SF eel, w/ 55 gal. tank and stand...free 2 me

[swlover]

Tommorrow I'm going to pick up a 55 gallon tank, stand, filter plus a 3 ft snowflake eel for FREE! Yup a friend of mine is moving and can't take it with her. I don't want the eel, way too big and NOTHING can be kept with it. She said everything gets eaten, even hermits. Do you all think that LFS would trade with me? Or should I just give it to them? I'd like to know what something like that is worth before I take it. Let me know. Thanks

 

[nicetry]

Doubtful it's a snowflake eel if it's 3 feet long. If you don't want it, a reputable lfs should be willing to take it for credit towards something else. What you'll get for it is dependent on the species/size and condition of the fish. Figure they'll allow you maybe half of what they can sell it for.

 

[swlover]

I'm going by what she said, I have never seen it. How big does a snowflake get?

 

[reeftank27]

around 3ft

 

[nicetry]

Originally Posted by reeftank27
around 3ft
I've never personally heard of a SFE growing that large. 2 feet would be considered a good size.

 

[swlover]

Well I just got back from the trip up there, it's a 58 gallon with stand and sump and they said it is a yellowheaded moray eel. My girlfriend knows nothing about fish, her hubby told me what it is. He is a little over 2 foot, they paid $100.00 for the eel a couple of years ago. It is a beautiful eel, I'm not really into eels, I'm debating on weather to keep it or not. Depending on how much bigger he gets, or if the 58 gallon is big enough for him, it's tall not long so that may be a problem. He's in a 20 gallon for tonight, and will be working tomorrow on getting him a permenent home weather it's here or at LFS. He was really easy to catch, I was very surprised, he didn't fight or try to bite..we were very easy with him and already had his dinner. I have a couple of hermits in there with him and he's not paying any attention to them...yet. Anyone know anything about these eels? I'm going to do some research on him, but I thought I would ask here first. Here are a couple of pics, the cloudyness is him doing some kind of shaking thing with his tail, stirred up some sand. I'll get better pics of him later.

 

[reeftank27]

well i have a 2ft snowflake and i know for a fact that they get bigger than that...might not be 3 ft exactly but really close...hopefully AW2 will chime in here. he should know better than me.

 

[reeftank27]

oh and that yellowhead is a fish killer

 

[blizz75]

thats a frimbriated, those guys are bad

[hr]
. Thats why he is eating everything and yeah they get pretty big for a 55g. You should be able to get some good money for him if hes 3 feet.
Very cool

 

[swlover]

He's just over 2 foot, where can I find out about him? Whats a frimbiated? Is it not a yellowhead moray eel? If the LFS dosen't take him I may post him in the want ads here. Can he be shipped? And if so how could I do it safely. I'd be willing to trade. I just don't have the room for a tank bigger than 55 gallons, and he wouldn't be happy, so I'll give him up.

 

[reeftank27]

yellow head and fimbrated are the same eel and he is all ready to big for a 55 gallon...if i were you i would sell him on here...pet store isnt going to give you much at all....not to many people want a 2 ft monster that is going to eat everything. I wish you were closer i would love to have him but good luck finding him a proper home.

 

[swlover]

Ok, I did a search and found out a little about him. What was the LFS thinking when they sold him to my friend?? :notsure:Yea 58 gallon is way too small for him, he'll grow to another foot or so. Seems they are on the list of eels NOT recommended, too big, too agressive and they are smart, seems like they will get out of the tank if not secured. Someone said they duct taped the tank lid down and the eel learned to get it wet so it would peel it back to get out of the tank! I'm nervous now, I have a glass lid but there is an opening at the back for the filter, about an inch wide. what can I put over or around this so he can't get out? :help: Tomorrow I'm going to call the coral reef (LFS) in the next city over, they have some unusual items there, I will see what they will trade for this guy. I would like to get him to a good home quickly before something happens to him...so if someone here would like him for trade/sell let me know, I'm fairly close to Virginia, N. Carolina & Kentucky.

 

[teaggs]

Originally Posted by swlover
Ok, I did a search and found out a little about him. What was the LFS thinking when they sold him to my friend?? :notsure:Yea 58 gallon is way too small for him, he'll grow to another foot or so. Seems they are on the list of eels NOT recommended, too big, too agressive and they are smart, seems like they will get out of the tank if not secured. Someone said they duct taped the tank lid down and the eel learned to get it wet so it would peel it back to get out of the tank! I'm nervous now, I have a glass lid but there is an opening at the back for the filter, about an inch wide. what can I put over or around this so he can't get out? :help: Tomorrow I'm going to call the coral reef (LFS) in the next city over, they have some unusual items there, I will see what they will trade for this guy. I would like to get him to a good home quickly before something happens to him...so if someone here would like him for trade/sell let me know, I'm fairly close to Virginia, N. Carolina & Kentucky.
He is cool as hell and I wish I could put him in my girlfriends tank but I dont think she would appreciate him eating all her "cute little fishies" :hilarious Good luck, I would put it in my 125 but I am to attached to my fish to let them go

 

[aw2x3]

Originally Posted by reeftank27
well i have a 2ft snowflake and i know for a fact that they get bigger than that...might not be 3 ft exactly but really close...hopefully AW2 will chime in here. he should know better than me.

