[swansondan]

Just thought I would tell you all about my new eel! My gf got it for me for Chirstmas...been in the tank about a month now and it is doing great!

[swansondan]

[ilovemash]

Show it your finger....or hand...

[swansondan]

nah..u can if u want. lol

[JackedupSOB]

looks cool
are you abel to keep anything in the tank with it?

[BLKBRDTA]

One of the coolest eels I have seen, your gf knows how to pick'em thats for sure. Props.

[swansondan]

I have a volitian lionfish and a humma humma trigger and a flounder with it right now. She did pick well

[BLKBRDTA]

You have a nice selection of fish there. Post up some more pictures for us all.

[JackedupSOB]

I agree that is a great group of fish, let see a whole tank shot

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Tank Size (US GAL): 90
Experience: 3 Months

Being your showing that you only have this 90 gal tank, I feel that I should offer you some warning in over stocking with larger growing marine species. But before that, your male dragon appears to be in fine health, and I hope that your feeding him a variety of fresh strips of fish, as well as octopus, squid and shrimp. Do your eel a great favor and stay away from farm raised sea foods And use a feeding stick of some type.


Also, a lionfish with such eels as these, its not advisable to have, more docile eels like a SFE, zebra or a much safer species mix, then with a dragon moray. And a flounder? This fish for many in this species, grows rather large, and your tank would be needing a wide open area for it, so your tank isn't as well, ideal for this species. The only two fish that you have right now, in my professional opinion, are the eel and huma, but as well, there be no warning to if or when your male dragon might attempt to take a bite out of your trigger.

So being that your keeping the eel with many fish, in a closed and close system. You need to try feeding your eel twice a week, and feed until he refuses further foods. This method im afraid will cause your male dragon to gain much body fat in just the next year or two. It be the only method you can manage to try and keep the eel from ever feeling its hungry. For eels, that no matter how large the other tank mates be, it could still manage to try and take a bite out of it when its feeling hungry.

I myself had kept a pair of dragon eels for more then 14 years, and sold them to some private zoo people. I kept them with only damsels, no other main tank mates, and feed them once a week, and if they refused to feed that week, they waited to the next schedule feeding, a week later.

I`ve delt with a great number of eel species through my life time, you yourself will soon enough learn in what be best to do, as you move a long in the maintenance and care taken for your eel. Please do take note here, you must maintain a Ph above 8.0, do not drop below, this will have a great affect on its diet, as well, maintain as low a nitrate level that you can, 20 or below is fine, but it would do a good deal better at untraceable levels. And you already must know to maintain your ammonia and nitrites at zero. It also must have a great deal of LR, it must be allowed to hide itself, in total darkness, you want to keep your eel from any source of possible stress.

Sorry for any misspellings, it couldn`t be helped

Good Luck

Buddy

[swansondan]

Ok...sorry about the non updated tank stuff. I have been in saltwater for about 2 years I guess. I have a 90 gallon reef tank that this guy is not in...I built a 125 gallon in the wall tank. It has a 75 gallon sump...250lbs of live rock asmg3 skimmer, refuigm built into the sump. I do agree that the eel might eat the trigger..I am going to trade the trigger in, the lion is fairly big, not to worried about him. I feed the eal every 3 days..until he is full. So far so good. Thanks for your comments and I would appreciate any more advice that you have.

[swansondan]

Also the flounder is fairly small at the moment, has quite a lot of open sand. rocks are spaced around the back wall and in the sump.

[Old Man Of The Sea]

the lion is fairly big, not to worried about him

The male dragon that I sold after 14 years, eat strips of salmon as long as 9" and 3" thick, so if you decide in keeping it, chances be is it will vanish one day.

I built a 125 gallon in the wall tank

Have you any idea in how large many flounders do grow too? Do a search on flounders.

So far so good

It is always that way, So far so good. until that is, its not so good, your actions then would been too late. I ran out of count to how many thought as you are thinking here, they not today think in that same way as you are doing right now.

Also the flounder is fairly small at the moment

Yes, I figured that it was, but know that it will grow, never buy any fish that will grow to large for your tank to manage it. As well, buying so many, and have them in close quarters, that when and if one is hungry, you have a missing tank mate, or a dead one to remove. Know this kid, that we all had to learn in what is best to do, and what not to do. It matters not that your just still wetting your beak on the knowledge of what your doing, or will do. Also, take note that, you not see hardy anybody else in these forums who are keeping flounders. I only see you with one.

And one last thing, you said that you bought your eel a 2lb bag of shrimp, if this bag is just for your eel, he will never be able to eat it all, before you will have to dump it. You see, you need to keep the food your feeding your marine fish, well sealed, with not air for freshness, and be careful of freezer burns. The most I keep food for the eels I kept, is just a few weeks, not months.

