Thinking about getting zebra moray

[thepudge]

I have a 50 gallon reef.. I know they are generally safe with fish and corals, but I am worried about a couple of my other inverts:

14 inch green brittle star (I should probably be more worried about brittle eating the eel than the eel eating the brittle)

9 inch deresa clam

3 inch "snowball" urchin

I don't have any shrimp, and my hermits and emralds are fair game, but I'd rather not lose the inverts listed above. Will I be OK?

Thanks, Alex

 

[marrone]

I have a 50 gallon reef.. I know they are generally safe with fish and corals, but I am worried about a couple of my other inverts:

14 inch green brittle star (I should probably be more worried about brittle eating the eel than the eel eating the brittle)

9 inch deresa clam

3 inch "snowball" urchin

I don't have any shrimp, and my hermits and emralds are fair game, but I'd rather not lose the inverts listed above. Will I be OK?

Thanks, Alex

Alex

A couple of things on the Zebra eel, first they will most likely eat any inverts in your tank, so what you have listed are probably fare game.

Second they get to be a pretty good size and a 50gal tank is probably to small. They also produce a lot of waste, as all eels do, so they are going to increase your nitrates in your tank which will affect your corals. They also do move around quite a bit and will probably knock over a lot of your corals, specially in a tank that size.

I would past on this eel and if you still want an eel looks at Gymnothorax melatremus Golden Dwarf Moray. It only gets to be about 10" and is very reef safe.

Michael

 

[thepudge]

Thanks, I will hold off on the zebra until I get FO tank... those golden dwarfs are beautiful eels, but they seem pretty expensive. Maybe I will get a ghost eel, I had one of those as a kid and it was a great fish.

Thanks again, even though your news is unwelcome to me

 

[pecan2phat]

Micheal,

See your avatar, are you into morays?

My Hawaiian Diver has a customer looking to sell his Hawaiian Dragon Moray. If interested, I'll find out size and price. Moray is in another state and would need to be shipped.

 

[marrone]

Warren

I have a couple of morays right now, including 1 small Hw Dragon eel. I don't have any room for anymore but thanks anyway.

Michael

 

[thepudge]

I take it the dragon eels aren't reef safe... what a great looking eel!

 

[Reefer420]

Marrone- any eels that are reef safe and would do alright in a 37g?

I love eels, and even thought I love having cleaner shrimp, etc in a tank I think an eel would be sweet (hmmm... would an eel eat a mantis??)

I want to have clams, so if eels would eat the clams then I guess I'd have to pass...

Thanks!

 

[pecan2phat]

Pudge,

You do know how much those Dragon Morays go for right?

 

[marrone]

Marrone- any eels that are reef safe and would do alright in a 37g?

I love eels, and even thought I love having cleaner shrimp, etc in a tank I think an eel would be sweet (hmmm... would an eel eat a mantis??)

I want to have clams, so if eels would eat the clams then I guess I'd have to pass...

Thanks!

The only one that would probably be ok for a 37g reef tank is Gymnothorax melatremus Golden Dwarf Moray. They get about 10" and wouldn't eat any of your corals or inverts. The only problem is that they should be feed 2 - 3 times a week and they will place a large load on your tank. This could be a problem with such a small tank.

The only other eel that would probably work would be a Ribbon eel but the tank is kinda small for one and they do have a bad history of not eating. Plus the like to escape and such a small tank probably wouldn't be a good thing for them.

Most other eels are either going to get to large for the tank or will probably eat your inverts and fish.

 

[marrone]

I take it the dragon eels aren't reef safe... what a great looking eel!

They aren't reef safe as they will eat fish and inverts. They do require a good size tank, with very small ones shouldn't be placed in a tank less than 75 - 100gal. Larger one need tanks of atlest 180+ as they get to about 3' or so.

 

[thepudge]

Pudge,

You do know how much those Dragon Morays go for right?

Sure, about $1,000, or approximately half the money I have spent piecemeal attempting to combat my hair algae problem.

sigh, I have spent $642.99 on sea hares alone :headache: