just hoping to share my story to caution others on buying expensive fish if you have a possible tenant that would have a taste for an expensive meal.
Thanks, Patrick Garcia
<So sorry you had to deal with this Patrick. It just goes to show that no carnivorous fish can be trusted 100%. My Snowflake leaves all of it's tankmates, including a 4" Rabbitfish, alone. Rabbitfish are venomous, so It also is a bit of a surprise that the Eel went after it. It does sometimes tussle with my trigger over a piece of food. I am surprised it swallowed such a big fish, but eels do seem more like snakes than fish. Don't beat yourself up about being unable to keep him form swallowing the Rabbitfish. It would almost certainly have died of its wounds if you had--better to let nature take it's course. In your shoes, I would be very hesitant to keep an eel that has a taste for fish. It might leave them alone if you keep it well-fed, but you can never be sure at this point. You'd hate to lose that beautiful, expensive Passer. Perhaps the best thing to do is take it back to the LFS. Most will give you 1/2 retail as a store credit.>

>Hi,
>>Hello, Mike.
>I think my snowflake moray is eating all of its smaller tank mates. I have a 85 Gal Acrylic aquarium with a lot of rock for hiding. The fish inhabitants are a 4" yellow tang, 6" red emperor snapper and a 20" snowflake moray eel. The fish that have disappeared in the last two weeks are a 3 lined damsel, 2 tomato clowns and just recently a 3 1/2 " Niger trigger. I suspect the moray for several reasons, one the fish are accounted for the previous day then gone the next morning. Also I saw the moray foraging through the crevices in the rocks finding the trigger sleeping and harassing him. A couple of days later the trigger had a bite mark on the top of him. Now he is just gone, no trace of the trigger at all. By the way these fish (excluding the clowns) have all been coexisting somewhat peacefully for about the last 4 months. About three weeks ago I moved the two tomato clowns from my other tank into this one, they disappeared in about two days then the damsel disappeared then the trigger. I don't think it is the snapper, as long as he is fed he pretty much leaves everyone alone. I have been feeding them more goldfish lately, that is the only change in the last 6 mo. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Mike
>>Yes, Mike, it's definitely the moray. He should be removed ASAP, they are known for this kind of behavior, and are tricky to have co-habiting with other fish (*especially* fishes of the tasty sizes you've described). Also, please, do NOT feed any marine fishes goldfish. Generally, goldfish are just terrible as feeders for any fish, but it's especially true of marines--this has to do in large part with the fats found within a Goldie's tissues. You would do much better (as would the fish) if you trained them to take marine foods such as squid, krill, clam, octopus, and shrimp from a feeding stick (unless they'll take it floating). Good luck catching the Snowflake, and I'll advise you to be very careful when netting and placing into bag or bucket, they can move VERY quickly, and I've been doinked twice by them. If you are bitten, do NOT pull away, as this will just make the wound worse, he *will* let go, pretty much immediately. Marina

I found all of these within the first half of the first page of FAQ on snowflake eels.

 

[phastroh]

Ok well I just got home.

I bought Clowns that are a mated pair and are about 4-5 years old. They had others but these are huge. The female is probably about 4 inches easy.

They lay eggs as well. I got them for $80. They took $10 off because I was trying to decide between these and some wild ones that were about the size of the male clown that came with these.

They had another paired set for the same that were just too small for me considering the Damsels.

I may trade the Damsels one day for different fish but then again I really love my Yellow Fin Damsel.

I also snagged a huge Zoa for only 15 and a Red Mushroom for color.

The Clowns are almost ready for some water as they have been floating for about 20.

The Eel cannot eat these as they make him look small for now and should give me time to get him out one day.