Snowflake Eel?

1698 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by slapshot, Aug 28, 2012

Danroth

Discussion Starter · Aug 27, 2012

I really would love one of these in my tank. Of course, right now my 'wish list' is all pure speculation, and such. I know they won't really pick on fish, or coral so I'm good there, and they'll even leave my clam alone that I fully intend to get.

Will they pick on shrimp, though? I intend to have a tiger pistol shrimp (paired with a goby) and maybe one or two cleaner shrimp (I've seen enough posts around where the tiger pistol can get along with other shrimp that I feel okay in doing that).

What, in general, (if any) are people's experiences here with the snowflake eels? I know they're jumpers (down at my LFS today I watched as they tried to get a snowflake eel for a customer & it jumped out of the net and was on the floor. When they got it in the bucket then tried to get the other eel for the customer, both eels were on the floor. It was honestly pretty funny) but I also intend to have wrasse & firefish so I'm preparing for that already.

I'll have a 125 gallon which should be more than enough room for it. Plus it'll give a bit of 'variety' to my tank, which I'm looking for as well. I just know that likely once I get him in there, he's going to be hell to get out, so I'd like to know really if anyone ever regretted getting one, or how long they've stayed & how well they've gotten along with other tankmates. My tank is pretty much just going to be a community peaceful mixed reef.

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jpadams555

· #2 · Aug 27, 2012

It will eat the shrimp the pistol shrimp has the best chance to survive because they hide most the time. But the cleaners would probably disappear after a bit but ive kept them for awhile now they are easy to keep and are pretty cool

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Peter505

· #3 · Aug 27, 2012

Doesn't sound like a cleaner shrimp would be "necessary" for your tank according to your fish list. If you want something interesting that will try to clean your fish, look into a neon cleaner goby.

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Danroth

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 27, 2012

I just like shrimp, I think they're neat critters. I do know that some shrimp don't get along in the same tank, though. And I'd rather not lose animals to one another if it can at all be helped. But dang, those eels are pretty awesome.

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Peter505

· #5 · Aug 27, 2012

Danroth said:
I just like shrimp, I think they're neat critters. I do know that some shrimp don't get along in the same tank, though. And I'd rather not lose animals to one another if it can at all be helped. But dang, those eels are pretty awesome.

I agree completely! My shrimp is so cool. I struggled with deciding weather to risk a snowflake with a shrimp when setting up my new tank.

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ReeferAL

· #6 · Aug 27, 2012

From my understanding eels will eat pretty much anything that will fit in their mouths. Snowflakes are less likly to go after fish or inverts than some of the more aggressive eels but it is still a possibility. Keep it well fed and avoid any small fish or inverts and you should be fine. If you want shrimp and small fish I would probably avoid eels all together.

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cbonito

· #7 · Aug 27, 2012

ReeferAL said:
From my understanding eels will eat pretty much anything that will fit in their mouths. Snowflakes are less likly to go after fish or inverts than some of the more aggressive eels but it is still a possibility. Keep it well fed and avoid any small fish or inverts and you should be fine. If you want shrimp and small fish I would probably avoid eels all together.

Agreed.

I had a snowflake, an ocellated, and a mexican dragon...I also had another one that was brown and small. It came in on a piece of live rock and I had it for 8 years. I dont know what it was, but it stayed small and was the type with an enlongated mouth like the mexican.

They will all systematically murder your livestock, and they are also wild feeders that will tie themselves into knots when they eat and knock stuff over too. They have poor eyesight, but they can strike quick at movement so I'm not even sure if they know what they're snapping at half the time which makes them even more dangerous. They will sometimes bite you too if you're not careful. And it hurts!

If I had a very large SPS only tank with large stable rockwork, then I'd do it, but if not, avoid them. You'll be mad if you don't!

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Danroth

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 28, 2012

Thanks for the feedback; yeah, they are awesome, but unfortunately I think I am going to let this fall to the wayside, as my 'fears' and trepidations about putting one in the tank were pretty much confirmed. Thanks all!

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slapshot

· #9 · Aug 28, 2012

I've always had a snowflake, my current one is three years old and almost 3 ft long. The second biggest I have ever seen. He has never eaten anything, not my cleaner shrimp or even the sexy shrimp in the tank. He can be destructive when he is hungry as he comes out and swims around. I just feed him then. He has never eaten a fish either. Once during feeding he grabbed a Mandarin but spit him out unharmed.

The only time he ever got into trouble was when he first went into the tank. He headed right into a cave that my coral bandit lived in. A few seconds later he came flying out of the cave with the CB firmly clamped on his nose. It really was funny. To this day he has never gone in that cave again. To me a reef is not a reef without a Moray. Best of luck with your additions, and any animal can go rouge but I would not worry about it.

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