Day one of Banded snake eel in community tank.

[kcobain111]

I got a banded snake eel today. He's about 14 inches long maybe even a little more like 16. In the tank with him right now is a Gramma (awol) and 2 1.5 inch Percula Clowns. I bought some freeeze dried krill to feed him. Anyone know if he will come to the top and eat it or do i have to do something to make it sink?
I have about 70lbs of live rock and about a 3-4 inche sand bed.. So far he's moving around only after 35 minutes in the tank.
He's very nice looking. has black and greyish white stripes. Seems pretty thin but he will get a little thicker.

 

[kcobain111]

I turned the lights off and he's swimming all over the place. This is awesome. The clowns don't seem to be too bothered by him at all.

 

[mn1467]

you might need to get a feeding stick to feed him that is how I feed my SFE. Really cool when you do feed him

 

[kcobain111]

Yea i been hearing about a feeding stick...what exactly do you use for a feeding stick?

 

[mn1467]

I bought one at my LFS 2 bucks long plastic stick with a point at the end depending on your tank size My LFS had various sizes. I used to use my hands first then a pair of palstic tweezers after I got bit by one of my clowns no I use this stick that is about a foot long

 

[kcobain111]

OK Thanks i'll go pick up a feeding stick.
Day 2 both clowns are fine the gramma is still AWOL and the Eel is now AWOL. Must be buried in the sand or something. I also can't find the freeze Dried Krill i put in last night so he either ate ot or it sank to the bottom.

 

[ryan]

Hope he is in the bottom of your tank and not under you television or something (speaking from experience). You must have a very tight cover with eels. I have never had a banded snake eel, but I have read that they are very difficult to keep. Not to discourage you from your eel, but looking at the book Marine Fishes it says they grow up to 34.6 inches and require a min. tank size of 180gal. "Difficult to feed. Offer live grass shrimp or small benthic fishes to initiate feeding response. May accept pieces of fresh shrimp, scallop, or marine fish flesh impaled on a feeding stick. Feed to satiation, 2 times a week." ... "but its a very finicky eater and difficult to keep in captivity. Its tanks should have at least 2 inches of fine coral sand, as it often buries... Use care when choosing tankmates, as many fish are inclined to nip at it." I hope you have good luck with it.

 

[kcobain111]

i hope it's under the sand too. i looked all over and could not find it. I'll see if i can find it in the morning.

 

[kcobain111]

Day 3 and the eel is still AWOL. If he's not in the tank still then how far could he possibley go? There's only about a 1.5x5inch area that open in the back that he could have even gotten out of.
Are eels just that good at hiding?

 

[ryan]

They can be very good at hiding. That size opening is plenty for the eel to get of. If you have an eel the top of the tank has to be completly sealed. They will get out of the smallest openings. They can move pretty far once they get out. I would look under everything in your house. I have a friend that had one escape and it up in his blinds dead when he finally found it. When mine escaped it made it about 10 feet away under the entertainment stand.

 

[kcobain111]

Wow i really hope that is not the case. Id feel pretty bad for not knowing that it should be sealed off completely...I guess i'll just keep looking for him.. If he is dead then he's gotta start smelling soon enough...*sighs*

 

[fishieness]

with 70 pounds of live rock, i think you should be fine. I have a snowflake eel who is around 10-12 inches and i dont see him in my 29 gallon tank for days at a time with only 22 pounds of live rock. I have one piece that he spends all his time in and he weaves in and out of the wholes in it. If he doesnt have his head sticking out, i dont see him. Plus yours will burry himself in the sand. So with the mix between your sand and 70 pounds of live rock, i would think that is where he would be.

 

[jacknjill]

let us know how it turns out

 

[kcobain111]

day...10 maybe still have not seen him and i can't find him anywhere. Everyone says if i don't smell him then he's still in the tank. heh who knows maybe some day down the road i'll see him pop out of nowhere.

 

[thetrex]

Lets see some picture of the eel.

 

[evilss]

i have a snowflake in a 135 gallon. he is about 12" long. a couple weeks ago i lost him. i only have about 60 lbs of live rock. he found this one hole i didnt know about in a piece of live rock. he climbs all the way into it and you cant find him at all. he came out at feeding time and thats how i found where he was. put some food in your tank and hopefully he will come out. snake eels like to burrow in the sand. thats probably where he is. they leave there nose usually sticking out. that could be behind some rock somewhere. be patient. and good luck.

 

[kcobain111]

I have freeze dried Krill i was told to feed him but it floats.. is there anything else i should be feeding him? maybe he'll come out if his food isn't on the top of the water....2 krill have dissapeared unless they finnaly sink...

 

[kcobain111]

Not to Brag but i can't find any pictures of the Banded Snake eel as nice as mine was. It was perfectly stripped. He was so cool. I hope he's in there.

 

[mn1467]

Did you get the feeding stick? If you did I would wave the krill around the bottom of some of your rocks to intice him to come out works well with my SFE when I cant find him

 

[kcobain111]

BE ADVISED!!!!! the eel has been found! yes that's right folks the eel has been found... but my lights don't cover the whole tank.... i got a new setup and the lights are only 8 inches wide.. what do i do!