Snowflake over chainlink?

[Duke4Life]

I've got a chainlink I love already and glad I went this route. After doing a lot of research before making my choice I'm more than pleased. But.........

Why do people/you choose a snowflake over a chainlink? (Besides the color) Trying to figure if I'm missing something here.

 

[cu455]

I think snowflakes are more common, cheaper and people just don't know about chainlinks.

 

[Duke4Life]

I think snowflakes are more common, cheaper and people just don't know about chainlinks.

That's where I got drawn into here and rc because I got great 1st hand advice.

 

[human]

I agree with above, just about every LFS I go to has at least one Snowflake eel. They're the starter eel for most noobies in this hobby.

 

[cu455]

Here is my chainlink and snowflake.

 

[FeliciaLynn]

I think a huge consideration here is also size. Snowflake eels stay significantly smaller than chain links, with their minimum tank size on Liveaquaria listed as 50 gallons compared to 125 gallons for the chain link eel. Additionally, snowflake eels have much more attractive markings in my opinion, but I realize that that is subjective. Another consideration is that chain links eels are generally way more reclusive and shy than snowflake eels (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/). I think saying its just because snowflakes are more common and cheap is a misrepresentation, considering size alone is a HUGE consideration. My tank is big enough for a snowflake eel but nowhere near big enough for a chain link eel.

 

[human]

I think a huge consideration here is also size. Snowflake eels stay significantly smaller than chain links, with their minimum tank size on Liveaquaria listed as 50 gallons compared to 125 gallons for the chain link eel. Additionally, snowflake eels have much more attractive markings in my opinion, but I realize that that is subjective. Another consideration is that chain links eels are generally way more reclusive and shy than snowflake eels (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/). I think saying its just because snowflakes are more common and cheap is a misrepresentation, considering size alone is a HUGE consideration. My tank is big enough for a snowflake eel but nowhere near big enough for a chain link eel.

I think somewhere you're confusing the chain link for the zebra. Chain links get the same size as snowflakes albeit a little bulkier. Even the link you provided states they both get 30". I guess it also depends on where you live, as I mentioned before, I always see snowflakes at the LFSs around me, never chain links, so people buy what is available to them.

 

[FeliciaLynn]

I think somewhere you're confusing the chain link for the zebra. Chain links get the same size as snowflakes albeit a little bulkier. Even the link you provided states they both get 30". I guess it also depends on where you live, as I mentioned before, I always see snowflakes at the LFSs around me, never chain links, so people buy what is available to them.

No, I know that chain links are different than zebras. I guess size wasn't the right description, but even though they get to about the same physical size, most sites recommend a much larger water volume for the chain link eels. So I meant basically space considerations. I was going off of the fact that Live Aquaria lists 125 gallons as the min tank size for a chainlink eel:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?c=720&pCatId=122

I wonder if that is a mistake? Seems like a lot of space for an eel that is the same physical size as a snowflake. Live Aquaria usually has reasonable size minimum tank size recommendations though.

 

[Duke4Life]

That's what I never understood, a lot of the same physical attributes, just different color and attitude.

 

[cu455]

A 50 gallon is a little on the small side for a snowflake eel. This is a 55 gallon I ended up moving him to a 75 gallon then a 265 gallon. Once he moved he was much more active and utilized the extra space he had.

 

[Duke4Life]

Has anyone ever had a chainlink for over 2 years?

 

[cu455]

The one I had is now at my sisters house. I got it October 14, 2013.

 

[Duke4Life]

The one I had is now at my sisters house. I got it October 14, 2013.

How big is he now? What about thickness/girth? Any change in attitude?

 

[Duke4Life]

The one I had is now at my sisters house. I got it October 14, 2013.

This is the same 1 in the pics above? There's just not much on these from other folks like us. I've had mine since June 2015.

 

[cu455]

Yes it is the same one. I will get a picture in the next few days. Much smaller then the snowflake now. It is ~2ft long and thickness is a little smaller then a toilet paper tube.

 

[Duke4Life]

 

[Duke4Life]

I've got an interesting twist, my LFS didn't have my typical food for about 1.5 weeks, went to feeding clams since that's what they had. Well now all he wants is clams and refuses everything else. Anyone else have this happen?

 

[Duke4Life]

Has anyone that has owned a Snowflake ever tried just feeding crustaceans and still had 1 go after your fish? A bit curious on this.....

 

[Mistborn]

Has anyone that has owned a Snowflake ever tried just feeding crustaceans and still had 1 go after your fish? A bit curious on this.....

The only time mine has ever even struck at a fish is when food was in the water, they were near his food, and my feeding stick was not in the water. Otherwise mine snowflake sits at the end of the feeding stick waiting for food.

 

[LadAShark]

I guess I'm gonna derail this a little bit by asking whether any of those three: zebra/snowflake/chainlink eel would be compatible with, say, an epaulette shark?