We shouldn`t buy any marine animal that will outgrow our tanks, or what marine animals shouldn`t be mixed in with most tank mates that they would surly kill.

Buddy

[swansondan]

I have a good lfs and I will trade in the flounder when he gets to big for the tank. I feed the flounder and the lion fish the shrimp as well. I did not think about keeping the shrimp to long. I will look into that as well.

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Im not the time to go over many things right now, im bathing my grandchildren and washing clothes too. But for most seafoods I get, I get it from a fresh sea food market that gets in fresh fish almost everyday.

Costo, dont get in frsh, everyday, and most of what they get, are frozen. Me, I buy most of my fish fresh the day the market gets it. Then I wrap and air tight seal them, in with everything im too feed that day. Also, you want to when removing from the freezer, to have it in a bowl with room temperture water, not hot!!

I got to go, maybe I will get a chance to check back here tomorrow sometime.

Buddy

[Old Man Of The Sea]

The Kids are in bed now, and all else is done, im waiting now for their day to come home.

I have a good lfs

Many of us thought that at one time or another, but know this, that you are paying your LFS for items, it is just business to them. Understand that, here in the forums where you could manage collecting many professional views/opinions from others, who gains not your money, but that your to do better for any short term, as in the long term.


Be very careful with buying already frozen shrimps, you see, your no idea on just how long its been frozen. I always when the market has it, buy fresh, and then freeze it myself in ready made packaging for the day of feeding, you not want to freeze and defrost, and freeze again.

Buddy

[sumi]

I had a dragon moray once...i caught him in a tide pool.

[swansondan]

Buddy-
You are right about the lfs being in it for the money, but you can also tell if they are also there to help or there just for the money. I believe for the most part mine is both and will take trade in's for half of what he sells it for. So that is my reasoning behind the flounder, he is a great addition at the moment, when he gets to big, it will be time for him to find a new home. That is a good idea about the fresh fish, I will look around and see if I can find a fish market.

Sumi-that was a heck of a find. What ever happened to it?

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Did you get this flounder from this LFS? If so, then if they were in it for your good to do well in this, they would then had told you not to buy it! For the majority of LFS, they are for the money, even this lfs that your at now.

If I was at this LFS your going too, I would then told you that with all of what you now have, the lionfish is a bad choice for your tank, as the flounder will go. And why buy fish, just to return them, you will loose a certain amount on do that return, you will not get the same money that you paid.

Chances be, your trigger will be left a lone, but the lion must come out.

Buddy

[sumi]

i kept him in my tank for a little bit, he was maybe 12 or 13 inches long..but i knew i couldn't keep him because my tank was way too small. so ended up selling it to a guy at school. i knew the guy would take good care of it. funny how i caught it though. tide was low and i was in ankle deep water and there it was curled up in some rocks. i knew exactly what it was, and caught it with a small net. haha. thats the best thing ive ever caught.

[Old Man Of The Sea]

At most, Its a sad joke

[sumi]

why is that?

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Its this way, your friend who you said has taking the fish from you once it was too large for your tanks, not mean that the fish isn't , or will grow too large for his. And if he told you that he was planning to upgrade to a much larger tank, at most in this, most never will do it. The other thing in taking any marine animal that will surely out grow your tank is nothing more then a death sentence for that animal.

So rather then smiling and saying in how easy it was to catch it, you were best to freed it from the low tide, rather then removing it from our oceans. You will perhaps one day think as many others and myself in this matter.

Also, perhaps you not realize this, that so many in the hobby are buying so many new fish for their tanks, for many looses a great deal of their live stock. Much is due too over stocking and feeding, as well as not so nutritional foods and poor water quality. And not having as well, a QT.

There is another matter in this as well, having a reef tank and wanting too get any new arrivals for this tank, fishes that is. Your LFS most likely keep their FO show tanks with a salinity of not more then 1.019. And in buying their fishes for your reef tank, and lets say your reef tanks salinity is at 1.025-26. This im afraid is stress in the happening.

Like when I begin my SPS system, finally, my 40 gal breeder with be my QT for corals and fish, with a salinity of 1.022-23.

Today, I have my youngest grandson, for his with no school today. And to top it off, im not feeling so well, breathing today is heavy and difficult. I guess most will feel this way once they aged 70. Also, this little knucklehead makes the most load noise.

Another is that I have extreme problems in my typing, and this post within the way im feeling, has taking me a little more then 1.5 hours. But later, if im feeling up too it, will post in Introductions. The problem there be is that the more I try to type, the more errors I will have.

Buddy

[sumi]

my friend actually has a very large tank where he holds another moray and some other fish so i was not worried at all that the dragon would outgrow the tank. hes a very responsible aquarist and i know hes taking excellent care of it.

[MasonKiller]

Dude your GF got you a 1000 dollar eel for c-mas...wtf! Where do I get a girlfriend like this ?