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derek_drennan

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Reefers,
I just bought a small Snow Flake eel for my reef. I have done my reading, but was wondering if anyone had any insights that I should know about.

Favorite food?
Known problems or emenies?
Sicknesses I should look for?
Growth rate?

Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Regards,
Derek
 

jwtrojan44

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Snowflakes are great fish. I kept one for several months in a FO tank so I'll share what I know;
Feed a varied diet, to include krill, chopped shrimp, squid (mine loved squid), clam, silversides or other meaty foods. They don't need to eat every day and 3 times a week will suffice. Their eyesight is poor so they locate food by smell. You can use a feeding stick to target feed, or drop it in the vicinity of their burrow and they'll find it, providing it does not get picked up by a faster fish with good eyes. They will spend most of their time hiding under rocks with just the head poking out. They can dig ferociously in the substrate to get underneath something, and will do so even when they have established a favorite spot. If you have a dsb, be prepared for the occassional "snowstorm". They are known escape artists so make sure the tank is well sealed. They are quite hardy, disease resistant and relatively peaceful with most fish, but they will go after some crabs and shrimps. i kept mine with a few good sized hermits and he never paid them any attention. He was also routinely serviced by my two cleaner shrimp who would even clean the inside of it's mouth. In a reef setting, the concern would be the fact that eels lack the social graces of many other fish, and kind of blunder around the tank, in and around rockwork, posing the threat of knocking corals and such off their perches. They can and do get feisty at feeding time and go into sort of a coiled up feeding frenzy. it's at this time when they are most apt to latch onto something that gets in their way and they might mistake for food. As far as growth rate; I got mine when he was about 7 inches long. He was a little over 18 inches 1 1/2 yrs later and still growing. Very powerful fish. Good luck and hope this helped somewhat.
 
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Anonymous

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Mine loves freshwater crawfish. Before I started feeding live crawfish a would cut up shrimp from the local supermarket and lower it down to him with a akewer. What a PITA. Live is so much easier. Just throw it end a wait for the attack.

Mine is about 20-24" long and as big around as say a banana.

He is in a FLWLR with a huma huma trigger fish and a lionfish.

Make sure your tank is completely covered or your eel will get out quickly. My first one went carpet surfing within a week.

I could be wrong, but I don't beleive anything F's with an eel.
 

Sol T. Waters

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One of my friends had a snowflake eel and and they ate her, almost, entire stock of fish, 2 clowns, a tang, i think, and a few damsels. i dont know maybe it was a fluke.....i dont trust anything that looks like a snake anyway.....not to discourage you or anything.....just keep em fed.
 

M.E.Milz

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I keep several morays in the same tank with other types of fish. The only problems I have encountered have been with fish having elongated tubular body shapes (like wrasses). A few years back, a snowflake attacked (presumably) a corris wrasse. More recently, a sailfin dottyback was eaten (I think) by a whitemouth moray. But other than these types of fish, my morays co-exist peacefully with the other fish in the tank. In fact, my dog-faced puffer will often "sit" on top of my dragon moray's head. For some reason, the dragon moray doesn't seem to mind. But keep them well fed.

[ April 09, 2002: Message edited by: M.E.Milz ]</p>
 

derek_drennan

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Thanks for the info/advice, everyone. I think that I have everything covered with the exception of the whole secure tank thing. I have a six inch hood with power compacts. So there is a gap at the back of the tank that is not cover by the hood. How would you all (or how have you) recommend making it secure so that my new friend cannot get out? Thanks again.

Regards,
Derek
 
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Anonymous

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You will have to put some screen or something back there or he will get out. Mine is in a FO w/ a standard glass aquarium cover that a NO light fixture sits on top of. But with a 6" hood with an open back, you are going to have to be more creative.

If there's a gap that he'll fit through, he's a gonner. Don't buy one until you have this fixed.

My first one escaped though a small hole in the plastic part of the cover that I had cut for the heater power cable. I cut a square hole for a round cord. I cut the hole to large and at that time I wasn't thinking that fish would be dumb enough to go walking around the living room. But some do and some just jump when harrased, etc.

Cover it!

Louey

[ April 09, 2002: Message edited by: Louey ]</p>
 

suckair

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I have had a snowflake for about 8 months now! True they are escape artist in a big way. I have a totaly covered top and had to eel proof the overflow because I got tired of getting him out of it!

Oh yea he loves small emerald crabs and any shrimp stupid enough not to get out of his way. He ate my cleaners, and my pepermints.

so much for aptasia control
icon_smile.gif
 

Jawbone

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I too had the snowflake eel in my fish only tank. Great addition but as discussed truly an escape artist. I had found him on the floor with the cat standing over him on more than one occasion..
They do get pretty big and are good excavators so if your rockwork is precariously balanced It would be wise to change it now. set your base rock directly on the glass

I fed mine goldfish and plankton
 

M.E.Milz

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The easiest way to seal off gaps around the hood is with eggcrate (plastic light diffuser), which can be cut to fit just about any shape/size opening. You can secure it using cable ties and cable anchors (little plastic squares that have a loop on one side for the cable tie and 2-sided tape on the other).
 
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Anonymous

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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote
The easiest way to seal off gaps around the hood is with eggcrate (plastic light diffuser),

I believe the baby snow flakes that I see for sale at the LFS around here would easily fit throught he eggcrate. Better look closely.
 

M.E.Milz

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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote
I believe the baby snow flakes that I see for sale at the LFS around here would easily fit throught he eggcrate. Better look closely.

Very true. But he said "small", so I was assuming something a little bigger than the baby ones I have seen as well.
 

derek_drennan

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Yeah, my snowflake is only about six inches or so. I used screen (the same kind you see in screen windows) to cover most of the holes. In all honestly though, if it wants to get out, it will. I figure if I can keep him fed unitl I come up with a better solution, then that is about the best I can do. So far I am really happy with the purchase. It is a really cool addition and awesome to watch.

Regards,
Derek
icon_smile.gif
 

camp6

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my snowflake crawled through one of the holes in the plastic in the corner last night. i found him dead on the floor in back of the tank this morning. this sucks! he was the coolest fish i had, i used to hand feed him!
 

dizzy

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camp6":822x8xct said:
, i used to hand feed him!

A word to the wise about handing feeding snowflake eels. They can and will bite you and it hurts. They don't have the sharp fangs, but they have chomping power. Especially larger ones.
 

stevebydac

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I have a 28" snowflake. Great fish!!! Hasn't ever bothered another fish. Really attractive at this size. I know a lot of people like the allure of the larger 4-5' fish-eating eels -- I do too-- but believe me this guy is big enough for my 180g if you are planning on other livestock with it. Good luck. And yes, I have hand-fed mine. He is not mean but he can't see well and lunges for food sometimes. I've gotten bitten accidentally and I bleed from even a slight grab. VERY strong and sharp jaws.
 

wombat1

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I feed my 30" zebra with a 1/2" wooden dowel (about the thickness of your pinky) which he promptly snapped in half the other day. Just crushed it with his jaws, while swallowing an entire jumbo prawn. The little one's bites are cute, feels like a clothespin, but I wouldn't handfeed the big guys.
 

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