Live rock is porous limestone that has spent time on the ocean floor and has become populated with ocean life such as beneficial microbes, amphipods and copepods, sea stars, coral, and algae. They are coral reef dwellers, and require a good amount of live rock in their tank to do well. Water filters especially need to be tightly sealed to avoid harm coming to your snowflake eels. Like other eels and long, slippery fish, they are notorious for escaping and sliding into places they are not meant to go. Some eel keepers recommend a tank minimum of at least 75 gallons (or 284 liters) for an optimal life. Snowflake eels require a tightly sealed saltwater tank setup of at least 55 gallons (or 208 liters). Snowflake eels also often do not do well together in the same tank, making breeding harder to accomplish. Long time eel keepers find it to be a mysterious endeavour, in part because the sex of a snowflake eel is not distinguishable to the human eye. With the right diet and proper tank care, snowflake eels can be hardy, hearty fish to keep.īreeding snowflake eels in captivity is not easy. You may also need to employ a chemical filter media to remove any water impurities that could be making your eel sick.
#WOLF EEL FACTS SERIES#
If your snowflake eel appears to be developing an infection, a series of water changes is in order. This makes them extremely sensitive to aquarium medications, so these medications should be avoided for them where possible. Like all eels, snowflake eels do not have scales, and instead secrete a thick coating of mucus around their bodies for protection. Snowflake eels should not be kept in the same tank as shrimp, other crustaceans, or any other reef dwelling aquatic creatures that you are keeping as pets, because they are the natural prey of the snowflake eel. The most important factor is how well-fed your eel is, as their most predatory tendencies will inevitably come out if they are allowed to get too hungry. Their preferred domestic lifestyle is a solitary one.Ī close eye should be kept on any fish being added in with snowflake eels, and knowing how aggressive your particular snowflake eel is will be the second largest factor in how good a tankmate they might make.
Snowflake eels have been known to fight amongst their own, to the death, even in large aquarium setups. These fish should not be small enough to fit inside of a snowflake eel’s mouth, as any fish who is will register as nothing more than a tasty treat to them. If you are housing these carnivorous eels with other fish, there are several factors to keep in mind. You can expect to pay double to triple what you would for other more basic fish when looking to purchase a snowflake eel.ĭepending on size, snowflake eels can cost anywhere from $35.00 for a smaller eel to $80.00 for an extra-large eel. It is notoriously difficult to distinguish a male from a female. They prefer to dwell in the bottom of your tank. In the wild, they inhabit a depth of between seven and 100 feet. Some will have splashes of yellow underneath the black. Usually, they have a white body with varying speckles of black. By: Brocken Inaglory (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 licence) Sometimes, they even change colour over the course of their life. Their coloration will vary depending on what area of the world they are from. As snowflake eels are predators of the reef, other reef species should not be kept as pets in their tank. They are native to the reefs of the Pacific Ocean, and range all the way from the east coast of Africa to Micronesia to Mexico and Central America. Plan for the long haul with a snowflake eel in your tank! While domestic snowflake eels usually see a lifespan of four years or more, the proper setup can see your carnivorous fish reaching 10 to 15 years. Snowflake eels have been found in the wild at sizes past three feet, though in captivity, they usually reach two feet. They are nocturnal predators, and strike at night. Snowflake eels are a medium-sized fish for the average aquarium setup. Snowflake Eel Appearance & Personality Size and Effort
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