Hey guys, I've recently been offered to trade one of my clams for a zebra eel. The zebra eel looks really cool to have as a pet but as a beginner reefer I have some doubts. Anyone able to tell me what to watch out for when taking care of the eel? Like whats the best food to give it and how reef safe is it? Thanks guys!
Zebra Moray Eel
- Thread starter Kurtis
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+1 on what dontavo said but if you really like the eel & would like to give it a try, do make sure you have lids on your tank. In my experience, eels will explore around the tank & will head to the surface when either it gets hungry & it’s searching for food, water conditions are very poor or in the rare occasion that it can’t find a suitable place to claim as its own. Eels need a secure space they can claim as theirs, the reason why some lfs keep pvc pipes in an eel tank. Creating a cavernous space where they can recoil will help it feel secure. Food wise, it depends on its size but I would ask the current owner about his feeding regiment with the eel & continue the same practice. As long as you provide it with an adequate home, water parameters & feeding practices, you will have a happy eel. Good luck.
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I have had 2 Zebra eels over the years. Neither were jumpers and were good with other fish. They do love clams and will eat them with zeal. They prefer caves and only come out at night or occasional dureing the day if you have crustacions for them to feed on. As far a being in a reef setup, Zebra Eels are very clumsy swimmers and will knock most everything over. I never had mine bother any corals.
I too had eels. They were usually freebies because they were no longer wanted as most become. Never had one escape. They are nearly blind and feed off of smell. If they miss a piece of food and it gets somewhere you can’t get to before them. They are solid muscle and will knock rock over to get to that piece of shrimp or whatever you feed them. Never had them bother any other inhabitants. They tend to go to back to fish stores with them being reluctant to take them, even for free. Has to be a shop that knows you and your care of your tank to trust you about health of it. As any fish trade or abandonment.
