So I am at a crossroads lol. I really want a golden dwarf moray eel. However, I cannot find any and apparently they are super rare. I have been contacting some LFS and they said they will look but no guarantee of course. So then yesterday I went to another LFS and saw a Snowflake eel that was like 4 inches and around the thickness of a straw lol. It was defintely the smallest eel I have ever seen. I did not even know you could buy them that small. So my question is how fast would he grow? My main interest in the golden dwarf is that they are apparently the most reef safe and smallest. But if this snowflake stays small for a long enough time then I am thinking about possibly getting this guy rather than waiting for an eternity to find the golden dwarf. My tank is a 40 gallon (2 clowns, midas blenny, yellow tang, and one cardinal that I am temporarily housing). But I also have an 80 gallon if need be. How long do you think this snowflake could be in my 40. Also, since he is so small theres no chance he gets any of the fish right? Thank you for all the help!
Should I get this Snowflake Eel?
- Thread starter BG107
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blaxsun
10K Club member
According to the specs, snowflake eels can grow up to 2' (but probably less in captivity). I think you'd be fine for a while in your 40-gallon, but I'm not the resident eel expert. There are other considerations for your tank as well with respect to eels, but I'm just generalizing.
littlefoxx
7500 Club Member
@Slocke @lion king are great people to ask
1st, let me bust the myth of the dwarf moray. They are a great eel mainly because of their small size, but they are a cautionary tale. When they are small and young most of them are model citizens. Many hobbyist don't care for them properly and most never reach maturity. These eels are fang tooth eels, they eat fish for living, when mature nature can raise it's ugly head. When mature these eels can decide to dine on small fish and even become notorious biters. Still a great eel, with caution.
Eels mostly grow pretty fast if cared for properly. That snowflake would need a bigger home in a years time. A small snowflake tank raised is a safer eel than a dwarf moray, even though a larger eel. The snowflake is a pebble tooth eel, tank raised with the appropriate tank mates would cause no threat to fish. I would suggest planning the 80g for the snowflake within a years time.
Eels mostly grow pretty fast if cared for properly. That snowflake would need a bigger home in a years time. A small snowflake tank raised is a safer eel than a dwarf moray, even though a larger eel. The snowflake is a pebble tooth eel, tank raised with the appropriate tank mates would cause no threat to fish. I would suggest planning the 80g for the snowflake within a years time.
