Snowflake eel

[jmike50]

Hi everyone,
I am thinking about getting a snowflake eel. The top of my tank is open and I hear that these guys are escape artist. Anybody that has one and has an open top tank ever experienced this? I know that our sponsors have open tanks and I wonder how they keep them from escaping. Thats all I need and it escapes and my wife find it on the floor...SCREAM....LMAO

 

[dhmx220]

Yes a top is a must for eels. I had one push open a plastic top and jump out before lol.

 

[robbywood20]

Picked mine up off the floor more than once and he is over two foot long, the last time he was dry and stiff but I put him back in anyway and a couple hors later he was swimming around, still doing fine to this day,you'd think he would Lean. Before he got that big Infound him in my filter sock,have no idea how long he was there. Lol he has been through hell for sure.

 

[jmike50]

Thanks everyone!

 

[charlieborg]

robbywood20;848292 wrote: Picked mine up off the floor more than once and he is over two foot long, the last time he was dry and stiff but I put him back in anyway and a couple hors later he was swimming around, still doing fine to this day,you'd think he would Lean. Before he got that big Infound him in my filter sock,have no idea how long he was there. Lol he has been through hell for sure.

I had one to do the same! I thought for sure he was dead, but after awhile back in my tank he was fine...

 

[ddaddy2420]

How are they with coral? or fish for that matter? are they aggressive?

 

[ksicard]

when they get bigger anything that will fit in their mouth will be food if not fed daily or every other day IME

 

[robbywood20]

I treat the eel like my kids. my tank my rules, my house my rules live by them or get out.i don't want a lid on my tank so he can either deal with it or get out his choice.

 

[ripped tide]

2ruble;848362 wrote: I'm not going to say 'growing up' with the fish will help... but I had a buddy that bought a snowflake eel about less than a foot, and three years later it was easily three feet, he fed it every day, and the damsels he had since before the eel (cycle fish) never got touched... I've seen a guy who hand fed his eel tilapia chunks from kroger (scare on finger from 'getting too close') and I've seen an eel be pet like a dog like in that video someone put up recently...

all three tanks had lids...

the one person I know that didn't have a lid, lost it into it's HOB over flow, down the drain and into the pump... diced.... and then bought a second (both purchased from dylan at aviarium about a year ago) bigger eel, capped the HOB, but still never put a lid on the tank, about two months ago, he came home and his eel was on the floor... dry and stiff.... he didn't put it back in the tank though

Awww man! That's a bummer to hear... But a very true and valuable lesson.

One issue with eels, if they are in a reef tank, is that they can knock over rock structures and coral when they get large.

 

[jmike50]

This would be in a FOWLR, sand bottom tank. I got my eye on one that is about 6 to 8 inches long, very active. i have two HOB filters and a canister filter right now....but thinking about making a wet/dry filter system and getting rid of the other stuff. That way I can make a custom acrylic top to go on it too hold this escape artist. What do you guys think? Thanks Mike

P.S. I will have to leave some of the rock in there for him to hide in.

 

[jmike50]

Geoff, may have to get with you and do some design drawings. I have a nephew that does granite counter tops to make me a custom stand and canopy when I get ready.

 

[jcook54]

I still can't figure out how mine got out. I had him for 2 years and one day he was on the floor, dried beyond resurrection. I could seem the slime on the glass to but nothing I kept on there was disturbed. I never had an issue until it was too late. Mine was with fish and never bothered them. Of course he could of at any point but I kept him well fed and never had one go missing. I fed often because it was fun watching him come out of the rocks and stick his nose above water in anticipation. This can lead to a "dirty" tank pretty fast so I'd keep as much filtration as possible.

 

[jmike50]

Check out this vidoe. Looks like this guy has no top on the tank. See where the eel is when he starts? <div class="gc_ifarem_title">Snowflake Eel Jumping Out of the Water For Food - YouTube</div>

 

[jmike50]

Thanks Geoff...I am old and half blind...LOL

 

[jmike50]

So ture Geoff....LOL