Snow Flake Eel....please help!

[shrimpdady]

I am wondering if I can safely keep a Snow Flake Eel in my reef tank(55 Gallon).
I posted this in the Aggressive forum 2 days ago but have not gotten any real responses.
Originally I asked if a SFE would be okay in my 20 Gallon, but the only reply I got said only if it is 6-10 inches. Does this mean I can't keep an adult in my 20 Gallon?
Then someone suggested that I put one in my 55 Gallon, but I fear that it will increase my bio-load too much and I don't want my cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp to get eaten.
I am willing to take out the shrimp if they will definately become dinner for the SFE.
Anyway, let me know if this is okay or if it is too much.
In my 55 gallon I have.........
2-Ocellaris
1-Lawnmower Blenny
1-Royal Gramma
1-Coral Beauty
1-BTA
1-Cleaner Shrimp
1-Peppermint Shrimp
20-Blue Legged Hermits
2-Sea Hares
1-Sand Sifting Cucumber
1-Cleaner Clam
Various Corals
45 lbs. Live Rock
30 lbs. Base Rock
Cascade 750 Canister Filter
Prizm Skimmer (works great!!!)
Would a SFE be okay with these fish and inverts?
Can I handle the bio-load?

 

[volcom69]

Im no expert on eels but i think the eel will make a meal out of ur inverts thats for sure and maybe out of some small fish. I heard u can keep a snowflake eel in a tank as small as a 40 gal, but like i said im not an eel expert.

 

[livephish]

my snowflake is pretty docile, but i definately think as it grew bigger, it would probably EAT most all of those fish in your tank.

 

[120reefer]

the SFE would definately be alright in a 55g, but your livestock is incompatible IMO. The shrimp would prolly be lunch, and the fish would be ok for a while if the SFE was small enough. Unfortunately you wouldn't know the SFE was too big until he... uhh...

 

[moby]

Quick answer is he would outgrow the 20gal and he would make a meal out of most of your inverts in the 55gal!
Eels in general are opportunist, if it is available, they take it!
Moby

 

[shrimpdady]

Alright then...no snowflake eel for me.

I am guessing that keeping an adult SFE in my 20 Gallon is out of the question.

Can anyone suggest a good bottom dwelling fish that would be compatible with the livestock in my 55 Gallon Reef?
I am not interested in any gobys (except maybe an engineer goby) as I just returned one because it ate my Coral Banded Shrimp and one of my Cleaner Shrimp.

:scared:
Any ideas on a good reef safe bottom dwelling fish?

 

[shrimpdady]

Just saw your post moby.
I will completely forget about the SFE!

 

[drewsta]

look into jawfish they are pretty cool

 

[moby]

Hey shrimpdady,
I completely understand wanting a SFE.
They are pretty neat, but the problem is they limit you on what you can keep with them.
Moby

 

[caz2022]

Originally Posted by moby
Hey shrimpdady,
I completely understand wanting a SFE.
They are pretty neat, but the problem is they limit you on what you can keep with them.
Moby
For what its worth,Iv had a SFE in one of my tanks for 2 years. My tank has:
1 clown
3 damsels
1 spotted buffer
2 monos
10 blue hermits
10 scarlet hermit
1 arrow crab
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
4 fiddler crabs
4 turbos
1 conch
1 20" snow flake
I hand feed my SFE 4-6 krill every other day and he never bothers anybody.
In fact, my cleaner hangs out by the cave my SFE lives in and cleans him every time he pokes his head out.

 

[wilsonreef]

I agree with CAZ..My SFE is about 20" long and about 1 and 1/4" in dia. he is in the tank with CBS, Cleaner shrimp, turbo snails, hermits, peppermint shrimp, yellow tang, hippo tang, firefish, percula clown, yellow tail damsel, royal gramma. Been there for over 18 months and hasn't bothered anything yet. One thing you will have to remember is to keep him fed because just like anything else when its hungry it will eat. But like I said keep it fed and I don't see any problems JMO. I go to Kroger buy raw shrimp cut it up and feed him sometimes every other day sometimes every third day. When it comes out its usually hungry, thats when I feed it.

 

[shrimpdady]

If there are a few more people out there who keep a SFE in their tank with occupants similar to mine, then I MIGHT take the risk.

 

[moby]

If there are a few more people out there who keep a SFE in their tank with occupants similar to mine, then I MIGHT take the risk.
LOL! I thought once you saw those last 2 posts you might say that!

Hey, I say go for it! Just watch him around those inverts.

My first SFE ate every crab and shrimp I put in the tank, but you could get a mellow one.
Moby

 

[shrimpdady]

I have lost too many animals due to poor fish choice and refuse to make the same mistakes over and over again.

It would take at least 3 more success stories before I would even really consider it due to the risks.

 

[garnet13aj]

I've asked a similar question before and the response I got was the sfe are on the docile end of eels and that they are not piscavores (sp?) so although they may eat the shrimps or crabs they are unlikely to eat the fish. Athough you can never gaurentee anything after reading many posts that say this from people who have sfe's and fish together themselves I am planning on putting an sfe in a 55 FOWLR. It's not a personal success story, but it's 2nd hand knowledge of many people keeping sfe's with fish.

 

[canine]

My SFE made dinner out of my percula. The eel is about 8 inches and the percula was about 1.5 inches. They were put in the tank at the same time and the clown only lasted a couple of days.

 

[sepulatian]

With the eel you will hear success and midnight snack stories unfortunately. As with alot of large fish they may or may not eat your other fish. I am afraid there is no diffinitive answer on this one.
P.S. WELCOME BACK MOBY!!!!!!!

 

[garnet13aj]

What I've always wondered is if it's really a difference in personality or if those w/aggressive sfe's that eat everything aren't feeding their eels to the point where they are fully satisified and that is why they are eating tank inhabitants. Any thoughts anyone?

 

[marine fanatic]

SFE's can be a nightmare to your tank inhabitants or completely docile and civil. As with many animals, it's always a crapshoot as to exactly what their personality will be once they reach adulthood. Keep in mind that a SFE at a LFS might not be fed enough to keep him happy and he has gotten used to eating what you give him AND foraging on his own.....which puts your inverts and smaller fish on the menu. One thing that worked for me is, locate his primary cave where his head is just inside and out of sight. Feed him regularly at THAT spot. Over time he will get used to knowing where the "dinner table" is and it may help to reduce his desire to go hunting. SFE's can be very messy eaters so after he has eaten and retracted back to his cave, take a turkey baster or something and "suck up" the extra food. Some people leave that leftover food for the scavengers but that means attracting potential "fresh meat" right in front of the eel's mouth. An eel that has gotten used to barely getting enough food to eat has a good chance of being aggressive and will bloat himself on whatever is in reach...again, it's a crapshoot.

 

[marine fanatic]

Another note, if you decide to purchase a SFE, go for a juvi instead of an adult. That gives you some control on how he matures and what his personality will be like....not a guarantee but it will help. I know a lot of people see the huge 22" long, 2" wide SFE's and want THAT in their tank but that eel already has an established personality.....if you buy a juvi, you gain a bit of control on how he will be once he reaches maturity.