Dragon Eel Sel F

FAQs about Dragon Moray Eels: Stocking/Selection

Related Articles: The Hawaiian Dragon Eel Enchelycore pardalis by Marco Lichtenberger, Moray Eels, Zebra Morays, Snowflake Morays, Ribbon Morays, The "Freshwater" Moray Eels, Freshwater Moray Eels by Marco Lichtenberger, Other Marine Eels

Aquarium Build; and Enchelycore comp.     Gabe's go      11/16/16
Hi Crew
<Brad>
I have a question regarding a future tank build.
<I have an answer regarding your future tank build :)>
I'm thinking about a 48"x48" cube ( 220 gallon) for two dragon morays?
<Hmm... Maybe not the best idea.>
I currently have one Hawaiian dragon alone in a 6ft 125
<Too small if you want to keep it long term>
but would love to have a pair. What are your thoughts on those dimensions opposed to a 6 ft x 2ft 180 gallon.
Thank you
Brad
<Brad, the problem isn't the tank as much as it is the eels. The eels may not fight on an average day, but I can guarantee they will during feeding time. Taking into consideration the price of these specimens, I wouldn't do it. I would suggest the tank be larger as well if you decide you truly want to do this. Think about 150-200 gallons for each eel? You might also consider doing a really large tank and split it in half. Unless you can find a confirmed pair that has been living together in harmony for a very long time, I would steer away from keeping a pair. In the meantime, see WetWeb RE Dragon Morays. Let us know if you have any further questions, Brad. Cheers, Gabe Walsh>
Re: Aquarium Build; Enchelycore       11/16/16
Gabe,
<Brad>
Thank you for replying.
<My pleasure>
I truly appreciate your service.
<Thank you. We appreciate you using WetWeb>
Honestly I have read as much as I can find on these morays. Ever since I was a kid I have dreamed of keeping one.
<I too have wanted one for years. They're one of the reasons I changed from freshwater tanks to saltwater. At 15 though, I can't afford one.>
I have a bit of an obsession when it comes to morays.
<Same here>
I have been lucky enough to have snowflakes, zebras golden tails and even a green moray at different times in my life but Enchelycore sp have been out of my reach until now.
<That's a nice eel résumé my friend. I have also kept all of the above with the exception of a green moray. Where did you find yours?>
Space is always a factor and the 125 was the largest tank I could physically get into my house/basement. If I go bigger I will have to build in place.
<Understood>
I have read 150 gallon tanks are ok for one but the dimensions are nearly the same as my 125 ? Do you think I will be able to keep one alone in a 125.
Thank you again
Sincerely Brad
<Brad, in the end it is up to you. I can only lend you advice. With top-notch filtration and perfect water quality, you may be able to keep it for a little longer. The dragon may not necessarily be too big for the tank, but it may stress and die. How large is it now? They grow easily to three feet, which I'm sure you know. If it were me, I would hold onto it as long as I could, but as soon as I noticed ANY signs of stress that could be connected to tank size and swimming space, I would look for a new home. Again, I can't tell you what to do because it is your decision in the end. As long as the eel is happy and healthy, a 125 could work for the time being. However, if you ever get the chance to upgrade, you should definitely do it. I can see why you want to hold on to it as long as you can, as I wouldn't want to part with an eel of that value. We'd love to see some pictures of your setup too, Brad. Maybe a more efficient setup could allow for a longer time with your eel. Thanks again for writing and feel free to contact us again, as always. Cheers, Gabe>
Re: Aquarium Build     11/17/16
Thanks Gabe for all the advice.
<My pleasure. Write to us any time.>
The health of the moray is top priority. He or she is only about 18" and about 2" diameter. I purchased from BlueZoo aquatics in May.
<Ahh. Good old BlueZoo Aquatics. I order from them at least once a week. They send the healthiest livestock in comparison to other companies.>
I have 100 lbs of live rock, a large skimmer and a Fluval 405 with carbon and Purigen.
<This sound good for now. You may need to add/upgrade filtration once your eel gets bigger. They produce a LOT of waste, as I'm sure you know.>
Water parameters are below safe levels. Right now the tank looks empty but I know the effect a 30"+ moray has on a tank that size.
<Glad to hear you know what's coming.>
I'm serious in thinking a custom build tank will be my only option in the future.
<Makes sense. You can only fit so much through a door.>
Thank you again. It's always great to have a second opinion.
<Brad, thanks again for writing. That's a beautiful specimen you have. Hopefully everything will work out nicely for you and the eel. Good luck in the future! Cheers, Gabe>

