Hitchhiker Eel!!

[buddymilo]

So came home with some new LR from LFS last night and discovered a new friend in it this morning.

I had thought I inspected thoroughly, but clearly not; I suppose this is why a QT is good practice.

Anyway questions about:

-ID
Thinking it is a snowflake eel? 5-8 inches?

-Compatibility
In a 55 with 2 bicinctus, 1 tailspot, 1 fire shrimp, 2 cleaners, 1 urchin, some snails

Guessing we should remove it... Thoughts??

 

[reefhobby]

Pics

 

[Shep]

Would love to see pics of it, I don't know enough about eels to say if it should be removed. [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] might

 

[garra671]

So came home with some new LR from LFS last night and discovered a new friend in it this morning.

I had thought I inspected thoroughly, but clearly not; I suppose this is why a QT is good practice.

Anyway questions about:

-ID
Thinking it is a snowflake eel? 5-8 inches?

-Compatibility
In a 55 with 2 bicinctus, 1 tailspot, 1 fire shrimp, 2 cleaners, 1 urchin, some snails

Guessing we should remove it... Thoughts??

It'll more than likely eat your inverts

 

[buddymilo]

I have a video too if I can get it up

 

[kschweer]

That's pretty cool. Pictures would make an id possible. The other thing I think it could be is a large engineer goby. If it is an eel your shrimp will make a nice meal for it.

 

[Luka]

pretty cool that you got an eel tho

 

[ironeagle2006]

Most defiantly a Snowflake Eel. Say goodbye to your shrimp however your snails and crabs might make it. If you keep him fed he is fine with your fish. Feed him Shrimp Frozen Krill or Silversides and Squid.

 

[hybridazn]

Pretty sure that's a snowflake eel. Doesn't get very big but it will probably eat your inverts. Keep it well fed and it should leave your smaller fish alone.

Awesome hitchhiker!

 

[garra671]

I have a video too if I can get it up

Tbh I doubt you'll be able to get it out. Unless you risk killing it. I would just return the piece of rock and tell them it has an eel inside of it.

 

[Reefer1978]

Pretty awesome and does look like snowflake eel. Best hitchhiker i've seen yet.

 

[Reefer1978]

Tbh I doubt you'll be able to get it out. Unless you risk killing it. I would just return the piece of rock and tell them it has an eel inside of it.

Fish trap with food should do the trick.

 

[buddymilo]

Thanks for the confirmation!
Certainly was a surprise this morning.
Pretty impressed that it survived the drive home from the store too (at least 45 min)

Hoping that if we keep it fed enough (its been eating krill) it will spare our shrimp until we know what to do with it!

 

[drstratton]

That's really cool! I would love an Eel hitchhiker! He would go into my new frag tank!!! If you decide to keep it, make sure you have a tight fitting top or it will escape!

 

[Duke4Life]

That's really cool! I would love an Eel hitchhiker! He would go into my new frag tank!!! If you decide to keep it, make sure you have a tight fitting top or it will escape!

+1 if no lid the chances of escape are fairly high. It is 100% a snowflake eel.

 

[Pete polyp]

He will more than likely go after the shrimp and tailspot.

 

[KJ]

Snowflake Eel!

 

[Duke4Life]

You might be ok for a few months but SFEs for some reason tend to turn on smaller tankmates sooner than its cousins.

 

[Pfisherman]

That is too cool! Honestly the best hitchhiker I have ever seen,congratulations!

 

[BrotherSheepDog]

My friend kept a snowflake eel with smaller fish like perculas and damsels. They all became dinner sooner or later. He never saw the snow flake eat them but they all went missing one by one. It was pretty safe to say the snowflake was the culprit.