Snowflake eel

[Amba]

I got a 10'' snowflake eel today, after a 1 hour acclimation, I put her in the tank when she quickly darted to the bottom and dug herself under a rock til I couldn't see her anymore. When she finally poked her head out, she was breathing rapidly (about 3 every second or two). Is this normal for an eel?

 

[little_fish]

She is probably stressed from moving from the store to the new tank. But i really hope she isnt in the 10 gal, they need to be in a 55 gal minimum. Also they are escape artists, so make sure you have a good lid on the tank.

 

[Amba]

She is in my 30 Gallon and she is alone in there, I made sure that the tank was sealed so she couldn't get out.

 

[little_fish]

That is still pretty tiny for an eel

 

[Amba]

I did read that they will stay pretty small, and my LFS said she would be okay in there at least for a few months. I am still planning on getting a 75 gallon soon so I might move here in there if she gets too big.

 

[yote]

Congratulations on the Snowflake.
And listen to Little.She knows her stuff.
It's not a matter IF the Eel will out grow that 30 gallon,is a matter of WHEN.And it'll happen quicker than you think.

 

[Amba]

I will move her when I get my 75, I hope she dosen't outgrow at least for a couple of months.

 

[Mr.Diggler]

I have SF as well. Mine is a tad bigger than yours and lives in my 75. Mine moves around a lot. A lot. They are fascinating animals. Get cracking on the 75 upgrade.

 

[Amba]

Maybe I'll just get a 55 gal for the eel only.

 

[ErinCahir]

That's a good idea. Mine grew really quickly. Make sure your rocks are REALLY stable, too. They're very strong.

 

[Amba]

The second I put her in she burrowed into the sand like a maniac :shock:

 

[Mr.Diggler]

The second I put her in she burrowed into the sand like a maniac :shock:

Mine did the same thing. It has a network of tunnels under the edges of my LR.

 

[Charliegrs]

Also, if you get a bigger tank for the eel and it has a overflow, you might want to close it off somehow like with mesh or something because my snowflake (back when I had one) used to constantly jump into the overflow and hang out in there and then jump back in the tank. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Amba]

Thanks for all the reminders I'd hate to lose her over something like that. She finally ate last night and her breathing has slowed down. She must be a good one because she accepts freeze dried krill no problem right out of my hand.

 

[SarahSmile]

Glad to hear she's calmed down and is eating, snowflake eels are so cool!

 

[Amba]

Hopefully she will be content in her 30 gal for a couple weeks more, until I get the 55 set up.

 

[Charliegrs]

Thanks for all the reminders I'd hate to lose her over something like that. She finally ate last night and her breathing has slowed down. She must be a good one because she accepts freeze dried krill no problem right out of my hand.

Your hand feeding your snowflake? Oh man, its only a matter of time before you get a nasty bite! They have sharp teeth and strong jaws and bad eyesight, so while it may be trying to take the krill from your hand it may miss and grab your finger instead. I used to feed my snowflake shrimp with tongs and half the time he would bite the tongs. Just a warning thats all!

 

[Sharkie]

https://www.livingreefs.com/care-and-keeping-snowflake-moray-eel-t23011.html

Smaller side meaning still around 3-4 feet ;) Snowies are AMAZING but don't count on seeing her all the time.... the only reason I see Kona anymore is for food. And let me tell you, they eat... a TON. Kona eats almost daily and thats 10 silversides or so... it may sound like over-feeding but these guys need to be able to grow.... a 30g tank will quickly become too small for yours....

They are SUPER awesome at escaping, i've had 3 that have escaped and kona thankfully has only tried once, got batted around by the declawed cat (lucky for him!), and has never tried again... however he's sure to knock the top off if he doesn't get his nightly feeding.


I would avoid the freeze dried krill and feeding by hand... If you do that you're training the eel that hand=food. ALWAYS. If you don't have food everytime you put your hands in the tank, you're gonna get bit (and it hurts, it's like meeting 20+ needles in a finger). I feed kona everything by tweezer so he only comes up to "greet" me when those are in the tank, otherwise he leaves my hands alone. Try feeding her some squid and silversides and watch her go.. heck, even some real crab now and again, oh man. they LOVE it :)

Hopefully your rocks are on the bottom of the glass and are either tied together or impossible to move... eels have SUPER strength and will cause a rock slide no problem, she's burrowing because she's making tunnels and "caves" for her to move about your tank without your detection.

if ya need any help or have any questions about eels i LOVE talkin' about them :) I've had 4 and they have all been awesome :)

 

[Waddi]

Yea i wouldnt hand feed it either... I got bit by a moray once on a dive, painful, followed by a swift hospital trip.
Not a fan of eels after that! :roll:

 

[Sir Alex]

Kona eats almost daily and thats 10 silversides or so... it may sound like over-feeding but these guys need to be able to grow....

I hardly feed my eel half that much in a week and he certainly doesn't looks underfed. :-? But he's alone so I don't have to worry about him getting hungry...