Anyone have an eel escape?

[piscesblue]

I'm new to eel keeping and was wondering how worried I should be about my snowflake jumping out of the tank. Due to the hang-on filters and skimmer, there is no possible way to seal the tank lid. Should I be paranoid? I had an octopus a few years back that always crawled out and chilled on top of my lightbar at night. I definatly do not need another creature wondering the house at night.

 

[grouperhead]

With my tank came a strip of heavy plastic weather gaurd. I cut some pieces, put them in the gaps, and have had no problem. I have a 28" sfe, 2 powerheads, a skimmer, and a wet fry filter on the back of the tank. Bo

 

[bluegoose972]

My SFE is about 15" long. The other day, I went to open the hood and he had his head sticking out the top of the protein skimmer. The outflow tube back into the tank is about 1" dia and he made his way up into the skimmer through that tube. The top of the skimmer does not have a lid (Bak-Pak), so luckily, he didn't get out. I but a piece of plastic over this area and he eventually went back out the same hole he came in.

 

[panhead]

had a snowflake escape, he secreted some kind of
slime and he was the slickest darn thing Ive ever
tried to hold onto.

 

[oze reefer]

SFE can survive for a four hours out of water......they can dry out and within an hour of being back in water they break out of their dried cocoon of mucus.......good as new

 

[clarkiiboi]

I just bought a sfe, because I am in the process of an aggressive tank and gonna move it into there

[hr]
but what if anything makes them try to get out? Thanks

 

[rattlyfuture]

My sfe got out one night, and my aquarium is at my office. So when I came in the next morning he was laying on the floor. I thought he was dead but when I picked him up he started squirming so I put him in the tank and no problems. This was a month ago. i don't know how long he was out but a lot of slime came off him when I put him back in and the trigger ate it. So use a little tape over the cracks in the back and he stays in. <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[musipilot]

Don't even THINK of keeping him without a secure tank. Use the duct tape, as suggested, or use plastic shipping tape. I've had a snowflake and a chainlink, and they BOTH did the carpet dive several times before I sealed the tanks. Its just their nature, they love to explore, and obviously don't realize the consequences. Seal that sucker up!

 

[reeferdude]

Ya it is a real good idea cause i have had one jump out of about a 3 inch hole in my hood

 

[pstanley]

I also had a moray jump out and spent the night on the carpet. They secrete a film that seals in moisture to allow them to survive for long periods of time.

 

[eric the red]

Our SFE got out recently for the first time, since we had him, and unfortunatly it was his last. My wife found him on the floor around noon so he was probaply out all night and half the day! However he did not recover from it. The tank seems empty without one in it. <img src="graemlins//dead.gif" border="0" alt="[dead]" />

 

[gliuomo]

Hi there. I had a snowflake eel, and he jumped out my tank over night. I found him all dried up behind the tank the next day. So if I was you I would find a way of sealing the top of the tank.

 

[thavngr98]

i did the duct tape also. cheap and easy.

 

[obsessivelady]

I lost 2 blue ribbon eels to the carpet. The 1st one I put back in & he survived until the next time, found him to late. My 2nd one died the 1st jump. I had both eels eating from my fingers & wonder if this was partially my fault since they came up to the top to eat. Do you think the duct tape really works? I would really like to try another they are so cool, but now I have a moon wrasse & am thinking he would go after it. What does everyone think?

 

[saltwaterdave]

My daughter and I were at a lfs today and watched a sfe go from 1 tank to 3 tanks down from it....basically what they have was just small open containers in a row and he just climed from 1 to the other until he got to where he wanted to go.....we also noticed a star fish trying to (what appeared to us) eat a small sfe.....he was the one we watched escape....I moved the star off him and then he took off.....just thought I would share that........