Is there such a thing as a "reef safe" eel

jden092901 · #1 01/10/2008, 06:24 PM

I have a 30 gallon...I dont think any Eel would work in a 30 gallon reef?? However, I will be getting a 150-200 gallon within the next year. Is there a reef safe eel?

Josh

DT's_Reef · #2 01/10/2008, 06:47 PM

Golden Dwarf Eel supposedly is reef safe.....very very small and very expensive (gymnothorax melatremus). Lot of eels can and will escape, so be sure it's escape proof.

pagojoe · #3 01/10/2008, 07:28 PM

Pseudechidna brummeri should be totally reef safe. It won't eat fish, dead or alive, nor snails. It will, however, eat any shrimp that you have in the tank, cleaner or otherwise, and will eat frozen shrimp or krill. It's a very cool eel, and has an electric blue stripe down the dorsal fin, but it never seems to show up very well in pics. Unlike the Gymnothorax species I kept, he didn't stay hidden all the time, and made a very showy tank resident. The one I kept was hardy and low-maintenance, after I figured out that he only ate shrimp.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...t2004/fish.htm

Good luck,

Don

llama72 · #4 01/10/2008, 08:08 PM

A dead eel

sean48183 · #5 01/10/2008, 08:13 PM

When you say reef safe do you mean coral safe or moving invert safe? I have a snowflake eel in my softy tank. Never looks at corals except occasionally crawling on them. However ANY crabs, snails, shrimp have absolutely no shot. Probably be gone in the first hour in your tank.

Pmolan · #6 01/10/2008, 08:48 PM

Adult engineer gobies sure look like eels.

bgcook · #7 01/10/2008, 09:06 PM

i have a two foot snowflake in my tank that i have had since it was about the size of a pencil (little over 2 years). i have had no problems at all. i even have smaller reef fish, but i do think it is important to have active fish if they are to be small. the only minor problem that i had initially was the eel rearranging the rock work on occassion. to remedy this, i made sure he has burrows and caves to go to. also the rock work that was prone to be moved i epoxyed together. now my corals have grown to such an extent that i don't think the eel could move the rocks even if he tried. overall, i think it is great having an eel in a reef. diving it is one of my favorite creatures to come up upon on a reef.