edslady2589
Aquarium Advice Newbie
:? I've recently bought what I was told to be a freshwater snowflake eel. When doing research I found out that a freshwater snowflake eel doesn't exist. If anyone knows what kind of eel I have please let me know
I need to identify my eel
- Thread starter edslady2589
- Start date
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ttopmustanggt88
Aquarium Advice Regular
pic? might help even though i know nothing about eels
FishLover14
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Try researching the web for general eels and then find one that resembles yours.
Dan
Dan
I tried to do some research on your eel and have also read that there is no such thing as a freshwater snowflake eel. I did read that some shops put up a sort of spiny eels as freshwater snowflake eels.
"You are right, it's nonsense. There aren't any "true" freshwater Moray Eels. However, there are some freshwater Eels that may be misrepresented as such (you know how some pet shops are, they can mislabel a goldfish!) In fact, I saw one myself. It looked vaguely like a Snowflake Eel, and the pet shop had a big sign on it "Freshwater Snowflake". In reality it was a Spiny Eel, Mastocembelus armatus, which is not a true Eel at all. For your info, all true freshwater Eels belong to the Family Anguillidae.
This is a quote from http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/eelprofilesindex/a/aa082901.htm
Try to look up pictures of spiny eels and see if they look like yours. Also, look up a picture of a 'real' saltwater snowflake eel. If your eel looks exactly like the saltwater, then maybe it is and it shouldn't be in your aquarium.
It's not good that your fishstore put's a tag on a fish which isn't existant. Makes it very hard for you to research them properly and take good care of them.
HTH
Thomas
"You are right, it's nonsense. There aren't any "true" freshwater Moray Eels. However, there are some freshwater Eels that may be misrepresented as such (you know how some pet shops are, they can mislabel a goldfish!) In fact, I saw one myself. It looked vaguely like a Snowflake Eel, and the pet shop had a big sign on it "Freshwater Snowflake". In reality it was a Spiny Eel, Mastocembelus armatus, which is not a true Eel at all. For your info, all true freshwater Eels belong to the Family Anguillidae.
This is a quote from http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/eelprofilesindex/a/aa082901.htm
Try to look up pictures of spiny eels and see if they look like yours. Also, look up a picture of a 'real' saltwater snowflake eel. If your eel looks exactly like the saltwater, then maybe it is and it shouldn't be in your aquarium.
It's not good that your fishstore put's a tag on a fish which isn't existant. Makes it very hard for you to research them properly and take good care of them.
HTH
Thomas
LiveSquid
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Its very common. Many stores sell a snowflake eel for freshwater.My best guess is that its a peacock eel. There is no freshwater snowflake moray, but Im not entirely sure that theres no freshwater snowflake (non-moray)... but again, my best bet is that its a peacock eel.
The above posters did not read the article all the way through. Look at the end where it says "UPDATE"
Look at fishbase.org species name "Echidna rhodochilus"... I am willing to bet that is your eel.
I have one of those eels that dont exist. It is in my brackish tank. specific gravity 1.12-1.14(going full salt soon)-got it at petco labled the same. Since then I have seen them numerous times.
Just to be said, it will do better in full salt.
not sure how to post a link but here you go. you may need to copy and past.
check here-
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/eelcare/a/aa090501.htm
and then here-
http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dy...ariacentral.com/fishinfo/brackish/fwmoray.htm
and then do a search with the name I supplied to do further id and to get info.
No offense intended for the above poster, I just faced the same problem a ear ago.
Anyway, I feed the fish a few times a week with frozen seafood like shrimp and mussles.
Look at fishbase.org species name "Echidna rhodochilus"... I am willing to bet that is your eel.
I have one of those eels that dont exist. It is in my brackish tank. specific gravity 1.12-1.14(going full salt soon)-got it at petco labled the same. Since then I have seen them numerous times.
Just to be said, it will do better in full salt.
not sure how to post a link but here you go. you may need to copy and past.
check here-
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/eelcare/a/aa090501.htm
and then here-
http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dy...ariacentral.com/fishinfo/brackish/fwmoray.htm
and then do a search with the name I supplied to do further id and to get info.
No offense intended for the above poster, I just faced the same problem a ear ago.
Anyway, I feed the fish a few times a week with frozen seafood like shrimp and mussles.
Pufferpunk
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It is probable that your fish might be a Gymnothorax tile; as the previous link indicated, the heading of "FW moray eels" is misleading, as they will never thrive in full freshwater (with the exception of a New Guinean species truly unlikely to turn up in in the hands of the average fishkeeper, and most certainly not the species carried by Petco chains).
jibboo
Aquarium Advice Freak
My lfs currently has a tank of fw morays ... i was VERY surprised to see that there was such a thing ... but there they were ... swimming around (or rather sitting there looking menacing) with the alligator gars.
whitetiger_CJ
Aquarium Advice Freak
The "freshwater" eel does exist, and it is a Moray eel, However it thrives best in brackish to full marine conditions. I was able to find a site that may be some help.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmorayeels.htm
good luck
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmorayeels.htm
good luck
