Freshwater moray eels?

[Icedkore]

I know that the commonly sold "freshwater" moray eel or freshwater snow flake moray eel are really fresh at all. I know that they are brackish to full salt but other than that whats there story. Any help would be great.

[zekni]

My experience has been that they'll eat anything they can fit in their mouths, and maime (thus generally killing) thier larger tank mates. They do get pretty big. I had one I bought at about 6" get to be about 18" in a couple years. Hurts when you get bit by them, too. :D

[Chad55]

What kind of setup did you have it in? Full fresh or what?

Chad

[FranchizBoy16]

I was just wondering too...What size tank would you reccomend for a
freshwater morray eel?

[Oddball]

Do a search on 'moray eel'. This subject has come up several times recently. Here's one of them:

The "Freshwater" (Brackish to Marine) Moray Eels, Family Muraenidae

Bob Fenner

Of the fifteen genera and more than two-hundred species of muraenids there are a couple of handfuls that are known to occasionally enter freshwater in tropical and temperate areas. Of these, two are of principal use to aquarists, being available in good numbers in areas where regular collection of ornamentals is an industry.

The purpose of this article is to inform the public and industry that these two species are really not so much "permanent" freshwater residents... but better considered brackish water organisms (spg 1.005-1.010). Though you may see them presented in "all freshwater settings" for sale, they are best kept in partially saltwater as long term possibilities.

Other literature-noted marine, venturing into brackish, possibly freshwater Morays are listed, and a smattering of non-moray anquilliforms (true eels), as is a mention of a few of the many groups of fishes called "eels" that are not true eels.


Most notably more Freshwater to Brackish:

Echidna rhodochilus Bleeker 1863, "Freshwater White-Cheeked Moray". Indo-west Pacific; Indonesia and Philippines. To about thirteen inches in length... this is principally a marine species, consider it temporarily brackish. It occasionally enters freshwater... Aquarium image. Generally only accepts live shrimp, small fishes as foods.

Gymnothorax polyuranodon (Bleeker 1853), a "Freshwater Moray". Indo-Pacific; Sri Lanka to Fiji, down to Australia. To about three feet in length... if it lives... most do not... this is a freshwater to brackish to marine/estuarine species. Best considered brackish. Aquarium image of a Philippine specimen (Fiji, New Guinea ones black and white mottled). Easily fed on all fresh or live meaty foods.


Other Morays that venture from Marine into Brackish to and Maybe into Fresh For A While (Temporarily): Rare in ornamental aquatics.

Anarchias seychellensis Smith 1962, the Seychelles Moray Eel. Indo-Pacific; East Africa to Easter Island. To nearly a foot in length. Brackish to marine.

Echidna leucotaenia Schultz 1943, the White Faced Moray Eel. Indo-Pacific; East Africa to the Tuamotus. To thirty inches. Brackish.

Gymnothorax afer Bloch 1795, the Dark Moray. Eastern Atlantic; Mauritania to Namibia. To a meter in length. Brackish to marine.

Gymnothorax fimbriatus (Bennett 1832), the Fimbriated Moray. Indo-Pacific; Madagascar to the Society Islands. To thirty two inches in length.

Gymnothorax tile (Hamilton 1822). Indo-West Pacific; Andaman Sea to Indonesia, Philippines. To two feet total length.

Strophidon sathete, Hamilton 1822 is almost certainly the same species), the Giant Slender Moray Eel. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, eastern coast of Africa to Fiji. To twelve feet in length.

Thyrsoidea macrura (Bleeker 1854), the Giant Slender Moray Eel. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, eastern coast of Africa to Fiji. To more than thirteen feet in length (world's largest moray ). Found around river mouths, occasionally entering into freshwater. A food fish that is rarely offered in the pet-fish trade. A voracious feeder on fish, shrimp, cephalopods.

Uropterygius concolor (Ruppell 1838), the Unicolor Snake Moray . Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to the Society Islands. To twenty inches in length. Brackish to marine, often found in Mangrove swamps.

Uropterygius micropterus (Bleeker 1852), Tidepool Snake Moray. Indo-Pacific; East Africa to Samoa. To a foot long. Brackish to marine.


Other True Eel Families with Members that Live in Brackish to Freshwater Settings:

More Anguilliform families with freshwater to brackish members: Moringuidae (Spaghetti Eels), Ophichthidae (Snake and Worm Eels, Myrichthys breviceps at right).


Other Freshwater to Marine True Eels (Order Anguilliformes, that turn up occasionally in the hobby).

Anguillids, family Anquillidae. One genus, fifteen species of mostly catadromous (living in freshwater as young to adults, moving to the sea to reproduce, perishing there) fishes:

Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus 1758), the European Eel, at the London Aquarium. Anquilla rostrata, occasionally offered for sale in the United States, is very similar.


And of Course, the MANY Marine and Freshwater "Eels" That Are Not Really Eels:

Family Anarhichadidae, Wolf fishes, Wolf Blennies, Wolf Eels; North Atlantic, North Pacific. Two genera with four species. These neat, hand-trainable fishes are mainly seen in public aquaria as they can be enormous (up to 2.5 meters) in size. Gentle giants that are favorites of Public Aquariums everywhere. An Anarrhichthys ocellatus at the Birch Aquarium, San Diego.

