reef safe eel

[blitt]

I just found on the net a golden dwarf moray eel. The discription says reef safe average size 6 - 8 inches about the diameter of a pen has anyone heard of or had any experince with these eels. Is it a mistake say reef safe means shrimp/invert safe?

 

[rayraypico]

i have wanted an eel in my tank for so long now. But I have been advised not to put them in the tank. Besides most of them not being reef safe they also require for you to have a completly enclosed top to your tank. By sealing the top of your tank you don't allow the proper exchange of gases with your tank. By covering the top of your tank your not allowing the gases that normally escape out the top of your tank to escape. This information was passed on to me by the guy at my LFS. I trust him as he has given me some very good information so far. I have a fan that keeps the air cool below my halides and need the air flow to keep the water cool.

 

[bulzebe]

I've got three small eels in a top-less tank with corals, so I say just keep them fed. It also helps if they're small.

 

[rayraypico]

what type of eels??? how long have you had them?? do you have shrimp in your tank??

 

[drkdweller]

three eels is a topless reef tank thats asking for trouble. Most eel deaths come from eels climbing out of the tank and on to the floor.
eels dont do good in reef tanks because as they grow bigger they will probly start shifting the rock to make a bigger home kocking over corals.
they also have a big bio load, and corals
need good water quality.

 

[moraym]

DrkDweller gave the answer, they're not technically reef-safe due to their bioload and sometimes irritating habit of knocking over rock work.
By sealing the top of your tank you don't allow the proper exchange of gases with your tank
I've sealed the top of all of my eel tanks and never had trouble with exchange for years. Most of my specimens are approaching four years old. It's almost impossible to seal a tank 100%, there is still some gas exchange even when you think you're completely sealed. I've even covered my reef tanks with very secure glass canopy, eliminates water loss. I go on long business trips, basically half my life on the road, and by sealing off my tanks it eliminates evaporation. Vapor forms on the canopy and drips back into the tank. Again, never had trouble with gas exchange. So not sure that gas exchange would be a reason to not get an eel.

 

[bulzebe]

I have corals, shrimp, snails, crabs, etc. Believe me, they don't jump out unless we don't feed them. We've had Vlad, the white eye moray, for about five months.. Pax, ghost eel, three months.. Snowflake, two months.

 

[blitt]

Thank you everyone for your opinions. I'm still looking for someone who may have had experience with the Golden Dwarf Moray Eel. They only grow to 10inches. so size and knocking over rock should not be an issue. I guess as far as being shrimp / Invert safe well, It's an eel so as with anything that normally eats what it wants if it's hungry it would probably nip at my shrimp. Again thanks everyone.

 

[moraym]

Many eel specimens will not eat cleaner shrimp, they recognize the value of the shrimp and do not eat it. I didn't believe it until I saw it at the LFS, and sure enough, there were cleaner shrimp in with several eels. Haven't tried this one out at home yet.