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Mandarin with a snowflake eel


jbarre03

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I have a 93 cube and I've had a mandarin for about 3 years now. I was thinking about adding a snowflake eel. I've read multiple reviews. Has anyone had this combo before. Did it work or was it a bad ending?

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I have a 93 cube and I've had a mandarin for about 3 years now. I was thinking about adding a snowflake eel. I've read multiple reviews. Has anyone had this combo before. Did it work or was it a bad ending?

 

I haven't had that combination, but I do have a large snowflake moray. The bad news is, he has been known, on occasion, to eat a mandarin-sized fish. The good news is, with one possible exception, he's only eaten fish that tried to bully him. Specifically, a couple of dwarf angels/butterflies who decided it was a good idea to swim up and start smacking him in the face with their tail -- repeatedly. After several days of this aggressive behavior, one day they were gone. From this admittedly limited data set, I think you should be OK if your mandarin doesn't tend toward the suicidal, and particularly if you get a small eel that will be accustomed to the mandarin as it grows.

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That's what I kept reading. The mandarin does his own thing and doesn't even come near any fish don't think he will be okay

 

 

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My own annecdotes as my snowflake was mostly a sockpuppet (a joke, but she was that gentle), the eel won't even notice they're there. Never bothered a fish. The only time she chased anything was when I fed her cooked turkey (I read that it's a thing). Never again! She kept chasing the hawkfish thinking it was a piece of turkey. Took her days to calm down

For other snowflakes, I've heard both sides. Just spoil them with food and make sure they're well fed before feeding the rest of the tank. Also, make sure other fish wont steal food from the eel or they may be bitten on accident (puffers, triggers, lions; my puffer was bitten once, she let go when she realized he wasn't a shrimp). Mine was fine with even certain inverts. Just not large snails. Large tangs would harrass her though, so caution with that as well (only my sailfin and naso did the others were fine. Personality maybe?).

 

Good luck and watch your fingers!

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Thanks for the update. I feed every other day so I should be good. I'm going for it.

 

 

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My own annecdotes as my snowflake was mostly a sockpuppet (a joke, but she was that gentle), the eel won't even notice they're there. Never bothered a fish. The only time she chased anything was when I fed her cooked turkey (I read that it's a thing). Never again! She kept chasing the hawkfish thinking it was a piece of turkey. Took her days to calm down

 

For other snowflakes, I've heard both sides. Just spoil them with food and make sure they're well fed before feeding the rest of the tank. Also, make sure other fish wont steal food from the eel or they may be bitten on accident (puffers, triggers, lions; my puffer was bitten once, she let go when she realized he wasn't a shrimp). Mine was fine with even certain inverts. Just not large snails. Large tangs would harrass her though, so caution with that as well (only my sailfin and naso did the others were fine. Personality maybe?).

 

Good luck and watch your fingers!

Cooked turkey? That is funny.

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The snowflake eel I used to have ate a small clownfish. It took a couple of years of being together in the same tank before it happened. All other fish it left alone (wrasse, trigger, etc.) for the 5 yrs that I had it. I think you would be taking a risk with the mandarin.

 

But, maybe you can try to lessen that risk. Snowflake eels are nocturnal hunters, so keeping it well fed and feeding right before the lights turn off might help keep the mandarin alive (and any small crustaceans that you have). By feeding the snowflake eel right before the lights turn out should hopefully give it a full stomach before its nighttime activities of cruising around the tank.

 

I don't think I'd take the risk. After personally loosing a fish to one.

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I don't think I'd take the risk. After personally loosing a fish to one.

I agree, not worth the risk to me. I had a snowflake take out a large purple tang once, right in front of me during feeding time.

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Mandarins are really slow, aloof fish that work their way in and out of crevices all day without paying much mind to their surroundings. Mine leaves no area of the tank unexplored, and I had to rehome an orchid dottyback that was kicking its butt. It's almost guaranteed that any mandarin you pick up will wander into the eel cave. When that happens, if your eel is even a bit little aggressive or nippy, you can kiss the mandarin goodbye, whether it gets eaten or just picked apart over time. Why even risk it? More importantly, if you have a number of experienced members such as those above saying it's not a good idea, and you pick the mandarin up anyway, why ask?

 

I don't mean to be a jerk, but this reminds me of all of the "what's the actual minimum tank size for x fish" questions that are asked, and experienced members say the poster's tank isn't big enough, and the person buys the fish anyway. Maybe you'll get really lucky and have a model citizen of an eel. I certainly hope so. 

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You have it backwards I already have the mandarin. Had him for 3 years now. I was also asking for others experience if they've done it. Like every other experience like this there's always a risk and everybody has different experiences. Just something I'm looking into.

 

 

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Fair enough. Again, wasn't trying to be a jerk, but you put a fish that's generally a territorial, opportunistic predator with one that's an aloof, explorative, goofy, slow fish, and things will probably go sour. Sorry for my earlier tone. 

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No worries I've been researching this for a while now. I've seen if you feed him daily by hand he can be controlled.

 

 

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Good luck with this experiment. I bet the owner of the fish below thought the same thing. I'll just feed it really well, every day, and it will leave my goby alone. These things will eat all they can and even if fed daily they will still go after an easy meal. The only thing going for the mandarin is that the eel might see it as a poisonous fish and leave it alone.

 

lionfish-eating-goby-1.jpg

Edited by Coral Hind
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One thing you might want to consider is an engineer goby. I really wanted to add an eel to my reef but didnt want to take the chance. My engineer has a ton of personallity, looks pretty close to an eel and most people think it is one. Only downside (doesnt bother me) is that they can move some sand. I generally just push some back into his area every day or two to keep him busy.

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My snowflake would NOT eat every day, or even every other day, so I don't think that's a good solution. Mine was also probably an exemption to the rule as it had been basically hand fed since it was tiny. There's a reason it was one of the few fish I've ever named, and we called it "Princess"; most spoiled eel ever.

As always YMMV. There are different personalities with every fish, some are model citizens and others are pure psychos. Snowflakes are not pure pescivores (?), but they can be aggressive with fish. Another eel to look at would be the zebra, which are even better around your other fish, albeit more expensive.

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Good luck with this experiment. I bet the owner of the fish below thought the same thing. I'll just feed it really well, every day, and it will leave my goby alone. These things will eat all they can and even if fed daily they will still go after an easy meal. The only thing going for the mandarin is that the eel might see it as a poisonous fish and leave it alone.

 

lionfish-eating-goby-1.jpg

Wow, that looks scary.

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  • 6 years later...

Hey, i know this is an old post but i wanted to see how your mandarin turned out? is he still alive and kicking? I'm hoping he didn't get eaten.

i have a moray eel and would love to get a mandarin now that my tank is established (almost 2 yrs). I also started culturing tiger pods...getting things ready for the little guy lol

 

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