Snowflakes will absolutely grow larger than 24". I've seen many that were at least 36" and a few that were larger than that.
Unfortunately, as it's already been said, 58 gallons isnt enough room for a Fimby. It'll max out at 30" - 32" and will be (if it's not already) a stone cold killer. Do not keep it with fish that you do not find disposable.
I'd be more than happy to take it off of your hands, as I have a garage full of fish equipment I'm not using...but, I'm not exactly close to your location.

 

[nicetry]

Snowflakes will absolutely grow larger than 24". I've seen many that were at least 36" and a few that were larger than that.
QUOTE]
Doubtful Andy. The largest recorded one is I believe 32 inches. I'll hunt for a link on this. Most resources state that 2 feet is an average. The probability of someone seeing "many that were at least 36" and a few that were larger" is really a stretch.

 

[aw2x3]

Originally Posted by nicetry
Originally Posted by AW2x3
Snowflakes will absolutely grow larger than 24". I've seen many that were at least 36" and a few that were larger than that.
Doubtful Andy. The largest recorded one is I believe 32 inches. I'll hunt for a link on this. Most resources state that 2 feet is an average. The probability of someone seeing "many that were at least 36" and a few that were larger" is really a stretch.
Call it a stretch, or not...I've seen them measured out.
Fishbase (the worlds foremost info site, for fish) has them maxing at 100cm, which is 39.4. You can say I'm wrong, but how are you gonna tell hundreds of biologists, researchers, etc. that they're wrong?

 

[swlover]

Ok, we are kinda getting off the subject of this eel, I believe there are exceptions to every rule. I don't think it is writen in stone that a snowflake eel will absolutely get no larger than 24", thats probably on average. Just like this eel, no one can say for sure what he will do or what he wont do. He is in the tank with hermits, I saw a hermit crawling right in front of his nose and he didn't even bat an eye. And also a large feather duster, waving right in front of him. If he was a killer he would have killed them by now. And he has not even tried to escape, they say they are notorious for getting out of the tank, this one dosen't seem interested in getting out. Just a couple of things that I have noticed..who is to say he can't be kept with other animals, there have been many times ppl have mentioned on this board of strange tank mates, that other wise would fight or be killed. You just never know, he may accept another fish being it there with him in a large enough tank, I just don't have the room for a larger tank or I would keep him.

 

[aw2x3]

Sorry for the little bit of a derailment.
Originally Posted by swlover
He is in the tank with hermits, I saw a hermit crawling right in front of his nose and he didn't even bat an eye. And also a large feather duster, waving right in front of him. If he was a killer he would have killed them by now.
They're fish eaters...not invert eaters.
Originally Posted by swlover
And he has not even tried to escape, they say they are notorious for getting out of the tank, this one dosen't seem interested in getting out.
I really dont believe the "all Morays will try to escape" theory. I've had both of mine for years, some times with open tops for many months at a time and they've never once made an attempt. Provide enough rockwork/hiding places and you wont have to worry about it.
Originally Posted by swlover
Just a couple of things that I have noticed..who is to say he can't be kept with other animals, there have been many times ppl have mentioned on this board of strange tank mates, that other wise would fight or be killed. You just never know, he may accept another fish being it there with him in a large enough tank, I just don't have the room for a larger tank or I would keep him.
Good luck, with that. Hopefully, you can get it to work out.

 

[swlover]

Well I'm going by the word "killer" just because something kills another animal dosen't mean it will eat it. I was speaking territorial. I've had my hand in there moving rocks around to make more room for him and he didn't come after me, actually he was not even curious at what I was doing. I'm not keeping it, I have found a place that is very excited to get him, they specialize in hard to find sw creatures. They have a large tank already set up for him, if someone decides to put him with other fish/animals that will be up to them...they know how agressive his species can be.

 

[sharkboy13]

sry for the thread jack but AW, u said they will kill ANY tankmates? lions, triggers, even remoras? if u think that he wont kill those, the tank im thinking of has two volitians 15", a 8-9" clown trig, and a 13" unknown grouper, and a 22" remora.