Any eels or predatory fish i can keep in a 30 gallon

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Slocke

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That’s a surprise to hear they’re yellow and black normally in the day - mine was always white/cream and black, never a deep yellow like the ones in your photos.
They get more yellow as they age. The fry mimic coral catfish which are black and white for protection (catfish having venomous spines) but as they transition they'll go slightly yellow. I've just never seen one as white as that photo as an adult.
 
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i cant think

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They get more yellow as they age. The fry mimic coral catfish which are black and white for protection (catfish having venomous spines) but as they transition they'll go slightly yellow. I've just never seen one as white as that photo as an adult.
Mine was a good 7-8 inches by the time I lost it (I wish I had a photo but this was in the time I didn’t really photograph the tanks) and never did it go a deep yellow. I’d assume it was mature by that 7-8 inch mark.
 
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Slocke

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Mine was a good 7-8 inches by the time I lost it (I wish I had a photo but this was in the time I didn’t really photograph the tanks) and never did it go a deep yellow. I’d assume it was mature by that 7-8 inch mark.
No idea. Mine which are also around 7-8" certainly are less yellow than those full adults in the last photo from the Shedd. That's why I assumed it was a night photo since most fish lose their color at night (even the chainlink moray who likes to tag along with the engineer goes from yellow to white at night).
Also Shedd:
1668464052548.png
 

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Jedi1199

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You could also try a baby triggerfish. Humu-Humu or Clown trigger would be nice in a smal tank for a while. Not nearly as fussy diets as some of the others mentioned. Mine eat frozen cubes just like all the rest of my fish.
 
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lion king

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I always forget about engineer gobies when people are interested in an eel in a small tank or with small fish. The dwarf hawaiian eel even has a dark side most don't speak of, mainly because many never even keep them alive that long; but when they mature they can get aggressive and even become biters. A baby trigger may last a year at tops in a 30g, and you may not judge their aggression before they end up turning on the clowns. A trigger in too small of tank is a bad idea. The engineer goby sounds like a good idea.
 
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Jedi1199

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I always forget about engineer gobies when people are interested in an eel in a small tank or with small fish. The dwarf hawaiian eel even has a dark side most don't speak of, mainly because many never even keep them alive that long; but when they mature they can get aggressive and even become biters. A baby trigger may last a year at tops in a 30g, and you may not judge their aggression before they end up turning on the clowns. A trigger in too small of tank is a bad idea. The engineer goby sounds like a good idea.

The smallest tank I've ever kept a trigger was a 55g.. The ones I have now are all in the 180...
 
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dennis romano

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Actually, there are quite a few micro-predators for a 30. In the Caribbean, there are harlequin bass which is a grouper relative that maxes out at around 5 inches. There are also the hamlets, another grouper relative that grow a little bigger. On the smaller side are the lantern basslets that get to 2 inches. Lizardfish can be found in some LFS. The most common is a bright red one that gets to about four inches. There are some gobies that get around four inches and can take down a small damsel. Some of the larger cardinals will take down mollies. Waspfish are also a cool little predator. The predators are out there, you have to think outside the box.
 
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Slocke

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Actually, there are quite a few micro-predators for a 30. In the Caribbean, there are harlequin bass which is a grouper relative that maxes out at around 5 inches. There are also the hamlets, another grouper relative that grow a little bigger. On the smaller side are the lantern basslets that get to 2 inches. Lizardfish can be found in some LFS. The most common is a bright red one that gets to about four inches. There are some gobies that get around four inches and can take down a small damsel. Some of the larger cardinals will take down mollies. Waspfish are also a cool little predator. The predators are out there, you have to think outside the box.
Just hope those fish don't think outside of the 30 gallon box they've been put in.:rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:
 
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They get more yellow as they age. The fry mimic coral catfish which are black and white for protection (catfish having venomous spines) but as they transition they'll go slightly yellow. I've just never seen one as white as that photo as an adult.
How deep of a sand bed do you need for a engineer goby, mines about 2 and a half inches
 
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