Eel like fish

Carmal · Mar 28, 2018

I really love eels and I’m quite new and i plan on getting a 50 gallon and turning it into a saltwater, I plan on getting a pair of clownfish and 1 or 2 firefish gobys. I love snowflake eels but they will eat the fish, and I also love the garden eels but they are supposedly really hard. I have seen engineer gobies and i just want to know if there is anything else. I think the gobies are cool but I’m a little eh on them until I have seen them IRL. So what are some peaceful, semi easy-moterate eel like fish that would be good for a 50 gallon tank( other than the engineer gobies)?

Thanks in advance and all info is welcome! I am unable to respond to posts and post messages so just to let you know, I really appreciate responses and tips!

GBRsouth · Mar 28, 2018

Have a look into the Midas Blenny. Or if you're up for providing more advanced care, pipefish.

Eddie Rogers · Mar 28, 2018

My lfs always garden eel’s, they stay small

SashimiTurtle · Mar 28, 2018

Golden dwarf moray. Can be very hard to feed sometimes, but are usually "fish safe." Small firefish, blennies and gobys may become a meal, but I've had a hi fin goby and a tail spot blenny with mine until they died of some other unknown cause.

SashimiTurtle · Mar 28, 2018

If you can keep up a population of pods, maybe a pipefish..

Kremis · Mar 28, 2018

garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

SashimiTurtle · Mar 28, 2018

Kremis said:
garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

What do you feed? Target?

csb123 · Mar 28, 2018

Engineer gobies are very eel like. My wife won’t let me get one because they are too “snakey.”

GoldeneyeRet · Mar 28, 2018

Curious wormfish and pike blenny are eel-like.

Kremis · Mar 28, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
What do you feed? Target?

i feed mysis/brine/blended frozen shrimps and fish eggs

if you try to target feed they will hide, you have to make sure the flow carries food over the sand bed so they are able to eat

Jlentz · Mar 29, 2018

Kremis said:
garden eels really arent that hard to keep, besides having a deep sand bed and feeding once a day. just make sure you provide docile tank mates and have enough sand room
heres my 3

What kind of flow can they handle? How deep is the dsb? Is 4” deep enough?

Kremis · Mar 29, 2018

Jlentz said:
What kind of flow can they handle? How deep is the dsb? Is 4” deep enough?

I have mine in low flow, and sand bed is 4-5 inches deep. the eels themselves are 12+ inches but they just go out horizontally once they reach the bottom of the tank

Ironwill723 · Mar 29, 2018

I second the engineer goby suggestion.

Daniel@R2R · Mar 29, 2018

Another option might be some kind of jaw fish...

tank o tang · Mar 29, 2018

Blue spotted Jawfish are neat little fish. All you ever see of mine is it' head poking out unless it is feeding time. Then he'll swim out and dart back in.

LetItReef · Mar 29, 2018

maybe?
https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/400314/blue-gudgeon-dartfish-trio

Forsaken77 · Mar 29, 2018

I don't know. Personally, I don't think there are any type of obtainable eel-like fish. The ones mentioned, besides the actual eels, aren't comparable in any way. I would say a freshwater snakehead or barracuda or some types of African Cichlids, but nothing close you could get for a saltwater tank.

The pipefish is an elongated fish, but is basically like a striaght sea horse, lol, and hard to care for.

Maybe a brackish Gar that you can transition to saltwater?