[Derpeder]

If I have some clowns and a cleaning crew will a snowflake eel eat the clowns and cleaning crew..............could I keep a snowflake in that mix?

[leebca]

Anemonefish are omnivores, eating both meat and green proteins. They are not 'hunters' per se and won't bother the Eel. On the other hand, if the Anemonefish are mated, you may find that the pair or especially the female will be very annoyed at the Eel. Eels don't have much sense about 'territory' of fishes.

Now, from the Eel side: The Snowflake Eel (Echidna nebulosa) is a carnivore and a hunter. It needs a tank no less than 50 gallons to start with and since they can get up to 40 inches in length, be prepared to move it to a 180 gallon aquarium in a couple of years.

The Eel will be inclined to eat crustaceans, so if your clean up crew has shrimp and/or crabs in the mix, they will be good Eel food. Lastly, the Eel could decide the Anemonefish look like a good snack. The Snowflake Eel eats fish too, but is a fairly docile and good natured community tank resident when kept fed and in good health.

[Derpeder]

Sounds like the eel would be fine with the clowns then?

[leebca]

Usually. If the Anemonefish are very small, they would be a tempting meal. The larger the better for the fish.

[Derpeder]

thanks

[rjs5134]

I have a snowflake eel which is very close to being owned by my lfs. While being fed, my fairly small snowflake eel decided the medium sized clown looked better than the food and grabbed him by the mid-section of his body and pulled the percula clown into the back of the rockwork. I watched a cloud of coral dust rise from behind the rock during a struggle and after about 10 seconds the clown came out. He had abovious signs of bite marks on both sides. The eel slowly came out of the dust cloud and slowly stalked the clown. Just as the eel lunged for the clown again I banged the glass and startled everyone. That gave me time to get a net and capture the distracted eel who became a resident of the sump.

I now know what happened to my lawnmower blenny and yellow headed jawfish. 15 years ago I had one that never showed any aggression. It's hit or miss with these guys, but as they get bigger, their preferred food will also.

[Old Man Of The Sea]

leebca, its not so much as territory, but rather that this is what is part of their docile appearances for they are territorial when it comes to their lair. Also, they will battle over the food with one another, no matter if the hobbyist a mating pair. And this wouldn't matter on which of the species.
Myself, a sfe that is almost fully grown, requires a larger tank then a 50, more like a 90 be better and this changes somewhat from if the tank be a reef tank from FO. For if a reef tank, I go with a 120-5.

If this clownfish is 2", or less, it can become a possible meal for the sfe. On the other hand as what leebca has mentioned, if you feed the eel a wide range of its main diet, "Crab" with shrimps and such, you could have a great chance for your clownfish to live a longer life span.

Can I say something here on why rjs5134 said what he/she says on that the sfe found the clownfish to be a far better meal? The thing here is that most people no idea on to the limits of their eels diet are and tend to underfeed much, as well a poor diet mix and nothing to close to their normal diet. In which can leed the sfe to other fresh meal choices.

I had often said that if I was too ever wanted to own a Sf, Zebra eels, which I not have any intentions in doing so, I would start up a small 30 gal crab tank just to always have some of its favorite type of food.

And as well rjs5134, eels, in no matter of which of the species can and could show much aggressiveness when it comes to when their hungry enough. As part of the other problem in this in home aquariums be. People are all the time overfeeding their eels. For you need to know that these eels not feed every day or week, and most the time, many not catch a meal for months.
The other problem in this in home aquariums is, by feeding few times a week with an adult species, their digestion of the food they take, has to go somewhere. Like only so much of what they eat, goes to giving them the nourishment they need and then the rest will go into body fats. Its the same thing like with people, that if we over eat, we gain in body fat (Weight).

Of course, no one can garentee anyone that no mishaps will ever occur>

[rjs5134]

Suffice it to say if the fish is small enough, it may very well become a meal for the snowflake eel. The eel is a predator and may or may not take an opportunity to make a meal of any unsuspecting fish.

BTW, both of the snowflake eels that I've owned would bite anything they could get their mouths on including my hand if he/she wasn't just fed.

If you were closer I'd give you my eel even though I do love them.

Good luck.

[leebca]

Originally Posted by Old Man Of The Sea

leebca, its not so much as territory, but rather that this is what is part of their docile appearances for they are territorial when it comes to their lair.

My writing is usually clearer. What I meant to be clear is that the Eel doesn't respect other fish's territory. I didn't mean to imply it has no territorial issues of its own -- it just doesn't respect the territory of others.

Some good information, Old Man of the Sea.

[Old Man Of The Sea]

I not believe I would say it as that, that the eel not respect the territory of others, they do understand this. The eel however depending on the type of species it be, can vary. For we have species in which would move out into the open due too that their hunting for prey. This is the same with most marine species>

Eels however look not to do battle, for they would strike once and then retreat. But, this is something that they cannot do in any home aquarium. The eel as most know are timid at most in appearances, other then eels like the yellowhead or so. Also, there be eels like the yellowhead and blackedge that will attack.

I often said that there is a way one could house another eel with the yellowhead, and that be the blackedge moray. Only thing be is that the tank would need to be not smaller then a 240, with lots of LR and one needs to be ready to make large weekly water changes. For the other side to this be is they would need to feed every third day in order to help keep aggression down. If I wasn`t all so determine to do my 240 as a reef system, that is what I would do then within the 240 gal tank.