A tank should really be build with an eel in mind to take consideration for there needs. Most people setup a pvc tunnel system for them to live/hide in. They may strike fish not just smaller ones. There eye sight seems lacking and the hunt at night when your fush are chilling down low so they are in danger.

and they are hard on the bioload

 

White eye moray eels are arguably one of the most red safe eels out there, up there with snowflake and zebra moray eels. The only organisms at risk are crustaceans and clams. While eels do rely more on smell than eyesight, the chances of them mistaking a fish for food is highly unlikely, especially if the eel is well fed. Training them to a feeding stick also discourages this behavior. And while a PVC structure is ideal when keeping eels, it's not necessary if you hav enough caves. However, it isn't too difficult to construct one and add it after the tank has been set up. Eels do tend to add a large bioload, but with your tank and the current water change regime I know you have, you probably would be fine adding one. Just be sure to read up on them as much as possible

 

that's sad... I just found out I could've kept my snowflake eel I bought with the tank instead of selling him.....

 

Don't be fooled into thinking Snowflake are safe, they are safe for a while as they get biger (they do quickly) they will go after fish, well fed or not, I speak from experience

 

I woud be inclined to say that with what you already have adding an eel is over max, the do better in species tanks set up for them, and if they eat well enough to thrive keeping the tank clean enough for coral is going to be a tough battle

 

Now I dont really think its necessary to have pvc unless it a ribbon eel or something. I am sure I could construct a good home for him with just rocks. I do worry about the bioload a bit as I dont want to overdue it. He is a thick boy too! I do waterchanges about every 2 weeks. If I kept up on mantince could I do it? Any other eel that would be better (besides golden dwarfs, not willing to spend that kind of money)? Anybody actually have this fish before? How are they with smaller fish? I am going to reasurch some more before making any decisions.

 

Braiden, you fall in love with a different fish everyday

 

:nuts:..... I know, I know I do. I just like to explore my options. I like to be sure I get what I want you know. Thats why I am kind of all over with fish. There is also just so many that its hard to pick sometimes. Especially since I am looking for my final fish. I might just decide I dont want anymore fish, I dont know yet.

 

when my buddy's eel that was sold to me was well established in the tank he was about 1ft long when I sold him and wouldn't eat a goldfish 2in long, just the smaller ones, about the size of a med size clownfish. dunno if that helps but I said it

 

Ok. Well the eel they have seems to have a pretty small mouth for its size. I don't think it could go after more then my sixline honestly. His mouth may be bigger when he really wants to chomp into something though. What about bioload?

 

idk about bioload.. he just had a 20-30# rock (single huge rock that was covered in feather dusters) in the tank and the eel and params were great. fed the eel a goldfish every 1-2 days and that was about it. didn't really do any regular maintenance (maybe once every 3-4 months) and the tank wasn't covered in algae and didn't look dirty (its my tank now, I still use tap water, overfeed and switched to better lighting clean the sand once a week and have only had a small diatom 'dusting' over the sandbed once). tap water was used and SG was kept around 1.022. I don't think it would go after a wrasse either until it got at least 2x the size that it was. it might go for a goby or a blue devil damsel as those are a tad smaller (goby wouldn't really be smaller, just not as 'tall' ) but if you kept him well fed then he may not go after your fish much..

 

...... I still use tap water, overfeed and switched to better lighting clean the sand once a week and have only had a small diatom 'dusting' over the sanded once).

Is your tap water from a municipal or well water source?
Your tank is fairly new, yes?

I keep adding the sum of 'tap & overfeeding' in my mind and come up with the same answer. Trouble.

 

I saw a snowflake that a fellow had brought to a LFS. He was tearing down his tank. He was about in tears over giving up the eel. It was big......not just long, but deep bodied.

I asked a few questions. He was in a 120g, was hand fed and never bothered fish, according to the owner.

I try to imagine that eel in my 400g. I guess I'd be pretty upset if the eel took out a Tang, or a Clown. Worse part would be trying to remove him if I wanted him out.
That would the case with any livestock. It'd be a lot easier with a smaller tank.

I'll have to give this a lot of thought, regardless of the type of eel.

I think this a White Eyed eel.

http://www.oceanwideimages.com/Larg...rge-Image.asp?pID=14127&cID=53&rp=search%2Easp%3Fs%3DWhite%2Deyed+Moray%26p%3D1

 

I use tap water as well and the only drawback I have found is some very lovely (NOT!!!) alage. Well that and higher nitrates that I am not sure of the source yet. I think its the tap because the city says nitrates are 10ppm and I dont think my fish coule give me 30-40ppm in nitrates (thats what they were last I checked a few days ago). Its not usually this high, but I added some rock to the tank that made my nitrates go high for a while. I thought it settled, but maybe not. Anyway I need to check again just to see where its at right now, but I am doing a waterchange tomorrow. Anyway I belive its a maintenance or water source thing. Everything seems happy, but going to get an RODI unit soon anyway.

Back on topic! So dose anybody else have an opinion on bioload? Nitrates need put back in its place clearly, but they were between 0-5ppm before I added those rocks. Should be able to get it back down with time.

 

Bioload wise, I think you would be at the very edge of the cliff. Big Eel poo will require a lot more maintenance. And poor yasha goby! You love that fish.

 

Grrr.... I do like my yasha goby, but I only see him at feeding time really. He hides the rest of the time. I would get another for a pair, but i have always had the idea of getting and eel or a dwarf lionfish at some point in the future. I just have thought I would wait until all my smaller fish died. His mouth isn't very big though, kind of small actually so i am not really worried about that.

 

What if i upped my water change schedule to once a week?

 

How soon would you get tired of that? I would.

 

Quickly. Is it possible to add this or any eel that stays smaller and be ok as long as proper husbandry is taken? Thats all I need to know.

 

Dwarf moray, but they don't come cheap. Might eat the goby, might not.

 

Braiden, do you want us to talk you into an eel or talk you out of one