Snowflake Moray Eels...

[Tommy Gunnz]

Hello all. I am thinking really hard about getting myself a snowflake moray eel. I recently read an article in a magazine about them (one of those 'species profiles') and everything sounds like they would be a good addition to my tank, but I wanted to see if anyone has some personal experience with them so I can compare the article with actual fact. A lot of older written material that I have found on them suggest that they will create all sorts of problems in any tank, but more recent stuff (found on the internet) suggests that they are relatively peaceful compared to other eels.

Thanks in advance for any help you may have for me!

 

[andywg]

Snowflake morays ( Echidna nebulosa) are a peaceful species and one with flatter teeth for breaking crustaceans rather than the sharper, fang-like teeth exibeted by morays of the Gymnothorax spp.

There are some reports of them getting a little aggressive at feeding time, but I haven't read any personal accounts I can recall. They are certainly more peaceful than most of the morays.

 

[DuganBolt]

I had the pleasure of having a snowflake in my reef tank for 2 years. Yes he was in a reef and he was a perfect gentlemen. You have to remeber eels are pretty much blind so thus I never feed him live food because I diodn't want him getting acustumed to going after other living things in the tank. I feed him krill, bay scallops, and raw shrimp. I always feed him from the same corner of my tank, after a couple of days he was feeding from my hand. They are very intelligent creatures case in point I thaw out my fish food in a shot glass on the corner of my tank, after a month of the same routine my eel learned to come out of the water and snag some food from the shot glass . The only negative to snowflakes is when they are hungry they will go exploring for food even if that means out side of the tank. So make sure your tank is sealed very well. I think "Murray" my eel got out twice, luckily they live out of water for a couple of hours so if you find your new friend on the floor pick him up wash him off with some fresh water and put him back into the tank. So moral of the story after you seal off your tank. seal it off some more becasue a snowflake will find a way out.

 

[hubbard_shark]

I have a snowflake too, and there great additions to a tank. I got him when he was only 5 in long, basically a baby, and now he's at about 7, and a more thicker. They do tend to want to get out of tanks, so having a top is essential and most important. I have him in with two clowns, cleaner shrimp, and chocolate chip sea star, and he doesn't bother any of them. When other animals are introduced to the tank, he wants to "bully" them, but is quickly put in his place, its kinda funny. But snowflakes r easy to care for, and really cool to watch. make sure u have lots of live rock, with holes and such, because they like lots of room to hide and stay in.

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

Thanks for the help everyone!

I now have a snowflake moray eel named lovingly by my kids as "Tundra" (I live in Wisconsin, so football fans will know where this name comes from). He is about 10 to 12 inches long and about the thickness of two pencils side by side or maybe just shy of a dime. The first night he was in the tank, I noticed that he tried to get out but I did have glass tops on.

The thing that worried me was the the glass tops are not long enough to go to the back of the tank and so they have those plastic extensions on them. My tank has an overflow system and the return pipe from the sump actually holds that plastic extension up a bit, leaving just a small crack between the plastic divider in the tank and the glass top. Right now I am using a text book to hold it down (psychology so it is heavy stuff, ) and am wondering if this little crack is enough for an eel of this size to get out from. Otherwise I am thinking about duct taping them down. I am using a canopy so I know it will not get out from the front or sides since there is a good foot between the top of the tank and the top of the canopy, but the back is wide open to allow for airflow and lighting.

Should I be worried and if so, how can I rest a little easier?

 

[DuganBolt]

I would cut out a hole in your plastic for your return pipe so there is no room what so ever. And when my eel was 10 inches he would feed from my hand 3 1/2 inches out of the water once he was trained. I used black pantyhos to close off every area of the tank.

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

The pipe does not really go through the top of the glass, it is just ever so slightly too tall and so keeps the tops a little bit raised. I would be scared to cut it just in case I mess it up. What do you think about using duct tape to close it off? Everyehwere else is pretty tightly sealed off and unless the eel is strong enough to push the glass up, I dont think it could get out, but then again, I am not sure about the full meaning of 'escape artist' either!?!?!?