I finally have FISH!

[howmanyds]

After an insanely long cycling period (partly my fault) and many, many posts about who do get, I finally got the first 75% of my community.

However, when I asked Dave at Dave's Rare Aquarium about his Tanganyikan eels, he assured me that it would not harm my other juvie tangs. In fact my biggest concern would be to make sure it got food because it would most likely hide in a shy corner and not come out much.

To my surprise, this little bugger didn't read the books. He has stressed everyone out! Within the first hour of unbagging, he had nipped half the back fin off of an Aulonocara maylandi who is now swimming only in the top corner, the whole back fin off of a julie marlieri, and he got the entire front half of a pearly ocellatus in his mouth before spitting him out (I think the latter is no more than a bit shaken up).

So the little hunter got himself banished to a jam jar which I hope will allow enough water in and out while I figure out what to do with him. Dave had said the eel would eat fish he could fit in his mouth, but that he's still too small to do any damage to my other juvies which he was sending me. I guess not.

What to do?

 

[howmanyds]

In the last picture here, after moving the eel into isolation, the rest of the fish are still seemingly agitated. There's a handful of them who are just sitting there all facing the same direction towards the rocks. I'm guessing they're waiting for the eel to come out of hiding somewhere.

It's just strange to see them all staring the same direction.

 

[Freakgecko91]

I'd definitely add a lot more shells, not sure what Shellie you decided on, but you want 3-4 shells per adult, and try to place those shells in small groups

Other than that, looks good! Sorry to hear about the eel :/

 

[howmanyds]

The shellies are L. Meleagris: "pearly ocellatus". There are only 3 small ones because the fourth didn't survive the journey. They're just barely an inch.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Oh, ok, makes sense then, sorry to hear about the loss :/

 

[haleybeth30]

I guess if nowhere to put him you could rehome the eel. He's cool, but not if he's going to gobble little fish. Maybe you could trade him for something less ferocious? =) By the way, Your tank looks nice!

 

[howmanyds]

At the suggestion of Dave from Dave's Rare Fish, who was surprised to hear that the eel he sold me was a bully, I've put him in an isolation box that's a little better than the jam jar. This is actually a breeding box, and I gave him some sand and a nice shell, which he stays in most of the time.

Any thoughts on how long this guy might be able to stay in here while my small fish get bigger, before I attempt to reintroduce him?