i don't know if this is normal for a snowflake eel

Discussion in 'Tropical Fish' started by briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

Page 1 of 2
  1. briheartzu

    briheartzu Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    8
    i have a pretty new aquarium, and all i have left so far is my snowflake eel, 2 peppermint shrimp, and a horseshoe crab.
    Every morning when i turn the light on, my snowflake eel is ghost white, and when i get home at night he is his normal yellow-y color. Also, the other day it seemed like one of the holes he breathes out of closed up, that side of his head wasn't "poofing" out... but he's back to normal now...
    is any of this normal??
    all the water tests fine...
     
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    #1

    2. Click Here!

  2. sostoudt

    sostoudt Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2008
    Messages:
    5,958
    Location:
    Chesterfield, VA
    well losing color at night is normal for saltwater fish. they change their pigment on the fly. like a super fast tan
     
    sostoudt, Sep 30, 2008
    sostoudt, Sep 30, 2008
    #2
  3. briheartzu

    briheartzu Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    8
    what about the breathing?
     
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    #3
  4. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2006
    Messages:
    5,644
    Location:
    Va/Ct
    You do realize these things are hard to keep in the tank and that they can get very long i had one to get close to 3 ft once and their favorite food is shrimps ? Your shrimp will be eaten and they thing will escape .. I had my tank sealed on the top with a screen mesh and it went over the overflow and down to the sump and out onto the floor . Walk in and step on one early in the morning see what that does for your day .. Fore get about keeping crustaceans like shrimp and any crabs ..Oh and huge waste producers. good strong filtration a must.
     
    Tangster, Sep 30, 2008
    Tangster, Sep 30, 2008
    #4
  5. briheartzu

    briheartzu Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    8
    he ate one of my clownfish and killed the other one (too big to swallow), but he left the shrimp and crab alone- he eats rosy reds
     
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    #5
  6. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2006
    Messages:
    5,644
    Location:
    Va/Ct
    They will eat and kill fish also but not as a rule its happened before My sons would But mine never really ever did But I had him in with large fish. like 8" shoal tangs and 5" yellow and 8" hippos and such and he was 18" or so and they all gerw together But he naver ate any or tried to .. I would not feed it any Rosy red barbs if thats what you are saying ? A fast way to kill them.. F/W fish can carry a bacteria that saltwater fish can die from its killed many lion fish I know of . You can feed it cut strips of raw fish like flunder or whitting or cod or shad . I would dangle strips of raw fish on a little pole in front of their lair. They will shoot out and snatch it . In the average home aquarium they do not make good community tank neighbors they eat the community all up.
     
    Tangster, Sep 30, 2008
    Tangster, Sep 30, 2008
    #6

    7. Click Here!

  7. missionsix

    missionsix Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2007
    Messages:
    5,734
    Location:
    Bend,Oregon - USA
    As a heads up you should be feeding your eel saltwater oriented foods. The nutritional value of freshwater fish are not good for it. Also, you run the risk of adding ich/diseases to your tank. Try feeding it octopus/shrimp/silversides. Ween it from live foods.
     
    missionsix, Sep 30, 2008
    missionsix, Sep 30, 2008
    #7
  8. briheartzu

    briheartzu Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    8
    i'm not too sure how much i like my LFS anymore... first they told me he would be fine with some mysis shrimp everyday... and then they told me to give him rosy's... i guess they don't make sure their staff is very knowledgable... i don't understand why he would stop breathing out of one of his holes though..
     
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    #8
  9. missionsix

    missionsix Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2007
    Messages:
    5,734
    Location:
    Bend,Oregon - USA
    As far as, the health of the eel. They are almost bullet proof. I have had more than one slither out of my tank. One of which was almost dry. Put him back in and it survived. I'd have to say that you are setting yourself up for a species only tank if you keep it. Meaning, you can't keep clownfish with it. As you've experienced. A percula clown looks/acts like a rosy red in the eel's eyes(they have horrible eyesight). Tastes better though. You will only be able to keep larger/more boisterous tankmates with it. And as tangster said they are very messy. For an easy to keep species they are actually hard in those regards.
     
    missionsix, Sep 30, 2008
    missionsix, Sep 30, 2008
    #9
  10. briheartzu

    briheartzu Plankton

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2008
    Messages:
    8
    well i picked out the clownfish- they had the cutest colors & striping, but the next trip we took to the fishstore my boyfriend saw the coolest thing ever- the stupid eel & the workers told us he'd probably eat everything... when he didn't eat the clownfish in the first day my boyfriend thought that they'd be fine, but they were only about an inch long & were gone within 2 weeks. i watched him kill & try to eat the second one & it made me sick to my stomach
     
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    briheartzu, Sep 30, 2008
    #10
Page 1 of 2