Adding Snowflake Eel with Trigger?

[Absinthe]

Hey all.

I have a 72g bowfront with a 4-5" Bursa Trigger in there. The trigger is great...healthy and eats very well. He has been in the tank for about 3 weeks.

I was thinking of adding a Snowflake Eel to tank as well. The trigger is pretty much free swimming, only tucking into one of the caves at night to sleep. The eel would have about 70lbs of rock to hide in with multiple caves and openings.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Good idea, bad idea?

Suggestions on introducing the newcomer?

Thanks!

 

[Phyl]

We keep our eel in with a pseudochromis & a small GSM. We've never had a problem with him. He's a yellow morph of a golden moray. He's a good sized eel, too. I don't know much about snowflakes though nor how their behavior/feeding would differ from my moray.

 

[DaveK]

I would say that the two fish might live together ok, but that your tank is far too small to do this. Your trigger is going to grow, and it will easily out grow the existing tank.

 

[Absinthe]

I would say that the two fish might live together ok, but that your tank is far too small to do this. Your trigger is going to grow, and it will easily out grow the existing tank.

Thats one thing I was considering when I got this tank and looking for a fish.

All the research I have done, including emailing 'experts', tell me that the Bursa Trigger is the smallest of the Rhinecanthus species, maxing out at only 10 inches. Online vendors place the top size at 10"-1 foot but in my reading I have found that the largest recorded wild caught specimens barely hit 10", most being under 9". And from what I can find it seems that captive specimens dont get much larger than the 7-8" mark, regardless of tank size. I wouldnt have gone with the bursa if I felt the tank would be too small to house it throughout its life.

 

[Brian]

I would be worried about the trigger going after the eel. At my old job we added an eel to a tank with a trigger. It eventually killed the eel...they were pretty well matched in size.

Just something else to think about...

 

[DaveK]

I would say that the two fish might live together ok, but that your tank is far too small to do this. Your trigger is going to grow, and it will easily out grow the existing tank.

Thats one thing I was considering when I got this tank and looking for a fish.

All the research I have done, including emailing 'experts', tell me that the Bursa Trigger is the smallest of the Rhinecanthus species, maxing out at only 10 inches. Online vendors place the top size at 10"-1 foot but in my reading I have found that the largest recorded wild caught specimens barely hit 10", most being under 9". And from what I can find it seems that captive specimens dont get much larger than the 7-8" mark, regardless of tank size. I wouldnt have gone with the bursa if I felt the tank would be too small to house it throughout its life.

You are correct. I should have said grow to fill the existing tank. I wouldn't want to add additional fish, because the trigger is a very full bodied fish, and needs room. It also eats like a pig, and creates a lot of waist products.

 

[Scuba dude]

I had a snow flake eel for about a year with a trigger and a puffer. The eel never bother anyone and was great to feed. He did eat a smaller fish by accedent the shrimp got loose around the eel and the fish went to get the shrimp and the eel hit the fist thinking it was the shrimp...I did like the fish :'(

 

[IrradiatedReef]

At one time I had a Bursa w/ 2 Snowflake eels in one tank at work. All lived happily together. Only hiding place the eels had were some pvc pipe and they were usually swimming around. Now, the Trigger was added after the eels were in there. I do not know if adding an eel into the triggers home will have different effects.