keeping eel

[dnsfpl]

anyone can share their experience in eel keeping?

did some research, notice they are escape artist
are they really that good like FW crayfish?

what species should i keep?
looking at hardy, active, slow growth, bright colours


thanks in advance

[jake800]

ribbon eels are the cutes and the best and least agressive ...but the feeding is hard....just watch the videos in youtube

[jake800]

but those eels are troublesome(the feeding)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1s9DagZzW8....ill fine more webs later

[jake800]

but those eels are troublesome(the feeding)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1s9DagZzW8....ill find more webs later

[alcohologist]

anyone can share their experience in eel keeping?

did some research, notice they are escape artist
are they really that good like FW crayfish?

what species should i keep?
looking at hardy, active, slow growth, bright colours


thanks in advance

they are even better.
now, this is some of my personal experience that may not necessarily be the norm, or recommended at all, but i have had a few eels that were kept in tanks without lids. they had a LOT of rockwork to feel secure though and i think that is what kept them from trying to seek "greener pastures". i have even experienced this with octopus.
you should definitely not take this risk though.
keep in mind that eels generally are not the most active of fish. most of the time they will be hiding in a cave or crevice, until they get hungry :cool:

now, looking at the species available, my first piece of advice is leave the ribbon eels alone. a few minutes of research will clearly tell you why. these fish are just not meant to be in 99.9% of captive tanks.
why not try the popular snowflake eel? relatively colourful for a moray, very hardy, slow growing for a moray and best of all, available at small sizes. i have seen pencil-thin specimens that couldnt have been more than 12 inches long.
similar to the snowflake moray is the zebra moray. not very colourful but has attractive stripes. this species is a little more uncommon and i've never seen juveniles for sale.
a more exotic moray to try would be the gray moray. there are a couple of small specimens at ah beng's shop in pasir ris right now. they are very attractive but not exactly colourful. [thinking of bagging one myself :D]
one more suggestion would be a dottyback species, commonly called the "carpet eel blenny" [this one has a whole host of common names :rolleyes:]
very hardy, striking colouring, and much more active than moray eels. growth rate can be managed by feeding moderately. be very careful not to underfeed your fish though.

[dnsfpl]

my first choice is actually snowflake, as it hits most my requirements

still open for choices as the colour is not as attractive

thanks for your inputs

cheers

[dnsfpl]

remember seeing a bright yellow eel

anyone happen to know the species?

thanks

[alcohologist]

it could either be a golden dwarf moray [doubt it], a yellow carpet eel blenny or a yellow ribbon moray
where did you see this fish? any pics?

[dnsfpl]

google the eels you mention, none look similar

saw it years ago in a reefer's tank
iirc, he told me its purchase at marinelife(henry) for app $60

i think i will stick to snowflake first to gain some experience in eel keeping

thanks

[alcohologist]

ah. was it likely a special ordered fish?
could be a golden tailed moray. some specimens are very yellow. also known as banana moray, canary moray. would be cool if it was a g. miliaris.
anyway, a piece of advice: if you are looking for a very very small young eel, make sure it's still big enough that the lion will not try and eat it. the eel might be much longer than the lion, but it will probably be thin enough to fit in the lion's mouth, who might try to suck the eel up like a noodle.
i would give the eel a lionproof shelter of PVC pipe.

[dnsfpl]

planning to get a 7" snowflake

do you think my 5" lionfish will makan it?

thanks

[alcohologist]

planning to get a 7" snowflake

do you think my 5" lionfish will makan it?

thanks

7" is pretty small. probably it will be less than 1cm in diameter, and quite compressed laterally. i think it's risky but you could try it out. keep careful watch when first adding the eel.
also i just remembered this tank hasnt got much in the way of LR right? i strongly suggest you add a PVC tunnel for the eel. a half inch diameter pipe connected in a "U" shape, and you can use your creativity in placing the tunnel in the tank or within the substrate.

[dnsfpl]

my tank has only 1 piece of LR but there are a lot of holes in it
not sure if its enough for the eel
will monitor when first intro

but first i will have to improvise my DIY tank cover

thanks again