Christmas Oops

[j-spot]

So I came home there other day to find my wife grinning at the door. She proceeds to exlain to me that she is going to have to give me part of my xmas early. She tells me to close my eyes and leads me into the room where my new 55 has been up and running for about 2 months now. Open and look she says full of excitement. I open my eyes to find a new creature in my tank, a zebra eel. I have been eyeing this guy for awhile but didn't have a place to put him. He is a very gentle monster, loves to be petted but he is all of 2 1/2 feet long! I called the lfs and they said no on taking it back. They had told my wife that the eel would be fine in a 40 so a 55 is plenty of room. So my question is how long can I keep the eel in this tank? I know an upgrade is in my future, had already planned on it. I have rearranged the rock to give him a cave to hang out in and secured the top to avoid any carpet surfing. He has been eating frozen food so no problem there. I am just stuck with a fish I would love to have but don't think I have the room for. Looks like I might be upgrading sooner than I thought.
P.S. Wife doesn't get to buy fish without me anymore.

 

[treybom]

do u have a really secure lid? im pretty sure he will outgrow that tank

 

[treybom]

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons !!!!!
Care Level: Difficult !!!!!
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 4' 9"
Color Form: Black and White
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: With Caution
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Muraenidae

 

[treybom]

Originally Posted by treybom
Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons !!!!!
Care Level: Difficult !!!!!
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 4' 9"
Color Form: Black and White
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: With Caution
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Muraenidae
thats for the zebra.. so my suggestion would be .. find a lfs that will take it back or give you store credit....

 

[j-spot]

There is only 1 lfs here and they won't take him back. I understand he will outgrow my tank. Like I explained before, it wasn't my idea to get him. The tank is secure so no worries there. I am upgrading but it will have to be after the holidays.

 

[maeistero]

Originally Posted by treybom
do u have a really secure lid? im pretty sure he will outgrow that tank

are you kidding???? he's already well outgrown the tank!!!
put a location in your profile, maybe somebody nearby can take him. i would if you're nearby, but who knows where this eel is? people around here are great and i've had people take a fish for a month or so and give it back. i've done it also when i had a good empty tank. you can get a great feel for the fish with observation helping out your local people. any experience with a new species is worthwhile. imho

 

[j-spot]

I am in Illinois, Quincy to be exact.

 

[maeistero]

you might try posting up or looking on fishheads
dot
or
g
it's a ks/mo non profit site and there's lots of cheap tanks on there, some around jeff city mo and stl.
there's also local get togethers and frag swaps once in awhile.

just a thought, i'm too far away unfortunately.

 

[j-spot]

Well, would the eel be ok in the 55 until I can get ahold of something bigger incase I can't find someone to take him?

 

[jcrim]

While this eel is not recommended for a tank that size, I wouldn't beat yourself up too much. Zebra's are one of the most inactive fish in the aquarium trade. Sounds like right now the eel is by itself. Keep up with your water changes and feed lightly. This eel will be ok for a while until you decide to either upgrade or get rid of it.
Although it's not recommended, I've seen these guys live for years in tanks that size and smaller.

 

[maeistero]

i'd think so for awhile, but i'd check water conditions everyday depending on how much it eats. it has the potential to make a LOT of waste at one time.

make sure you're using a good quality test kit like salifert. i've not used any other kits, but i've heard a lot of them aren't too great. that's a big guy for a 55, post up some pics for me!

 

[j-spot]

I agree about him being to big for my present tank. My main concern is for the eel, would be a shame to see such a wonderful animal suffer. I would love to keep him, but it depends on how soon I can either get ahold of a tank or find someone with room. I did have some words with the guy at the lfs, just can't believe he would suggest that the eel could go in a tank as small as 40 gallons. My wife was a little upset by my reaction, but all better now. I can in no way blame her for someone elses ignorance. I just find it hard to believe that money is more important than the health of this beautiful eel.

 

[ross]

Dont sweat it yet, like already said, he is pretty inactive. Just dont feed him too much 1) so he wont grow too much and 2) so he doesnt make as much waste. Try to start looking for a new tank, but its not an emergency.