questions about a snowflake eel

[powderbluetang]

hey guys, after everything for my tank gets up and running, and it goes for a month, i would like to get a snowflake eel, but i just want to know, is a 55 gallon ok for snowflakes? what are fish that are compatible with snowflakes? i know i shouldnt feed them live food, so what do they mainly eat? if a snowflake is in fact too big for a 55, would a green wolf eel be ok?

thanks guys :)

 

[ErinCahir]

I would stay away from a green wolf eel if I were you. They are way more aggressive than a snowflake (in my experience).

I think a 55 would be a good size for a snowflake... as for what does well them, for the most part, pretty much anything (that will fit in your tank of course).
Ours has never bothered our clowns, or our goby, or our blenny. He ate our flame angel (the dummy slept in the middle of the tank out in the open) but lef the coral beauty alone.
I feed mine frozen silversides... but you can also give them frozen scallops, squid and shrimp.
Sharkie is the eel expert here... she wrote a great article...
https://www.livingreefs.com/care-and-keeping-snowflake-moray-eel-t23011.html

I'm really not too sure how many other fish you would be able to fit, though. I've always counted my eel as 3 fish as far as the "one per ten gallons" rule. I figure he's bigger so he must make a bigger mess...

 

[powderbluetang]

thanks alot for referring me to tthat article, it was very helpful :) and thanks for your advice :)

 

[Sharkie]

Powder, a green wolf eel is far too large for a 55g fersure! plus they are on the agressive side of things and WILL chomp down all yo' fish and possibly your hand ;) Oh, and we're probably thinking 2 different "wolf eels" Me thinking the actual one that lives in the kelp forests and will snap a broom handle in half with ease (https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?id=1108776) and you're probably thinking of the cute little neon green ones they call wolf eels :P lol. either way, i'd avoid both types of wolfs. they are aggressive eels.

If you want a more "mean" looking eel you could try a Jeweled Moray Eel... they stay on the smaller side (about 2ft full grown) and are still aggressive but won't attempt to eat your hand. I'm not too sure on how they do with other fish but our LFS just has him in with damsels and triggers-more aggressive fish.


I would also say count him as 3-4 fish. Kona is about 18" long... and lives in my 75. Eels actually don't make a huge mess like you would think (a 2" damsel/clown actually produces more waste than an eel does) but you have to consider the oxygen levels and "cave" space for them. If you want an eel you'll need lots of rockwork :) Kona has about 8 different cave areas he can be in at any given time.


Snowies are great and will do wonderfully in a 55-given he doesn't reach more than 2 ft. at full grown they *can* get up to 4ft but i've only seen a few that large.... I'm hoping kona will end up that way- only because its just him and a shark egg case and a trigger in my tank. if you have any questions feel free to PM me :) i love talking eels!

 

[powderbluetang]

thanks alot sharky! im thinking the little green wolf eels, that only grow up to be a foot and a half haha. but im glad a snowflake will do good in a 55, cause i really want one, now i have another question, what is the best online vendor to purchase a snowflake from because the only local pet store that is in my area (which i also work for haha) is petco and i apologize to my company of employment but they are not good at taking care of their saltwater, im no expert, but even i can see what they are doing is wrong

 

[Bifferwine]

One of the best places to get livestock is Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums.

 

[ErinCahir]

I used to work for petco... we used a place called trop aquatics back in the day. Everything always arrived in great shape.
I'm pretty sad the chain has taken such a downhill turn.

 

[powderbluetang]

thanks biffer! they seem as if they have greaqt livestock available, and yea petco just keeps getting worse these days, but im trying to make saltwater fish do a little bit better in the aquatics section, but i can only do so much, i have actually gotten so friendly with our green wolf eel! hes been there for a couple months now, and whenever i put my hand in the tank, he swims to the top and lets me pet him!!! its so amazing:D

 

[Melonbob]

I kept a snowflake in a 50g, no problems. He was with a small lionfish and a huge maroon clown, they were the only inhabitants. The thing with the snowflake is you have to seal your tank everywhere or he will get out. I thought I had it foolproof, till I found him swimming around in my octopus HOB skimmer. when I finally got him out, he was back in the next day. I gave up and he'd go back and forth as he pleased........