Free Snowflake Eel hehe

[Cuttlefish]

Today I wound up buying a gorgeous live rock. An 18 inch flat, almost 20lb rock that was completely encrusted. It also had a couple different colonys on it and a large mushroom. I'll post a pic tomorrow. I wanted to use it to complete the rest of my rock wall. This piece would provide for another excellent shelf if a just had another large rock to rest the other end on..

So The guy cut me a great deal on a piece of bioactive base rock. I got it home, set it on the right end of the tank and placed the massive encrusted piece on top. After a few minute i noticed something moving around inside the rock's holes. Upon closer look i realized it was a 12 inch snowflake moray lol. He was in the rock, without water for the 30 minutes it took to get home. He seems happy as hell though now that he's in my tank. I held out a chunk of frozen squid and he lunged out and grabbed it out of my hand. Very active lil bastid.

Anyway now that i have this thing... is he safe for reefs? I cant see him posing a threat to corals n stuff, but what about my fish? I have clowns in there and a new mandarin. The large sailfin im not worried about cuz he started gettin frisky with the eel as soon as i discovered him. Thrashing his tail and waving his spike in his face. I also got two new shrimp, one coral banded and one peppermint. I suppose these guys are in serious danger huh? What about the fish?

[gouch]

im pretty sure that any eel is very much a predatory animal ill find out and lett you know

[quader94]

i would keep watch but if you keep him fed i dont think heed attack anything

[Junkzoo]

I'd say any fish/shrimp etc would be eel food in short order, even if you kept is fed well.

Can't blame the snowflake, it's just being a eel is all .

[gouch]

turns out you got the better of the morays!!!!! congrats, i wouldnt call him a good guy yet though...junkzoo is right your shrimp are goners
feed him on a stick so as not to get bitten...that hand feeding thing sounds pretty risky.

i found a great article on them. heres the link
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/index.php

[gouch]

Oh there is no pic i saw in the thread but he is in there. its the first species to be discussed

[NorthStarReefer]

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

I cant see him posing a threat to corals n stuff, but what about my fish?

Actually the biggest problem i wound up having with my 24" Snowflake was the bulldozer effect. S/He damaged my corals by accident, and i had to make sure everything was epoxied really well. You'd be surprised at the strength of these guys when they get large- can move piles of rock around, sending frags flying!

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

I also got two new shrimp, one coral banded and one peppermint. I suppose these guys are in serious danger huh? What about the fish?

I had a coral banded that made it a few weeks but finally 'disappeared' one night after many boxing bouts with Mr. Eel. Never lost a fish, though, not even small gobies, mandarins, clowns, etc. They really like their shellfish!

Sweet deal on the "hitch-hiker"! Good luck with it!

[gouch]

Originally Posted by NorthStarReefer

Sweet deal on the "hitch-hiker"! Good luck with it!

i know right....that is a sweet hitchhiker indeed. the article says they can grow up to 2 feet in captivity and 39" in their natural habitat.

[Elegance Coral]

The only problem I had with mine was that it learned how to steal food from my anemones. It would stalk a little damsel (the wife's fish) all over the tank, but never could catch it. He did a pretty good job of keeping things clean under the rocks.

[Kyuss]

My snowflake only eats fish that are dying, otherwise he has no interest of fish. My wife and I watched him take down a chromis that was obviously very distressed and was not going to live much longer. I saw it and was getting the net to humanely euthanize it when all of a sudden the eel took over and snapped it up. Other than that it has never gone after any other fish. Your shrimp will be gone if they are not all ready.

Funny that you mention the sailfin, my sailfin does the same thing , as soon as the eel shows it's face the sailfin is there waving it's spine int he eels face and not letting it come out of the rock. It's the only fish that does it. Kinda weird. I have a good sized foxface and it could care less.

[bgbeards]

The Mandarin will make an easy meal, slow bottom dweller, unless there are lots of places to hide. I had one for over a year about 12-14". Also had a 3" Maroon clown that whole time. I thought after a year he would be safe...... Not so much. But Eels are great fun to watch. Make sure you have a tight lid. If you can put a pencil through, he'll be on the floor..... or in your sump. Good Luck.

[Kyuss]

I have had a mandarin in with the eel for over a year and the eel has not messed with it. I also have not had any issues of the eel jumping, I do not have a cover on my tank and it has not once gone into my sump or hit the floor and I have had the eel for two years.

Beards is correct though, the snowflakes are notorious for climbing out of the tank, mine just does not have the interest.

[Cuttlefish]

.

[gouch]

i dont see anything

[Salty O'Shen]

uber-hitchhiker score...congrats