Zebra Moray Eel Question

[Fish Lawyer]

Hey All

A friend of mine has recommended that I not put a Lionfish in my new tank, but instead just stick with a Zebra Moray Eel. According to him, this way I can still keep small fish in the tank. (Ie. Clownfish, etc.)

Is this true? I thought a Zebra would eat anything small...

[leebca]

My most recent Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra was a very nice community member.

They do eat fish and they are aggressive in behavior. However, if kept fed on the right foods and the right quantity, the majority of them will not bother other aquarium fishes. Of course you don't to feed it any fish you plan to keep with it, or it will learn the other fishes aren't tankmates but food.

It usually poses no threat to marine ornamental fishes nor the hobbyist. It does require a large aquarium (I would recommend no less than a 125 long or 180 gallon) with landscaping that will allow this eel to hide in (its entire body).

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Hi there again Lee, you most likely remember me! In any case, eels, no matter of the species, will prey when are hungry for I never known one too control their diet, other then too over feed. As well, most never are willing enough to go through the expense in offering this eel a wide variety of crab meat in their normal diet. Like later, im still to learn if the idea be affordable to maintain a pair of Ribbon Eels, by having the majority of the natural diet, LIVE! But I need to first see what it might run me a month in doing this. And if it turns out that its not affordable, I will decide if i`ll go back to the idea in replacing the pair of dragon eels that I kept for more then 14 years, or some other pair.

But on this topic, people when keeping eels with a variety of fish or in reef tank, knows that their be no garentee anyone could give you that your eel will never prey on its tank mates. Its the same thing with keeping dwarf eels, in which later im to have as well myself.

The major problem when keeping eels within a population system is the we all tend to over feed to where when if a species only tank, then im able to feed, once a week. The differences in this is that when feeding so often, our eels aren't truly as healthy as we may think. Its like in some other forum link were a person shows a photo of his eel, with a up to date photo, two years later, and his SFE in now fat, his eel has gain much body fat, and he doesn't realize this. And I as well agree on tank size, and larger would be better so that if you wanted many corals, you wouldn`t ovecrowd the tank, leaving some openings for the eel too move freely around



Rather then posting this next part as a new thread, im not going to go into many detail here. Still later after I learn when soon one person will rebuild one of my two to be SPS tanks. You remember? a LFS owner named Jeff Voet of fish world had setup everything with nothing of what I was supposed to have. And at this time, im slowly removing the LR into Rubbermaid and drain both tanks of their water. When I learn of, or when the filtration part is completed, I will then make a new thread on this progress. Now the guy who came yesterday, I had him take out the lighting from both tanks, that the 180 may become for a while, until the 240 is completed withn its live stock, that I was thinking to run the 180 as a F/O tank, but nothing expensive, or too aggressive, for I want to be able to find the fish I have new homes.

I will explain this better afterwards, when the filtration system is completed. But maybe there do be one thing, for Jeff voet, he not giving me the lighting I paid for. I was to have 4x250 W MH, but he put in then, 4x175 W MH, with just two VHO, to where on the 240, I needed six. But any ideas one the vho I should look for? Remember, SPS is the one thing I not done in all the years I been in the hobby. Later, when I go into more full details on what type of filtration system Jeff Veot has giving me, you will then understand why I wouldn`t started with corals more then five years ago, I made these plans now, more then nine years ago. Later Lee ;)
Buddy