# Moray eels?



## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

Just wondering if these are available in captivity?
They are one of my favorite animals, just wondered :/


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

Moray Eels


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

dEsSiCaTa_UK said:


> Just wondering if these are available in captivity?
> They are one of my favorite animals, just wondered :/


 
Yeah, there fairly common. I had a snowflake eel twenty years or so ago. Most shops will stock snowflakes or zebras.


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## davidlottr (Nov 14, 2009)

You can also get so called fresh water ones but they are brakish water, see 1 in my LFS


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

You sure can! I had a Snowflake moray for years (we called him 'Sock Puppet'). He is hands down the best aquatic animal I've ever owned!

I still miss him, but we had to decommission our tank after we flooded our downstairs neighbour when a pipe broke. I was too scared of it happening again! We still visit him, he now lives in a public display aquarium near where we live. :2thumb:


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## Moogloo (Mar 15, 2010)

I nearly had a heart attack when selecting some clowns at TMC the marine fish wholesaler!! I was leaning over the big bottom row of tanks to reach into th tanks above... i didnt even think about the fact that one of the bottom tanks had a lid and none of the others did!

Not until...stretched over the tank i happened to glance down and see 4 sets of massive jaws and as the fifth set smacked the perspex lid as it struck at me! I kind of staggered backwards and jumped/fell off the stool and all the staff were doubled over wetting themselves laughing at me!!

I never even noticed the tank below was full of about big Morays. Not your piddly little snowflakes... these guys were at very smallest one was 2ft and 3ft! Andobviously had more growing to do. Sitting there watching every move with the jaws open and loads of teeth showing!

Scared the bejeezus out of me! Gorgeous fish though!


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## Railz (Oct 30, 2010)

we have a snowflake at work , weve also stocked leopards etc in past


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## Mynki (Mar 24, 2010)

Moogloo said:


> I never even noticed the tank below was full of about big Morays. Not your piddly little snowflakes... these guys were at very smallest one was 2ft and 3ft! Andobviously had more growing to do. Sitting there watching every move with the jaws open and loads of teeth showing!


Snowflakes can grow to a meter in length. So not that "piddling" really. That's bigger than the sizes you mention. :Na_Na_Na_Na:

I have seen giant morays (Gymnothorax javanicus) in the trade but only a real idjit would buy one of them as they grow to 3 meters. Would you fancy catching one of those?


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

Excellent story Moogloo! :lol2:
My little snowflake was no monster but he was still just a shade under the 3ft mark, hence we couldn't just sell him as easily as our other fish when we decommissioned. Those big ones at TMC must have been hungry! Haha!

To the OP. If you do consider getting an Eel do plenty of research. They need a large and very securely lidded tank with places to hide and can't generally be kept with fish smaller than their mouths! Along with this good protein skimmers and filtration are essential. Morays produce a LOT of oily waste!

Just read loads and work out how much money and space you have for a tank and equipment. In my experience Eels are just amazing to keep!


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## Doogerie (Jul 6, 2007)

I love Morry eels there is just something funny about them


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## royalgecko (Jul 31, 2012)

yeh they can. The boss at work set up an 8ft aquarium and said all the workers could choose a fish so i chose a honeycomb moray  They'v got some character and he comes and sits in my hand...for now haha

iv got a pic somewhere, hes only a baby maybe 2ft


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## Polistes (Feb 20, 2012)

I love the Tessellated moray eels. (Gymnothorax favagineus) I also had a zebra moray,(Gymnomuraena zebra) the worst eel I had, the little fruit would only eat live crayfish(which I had to go out and catch) and crabs. 

It would not touch frozen food even though the LFS assured me that it was eating....*I should have known something was off when they refused to feed it infront of me, saying it already ate* I had it for a year before I gave it to another unsuspecting LFS....


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## metan0ein (Aug 2, 2012)

We keep a moray eel at the aquarium I work at and she's lovely! You'd need quite a big tank but I'm sure you could get one without much hassle


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