Eelblennies, the subfamily Congrogadinae, family Pseudochromidae. Yes, the same family as the Dottybacks... The most commonly offered Eelblenny (aka Green Wolf Eel) in the hobby, Congrogadus subduscens (Richardson 1843) is shown at right.

Spiny Eels (true eels lack spines in their fins), the Mastacembelids. Found in Africa, through Syria, the Malay Archipelago and China. Four genera, sixty seven species. A Fire Eel, Mastacembelus erythrotaenia at right for example.

Swamp Eels, the family Symbranchidae. Tropical and subtropical freshwater, some into brackish environs. Western Africa, Asia, Indo-Australian Archipelago, Mexico and South America. Four genera, fifteen species. One Swamp Eel (Monopterus alba) is often referred to as a/the Freshwater Moray Eel in the aquarium trade.

Are there more? You betcha. Eelcods, Eelpouts... but these others are rarely seen in the hobby.

As you can appreciate, many fishes are capable of short-term exposure to conditions that are deleterious in longer time frames. All living things have their tolerance outside of "ideal ranges" of pH, hardness, dissolved oxygen and such. Salinity is another of the possible categories of such tolerance. Hobbyists and dealers in the trade would do well to impress on each other the need for some salt in the water of "freshwater morays", as well as sufficient alkalinity, elevated pH.

The "typical" aquarium care of Morays applies to the partially, temporarily brackish to freshwater species. They're mainly nocturnal, great at escaping captivity, need large quarters, with places to hide, not too-bright lighting, and are capable of eating slow, small fishes, crustaceans...

[Oddball]

Here's a tad bit more:

[FranchizBoy16]

Thanks Oddball....
I'm just too lazy I guess to search for it.....Lol
But thanks

[zekni]

I kept it by itself in an 84gallon tank with a colony of feeder guppies. Sandy bottom, one big cave in the middle for the eel to hide in. I don't think they're as blind as they're made out to be. I'd often walk into the room and it would swim to the top of the tank to beg for food. I used to hand feed with tongs. I also fed ghost shrimp, and various seafood bits I'd buy at the fish section of my grocery store. It was in a lightly brackish tank (I don't remember the sp gravity but it just barely registered on my hydrometer). Use marine salt for brackish tanks, not aquarium salt.
I tried acclimating this eel to more salt with the hopes of eventually being able to try it with some marine fish, having failed with every freshwater fish I tried (he even ate a pleco) but at a certain sp. gravity it stopped eating until I took it back down. That was how I learn they can go months without apparently eating anything.
If you feed with tongs, remember, they will always associate your hands with food. It'll only take one bite to make sure you don't forget again.

[tank90]

my moray loves frozen krill, by the way my moray as 13inches and has never bothered anyone in the tanks

[clutch]

no morays eels are totally freshwater, it will stop eating and wont live for long in that condition

[Icedkore]

The moray in question is a Gymnothorax polyuradon. I am looking at putting it in with 2 green spots and 2 knight goby. Before I get a bunch of people telling me that puffers don't do well together and that they will eat the moray and what I know the risk and I know the puffers. I sure hope that wasn't rude but just wanted to nip that before it started. What other good info is there?

[sealover]

I have had these fish for years there are 3 diffrent types I have seen in fish stores and I have all three together 1- G.tile 2. white check moray and G.polyarandon they have similar water parameters brackish they come from south east asia mangrove swamps and they will feed on fish shrimp . crab meet silversides sand eels clam and also bloodworms . they live with a frog fish B.TrispinosusAND 2 vary LG. Flounders and 6 anelops anelops about 8 inches in a 150 gal tank .

[dmarinko]

"Freshwater" morays are not fresh, but are a few highly tolerant ones of fresh.

[supportbadgirls]

I had a "freshwater" moray eel and he did ok. HE never got very big and I eventually sold him. He never bothered anybody. When I set up my saltwater tank I purchased the same eel and he did great and he got huge!! He ate krill, shrimp, and once I saw him eat a feeder fish but other than that he was the most passive eel I had in my tank...he was the snowflake moray...I had two other eels and they were both way more aggressive than him.

[albinomoray]

I have an albino moray and he is so far doing well in brackish water along with a south american leaf fish and a butterfly goby. They are now in a 10 gallon tank. they are all very small and seeing how well the moray does for about 6 more months then placing everyone in a much larger tank.

[dan2381]

I have 2 freshwater moray eels so its called, they seem very happy and chilled and seem friendly towards my 2 ropefish, they do tend to try steal food straight outta my ropefish's mouth, its real funny, i once had a rainbow shark and overnight it dissapeared not a sign of it not even a rib or fin was left, nothing, i would like to think that my little eel swallowed a 2" rainbow shark whole, i also have a freshwater stonefish, i need to know why my eels dont seem to have any interest in bloodworm, i have seen one of them have a quick nip but other than that it doesnt seem interested, it is however interested in neons, does anyone know how often they eat? and how much? im not sure about the length of the eel, id say about 8", if anyone knows pls let me know.

Just one last question. does anyone know if there is a species of brackish water octopus?
i would love to have one.

[dan2381]

Just one more thing that i forgot to mention, why do they seem to change colour?, the one moray eel turns almost a see through white at times while the other stays a dark grey with spots, does that mean it feels threatened or something? would love to know.