garden eels

[john hill]

can anyone tell me anything about them i am setting up a new tank and have always wanted an ell but dot want to go fish only it HAS TO BE A REEF thanks

 

[laskopyre]

You would need a pretty deep sand bed for a garden eel. Most of their body is under the substrate. You'd need at least 6 inches. Also, you need to keep the rocks down to a minimum, since they need to be under the sand. Just like all eels, they like shrimp and crabs. Also will eat small fish. Might not be the best for a reef due to their substrate requirements. Snowflakes are somewhat okay, but it's still an eel.

 

[ecotoxlady]

These are very fascinating creatures which have attracted a lot of attention in the hobby lately. I have been doing research on-line about them out of my own interest and I can definitely say that everything I have read indicates they are an expert only acquisition which require a minimum of a 100gallon system with heavy feeding, typically twice daily of a mixed diet which consists of live artemia, cyclopeeze, mysis, chopped mussel and fish etc. I think that they can be kept in reef aquariums (live aquaria says "with caution"). This was one source of information that I found pretty helpful:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/garden-eels-106679.html

 

[john hill]

ok thanks i geuss ells are out

 

[FaviaFreak]

Ask kigs he has kept them and is planning on keeping a few more...also, email Greenwich Aquarium they house them in their display system...but you definitely need a very DSB in order to keep them

 

[ecotoxlady]

John hill, I hope you don't think I was trying to discourage you from keeping them. FaviaFreaks recommendation of speaking with Kigs and with Greenwich Aquarium are both very good!

 

[john hill]

no i was just hoping that they were realy reef safe and i could have shrimp and everything cant have your cake and eat it to

 

[fittiger]

if you want an eel for a reef, check out the golden dwarf moray

 

[bannshy]

John check with Craig and Rhonda (Tropical Isle) they have got them in before I have even came close to getting some. keep me posted if you do.

Jeremy

 

[Dace]

John hill, I hope you don't think I was trying to discourage you from keeping them. FaviaFreaks recommendation of speaking with Kigs and with Greenwich Aquarium are both very good!

Well honestly i will have to discourage you with the garden eels. I have 12 in my 340gal reef tank and they need a well estabish system in my opinion and are very hard to keep. i have a 6" to 8" sand bed and they never bother my shrimp as long as there adult size shrimp. They never bother my fish either. there more scared of the fish then anything else. Getting them to eat will also be a pretty big task but once you do there food hogs. The dotted eels seem to be pretty intimadated buy everything as to the splendid garden eel seems to be less intimidated by the fish. in either case it's soley up to you if you want to give them a try. When i got mine everyone voted against me getting them and out of 13 i lost one

 

[bannshy]

Dace love the input. what about corals do they bug or eat any corals?

 

[Dace]

never, not at least in my tank. when they state caution in reef tanks i think there reffering to more towards inverts

 

[AlexStinson]

We just put some in our reef display at the store, and they are cool, but immediatly swam into pumps. we had 1/3 survive, no idea if it is eating yet