Hey Guys, Eel question

[varez]

Ok so i am considering on getting back in to the saltwater hobby. I have decided that i will keep my repltiles or go with predatory saltwater fish. My LOVE for a Coral Cat shark has forced me to avoid it, and i have a 150 gallon tank but dont have the time to set it up right now. All i could put him in is a 75 gallon (still 6 feet long, but he may be stressed still). I guess that leaves me with an Eel. Now of course my favorite is a Dragon Eel (who does not love these!) but its worth more than i am ever willing to spend on a fish. So after googling for a few hours i came up with a Yellow Canary Eel and an Octopus. When i researched the Octopus and found it has a 8-12 month life span i felt that was not a good idea for a pet, and i felt bad that an animal with such a short life is sold in captivity, but people gotta have there pets...

Heres a picture of the eel i desire...and a shark i would love to have. How long would it take a shark pup to grow out of a 75 gallon? If it is possible to house a coral cat shark for a while in a 75 then i may be able to pull it off. As the 150 gallon is in my possesion but i would need time to get it set up (its just the tank, no lid or lights etc. would need to save up some $).

 

[varez]

just realized i skipped the eel question
i ment to ask if that eel is acctually called a Yellow Canary Eel and what is it max size?

 

[varez]

any of predatory fish you may want to advise let me know. I am big on things with "fangs" or sharp teeth.

 

[crypt keeper]

It would outgrow the 75 in a few months from what I have read on here. The eel would be fine in that tank for about a year or so if purchased at a length of 12 inches or so.

 

[95harley]

The eel is actually a Brazilain Goldentail Moray (Gymnothorax miliaris), actually maxes out at 24-28" and would be good for life in a 75g. (Attached is a picture of mine.)
That said depending on where you are these will cost you $250-400.
Now.....L.A.D.D. has 3 DME's right now for $699. I bought mine for $999 so IMO this is a STEAL!!!! They max out around 32-36" but are much thicker. I have mine 30"+ in a 75g with some Damsels and he is doing great. (Another pic attached)
So for the $200-300 difference in the two eels I'd do the Dragon only in the 75g.
From my experience the personality of the DME is MUCH better than the Golden. He is very shy, slow delicate feeder and needs food brought right in front of him and is almost forced to eat. While my Dragon comes to the top of the water and eats feeder shrimp, silversides, smelt, and squid right out of my hand (I hold the tip of the food & use the glass edge to hide my hand as he comes with force). Much more puppy dog like pet. He also lays out on the rocks and watches me in my recliner and watches me move.
My 2 cents no shark is really suited for captivity at 3-4' max size. Stick with a cool eel. Easy to feed, almost indestructable, fun to feed, long life 20yrs+.
And the cost issue....think of this way. A dog lives 13-15yrs, a Moray can live 20yrs+. Would you pay $700 for a puppy? And a MOray doesn't poo on the rug or need to go out in the middle of the night. You can also go a week or two vacation and leave the eel at home alone. Case closed.

 

[varez]

dont get me wrong i have wanted a DME for about 2 years, i just cant get that much money...i have a few things like an Xbox and laptop i can part with but still would be short and need to put money into a good enoug tank and get a good hunk of live rock for him. If i could get a DME for a good price i would hae it in minutes. and dont get me wrong. $700.00 is a bargain for them from what i have seen! just in todays economy i can barely afford the goldentail moray. I have a Black Throat Monitor lizard i can offer for sale as well but thats it.

 

[red crab]

with a tank that size and if you are getting eels i would get a green moray or a wolf eels tell how it turns out

 

[red crab]

with a tank that size and if you are getting eels i would get a green moray or a wolf eel tell how it turns out

 

[aw2x3]

I'm with 95Harley...the Goldentail would be fine...the shark would not.
Believe it or not, it's harder to find Goldentails than it is to find Dragons...from my searching anyway. The only place I've found them is the website where you got the picture from and as Harley said...for a few hundred bucks more, why not save for a Dragon? It may take more time, but that'll be time used wisely, getting your tank in order.
Now...you say you have a Roughneck, that you'd be willing to sell. What size, temperment, price...and where do you live? I'd be interested. I'm not a newb in the reptile dept either...I have 4 Burmese Pythons (biggest being 14'), an Aussie Water Python, a Beardie and a Uromastyx.
PM me, to keep from cluttering up this thread.

 

[kjr_trig]

Also keep in mind there are a few different variations of Gymnothorax miliaris, and several different common names...The one like Harley has fetches the highest price typically, often called the Canary, or Banana Moray, I believe typically found around Brazil....Another site advertises one variety as the Fire Coral Moray, these typically have gold spots all over them, awesome looking Eel IMO...The typical Goldentail (as sold by SWF.com for $89) is more brown spots with just the tail being Golden.