Reef Safe eel?

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

Just wanted to ask what you guys think of this claim:

http://www.themarinecenter.com/eelmelatremus.htm

The picture caption on the front page of www.marinecenter.com under this eel says its reef safe, and not a threat to moderately small fish!
I find this hard to believe, yet there seems to be some tiny reserve of faith I have for this company, since it was recomended to me from here! (forgot who... sorry)...
Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Arch01]

The Marine Center has a great reputation for rare species. That said, they are trying to sell you something. Still, I think an eel that only gets to 10" and is the diameter of a pen will have a hard time eating most fish. I'm sure someone knows more about this species though and will provide better insight. They look cute either way.

Alex
_________________
economic predictions

 

[reefland]

Wow.. very cool looking critter. Never seen this one in person.

Another fish to think about is Engineer Gobie (Pholidichthys leucotaenia) -- granted it is not a true eel, but pretty darn close. Very reef safe.

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/fish/engineer-gobie.htm

 

[Arch01]

I guess not everyone agrees with The Marine Center: https://www.aquacon.com/images/sh18.htm

And one can be yours for the low, low price of $400.

Alex
_________________
Demerol Rehab Forum

 

[K9coral]

lol,

If it only gets to the size of a "bick" pen then you would be alright. If it gets as big as one of those fat @ss pens - you may be in trouble. Just remember this, if it (the eel) can fit it in it's mouth then it will eat it eventually.

IMO

 

[Anonymous]

But dont engineer gobies take like 50G tanks?I only have a 29G......
Would the eel be a better choice for my size tank, or the goby?

Wow; Aquacon is sounding like just that. An aqua con...
For that much money, they deserve the poor-tasted punn!

 

[K9coral]

Thats a good one 8)

What types of fish are you gonna have in the tank that an eel could eat anyway?

 

[Anonymous]

Ask Matt_Wandell i think he had a small eel in his 12gal tank...

 

[Anonymous]

I just have a less-than-an-inch false percula, a 1 1/2 inch green chromis, and a pair of 1 4/5 mandarin dragonets! They shouldnt be on the menu, right?...

Thats a good idea; let me call forth, so that he may harken unto my pestering questions!

MAAAAATT!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!?!!

 

[Anonymous]

better him than me! :twisted:

 

[LFS42]

most eels are "reef safe"

that is they won't eat corals

forget about keeping
clams
shrimp
other smaller fish
and I think anemones
(but I can't prove the eel did it)

 

[sedgro]

I know I am a awful person for it but...

I keep two ribbon eels in my reef tank. A female, which has changed from blue to yellow since I got it last July and a juvenile black ribbon eel (that is starting to show some flecks of blue) which was purchased in late November. I had planned on posting my experiences when the older of the two made it to one year in captivity. Both eat silversides, krill, and (believe it or not), mysis when it is not gobbled up by the fish in the tank. Both have also actively enlarged burrows made by a pistol shrimp by vibrating their bodies back and forth. They are really too timid to take any fish that is not in bad shape to begin with - they seem to know that the goldfish I put in the tank from time to time are easy prey. They ignore the other fish in the tank including some <1inch chromis. And, of course, most inverts are not on the menu. Definitely not the easiest charges but can survive in the right conditions.

sedgro

 

[Anonymous]

I have a Pseudechidna brummeri in a 12 gallon "reef" tank. He's about the thickness of my pinkie, and he ate two fully grown peppermints. I've seen golden dwarf morays before, and I'm guessing they could easily take down small fish like dottybacks or gobies IF they wanted to. Some morays are uninterested in fish as meals, I don't know about this one. Just based on the teeth I'd guess they eat snails, small shrimp, etc. primarily.

I had a derasa clam in this tank for awhile, and my eel didn't touch it. I doubt any moray eats anemones or any type of coral...they might do mechanical damage simply by knocking stuff over though.

I'm thinking you could keep a pair of these eels in a 29 gallon, if you don't want to have any shrimp or other fish. You might PM NKT about this too; he had a pair once IIRC.