Eel Tank

sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Well i was looking at buying a 75 gallon bow front and buying eels. First ?s would diffrent types of eels be ok in one tank
? how many eels could be in a 75
Would these eels be ok together with a ton of caves and rocks
Snowflake Eels-how many
Chainlink Eel
Spotted Snake Eel
Ghost Eel
Also i saw what the lfs called a golden morey and this thing was insane solid yellow so mabe one of those
so how many eels could be put into a 75 bow front. What types would be best together. And what filtration would be could for this eel tank. I have two 20 gallon tanks laying around so i could make a fuge and sump but would need help
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Please critize and i would like to keep it eel only but mabe add a fish to clean. Oh yea what would be a good clean up crew for this tank that the eels wouldnt mess with
 
evilss

evilss

Member
well no clean up crew will be to safe. some larger crabs may be ok. as far as the snake eel. they get pretty big. i have a friend with one that im about to buy thats in a 75 gal. i personally think the tank is to small for him. he is about 3' long. so as soon as he streches out he has to stop swimming. now the snowflakes ususally stay pretty small and you shouldnt have a problem with him. i dont know to much about the chainlinks and the ghost eel.
 
moraym

moraym

Active Member
I would house one SFE and one ghost eel in that tank. Make sure they are introduced to the tank at the same time, and about the same size. They are from two different genus (Echidna versus Muraena), and eels that arent from the same genus will sometimes disagree with tankmates, however both of these eels are fairly passive as far as eels go. The SFE has rounded pebble teeth, not a true fish-eater really, and the ghost eel pretty much sticks to eating only what it can fit in its mouth, it isn't big on taking bites out of tankmates. So I think these two would be safe. The SFE gets to be about 2 feet in length, the ghost eel maybe a few inches less than that.
I would not try to house 2 SFEs and a ghost eel, as in my opinion that would be too much as they matured. I would do one SFE and one ghost, with plenty of liverock so they can establish their own sides of the tank, or own areas to inhabit.
The chainlink eel, or chain eel, needs more space than a 75 allows. They get almost 3 feet long and would be best housed in a 100-125g tank. If by spotted snake eel you mean Myrichthys maculosus (i know them as Goldspotted Eels), I agree with evilss, as they approach 3-4 feet long and would also require a 100-125.
 
evilss

evilss

Member
moraym, what do you think about mixing eels with a snake eel. i have never heard of anyone doing it. i am setting up a 135 and may be getting that eel that i spoke about above.
 
moraym

moraym

Active Member

Originally posted by evilss
moraym, what do you think about mixing eels with a snake eel.
Mixing two or three snake eels together is a good idea, as they actually do enjoy the company of other eels of the same species, kind of rare with some eels.
As far as mixing different eels together, I'm a little uncertain. Snake eels prefer to bury themselves in the substrate (you'll need 5 inches minimum for a mature snake eel to bury himself in), which means you'll need to leave lots of open space for your adult snake eel to get into the substrate, think of how much sand space a 3-foot eel needs to get under there. That would leave very little LR space for another eel to hide in, as is commong with most every other eels. So that eel would become very territorial since he'd have just enough LR to fit himself into. And if both eels were 2-4 feet in length, it would be impossible for them not to bump into each other often.
The snake eel is fairly passive as far as eels go, but most larger eels you would house with it in a 100+ aquarium would likely be aggressive.
But I don't think the main issue is compatibility, it's sand versus LR spacing. Making sure to have enough LR for a 2 or 3-foot eel to feel comfortable in, while maintaining enough open sand for a 3-foot snake eel to get into.
Let's see if anyone else responds to this thread, I would be interested in learning more myself about this question.
 
evilss

evilss

Member
well the snake eel now really doesnt take up much room to burrow. probably cause he doesnt have much in the tank he is in now. in my tank i think im gonna just build up some lr in the corners. so the other eel which will probably be a snowflake or zebra, will have some where to hide. im still undecided on what to do. i know i want an emperor angel, a puffer, lion, trigger, and a tang. im going to get all pretty small fish. so by the time that everything got large they would have another tank to go to. im really just exploring my options as of now. tank is finishing up on cycling. i dont know if i will be able to keep everything i want in the tank but thats my hopes.
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
What abut a golden morey cause that thing was awesome it was solid yellow and what would be good filtration for an eel tank
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
If it is solid yellow than yeah. how big do they get, what size tank should they be in and would it be ok with an sfe, and what about filtration
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Yea i dont know if it is but in the description it said many or few black markings. I set up my 20 gallon last week or one of then and it has 30 pounds of lr, but my question is how long could i keep a 5 inch sfe in a 5 gallon. No it isnt a must and yea it would be the only thing in there. I think it would be cool for awhile, but please tell me if i cant cause i would hate for it to die
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Can someone reply to the 5 gallon ? i need to know because i am buying one tommrow morining and if no one replys i am putting it in the 20. Yes the 20 has already cycled. Also how do i aclimate an eel. Like most of my fish are fine if i just put them in there bags on top of the water for a hour will that work with an eel and is 76 a good temp for a sfe
 
moraym

moraym

Active Member
I would not keep a SFE, of any size, in a 5g. Tanks that small are VERY sensitive to flucuations in water level, salinity, other levels, and obviously bioload. Not to mention for a tank that small you'll have trouble finding a smaller powerhead to properly turn over water and you'll need a small heater as well. I don't want to be too harsh, so I'll just leave it at: absolutely not.
As for acclimation, even though eels are hardier than most fish and require a lot less worry when acclimating, I would follow the acclimation procedures on this site if you have the time:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/acclimation.php
(If you dont have the vinyl tubing and such, you can pour small amounts of water into the acclimation bucket every few minutes, like a few ounces every 5 min or so)
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Thank you very much
And please dont worry about being harsh. I would rather that then have a dead eel. How would it do in a 20 and for how long till i have to set up a 55
 
sharkboy97

sharkboy97

Member
Wel i need more advice i am heading to the pet store to pick up a 5inch snowfalke for my 20 gallon will it be ok and suggest tank mates please
 
gasguzzler

gasguzzler

Active Member
Any tankmates would be fine in general as long as they are not crustaceans. These are thier main food source in the wild. I have heard stories of SFEs attacking fish, however. With it being so small I wouls say any swimming fish bigger that 2 inches is safe for now.
 
moto757

moto757

Member
check out a zebra they are real mellow and get along with other eels my lfs has one with a blackedge and a golden moray
 
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