Question for Marco about eels 11/20/15
Dear Marco,
<Bill.>
I currently have a 72x24x24 tank with a 72x20x20 sump with lots of LR. Huge skimmer and plenty of flow in the tank with a gyre pump and 2 MP's.
The tank's LR formations were built specifically for eels, all caves from end to end.
<Sounds very good.>
Currently I have a 27" Japanese Dragon eel in the tank all by himself for 2 months now so would I be able to add another one?
<This depends a lot on the specific individual. Some accept another eel, some don't. Hard to give a proper prognosis. When both eels are added together and none has established its territory it's more probable to work out. Adding another eel months or years later is more risky in general. If it was my tank and choice, I'd keep only keep one dragon eel per tank. In fact that's exactly what I do with my larger eels.>
And if so, what size?
<Same size when referring to E. pardalis, slightly larger when considering some Gymnothorax species.>
If not, would I be able to add any other kind of eel?
<In general the same risk as with another E. pardalis.>
I cannot rearrange the rocks!
<Also see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/HIDragonMorayArt.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/DragEelCompF.htm and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/moraycompfaqs.htm for more cases/opinions.>
Thanks for your help, Bill
<Welcome. Marco.>
Sent from my iPhone while drinking & driving
<:-)>

Dragon Eel Hi Bob, I have a 75 gallon FO aquarium that is currently stocked with: 4" Naso Tang 3" Panther Grouper 4" Foxface 3" Volitans Lion 3" Picasso Trigger 2" Tomato Clown I would like to add a Dragon Eel (Muraena pardalis) to my tank. <Yikes... in a 75 gallon system? Sorry to state, your system is already going to be overcrowded with modest growth of what you already have...> They are a bit pricey so I wanted to seek the advice of a professional before I made the purchase. Would this overload my tank?. <Definitely> I have a large wet/dry filter and protein skimmer. Is the eel compatible with my other fish? <It would likely eat the Clown> Will the eel be aggressive to me when I clean the tank? <Not common. This is one of the more "peaceful" fish-eating Moray species. Unfortunately it (and some of your other livestock) need larger quarters. Bob Fenner> Thank you for your help. Jim, Logan, UT

Eels Hi, <Good morning, PF here in the bright and early, at least by my standards...> I am purchasing that book I have already ordered it. <I'm assuming Michael's book on sharks and rays.> I know a lot about epaulettes but no where can I find information on how well they do with eels, in particular a Hawaiian Dragon Eel or a Tesselata Eel. <Both eels are piscivorous, and if there is a substantial size difference, I imagine one would eat the other. That said, Tesselata eels reach almost 6' in length, that's a lot of eel. Hawaiian Dragon eels reach about 32" - 1/2 the length. Don't forget the square/cube law: double the size, 4X the mass. > I have read everything on your website about sharks and almost everything about eels but I didn't find any information on Hawaiian Dragon Eels or Tesselata Eels. <I would recommend you read Scott Michael's Reef Fishes Vol 1, there's an extensive section on eels.> I also am looking into the blue dot stingrays. I am not necessarily getting an eel or a stingray but I am definitely getting the sharks. I have read numerous books on marine aquariums that included information about sharks. I have also contacted the aquarium about epaulettes. I am smart enough to know not to get any kind of shark that is sharky-looking, like a nurse, lemon, white tip, leopard, shovelnose, or hammerheads, which are available from time to time. <Good for you, I can't believe someone would try to keep a hammerhead, well, actually, sadly I can believe that.> I have read lots of information about the sharks but I cannot find any information on how they behave with the Hawaiian Dragon Eels or Tesselata Eels or the blue dot stingrays. <The sting rays fair poorly in captivity, and need a very different setup than either the Epaulette or the Hawaiian Dragon eel - the ray needs a large, sandy area, while the shark and eel need rock work. For the sake of the ray (not to mention your wallet) leave it in the ocean, or go see one at a public aquarium.> So I need to know if they can all be housed together or with just an eel or just a stingray and sharks? <Think I already answered that one.> I also need to know some information about the Hawaiian Dragon Eel such as his behavior, what it eats, and if it is hardy? <It's an aggressive piscivore, like all eels prone to carpet surfing, and yes they are hardy animals. They are also known for going on hunger strikes. Do pick up and read Michael's book.> I also need to know if the sea life I listed above are compatible with a woebegone? <Not in my opinion. The woebegone gets over 10' long and is no more appropriate to keep than the hammerhead.> I know it is compatible with an Epaulette but I don't know if it is compatible with the other sea life I listed. Please help me. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Versusdude320 <Well, I hope this helps. Please do some more reading and research before making any final decisions. Have a good day, PF

Japanese Fishes. Centropyge interruptus, Enchelycore pardalis sys... 6/30/07 Hello and thank you for your extremely valuable site. I have searched and not found references to my questions. I'm a long time owner of a 200g reef setup and have learned many lessons first-hand and from sites like yours. I'm now embarking on remodeling my house around my dream setup. A 500g reef tank and a 170g eel tank (one specimen). <How nice!> I have one question that affects both tanks. I would very much like to keep a Centropyge interruptus in my reef tank. Also, I have planned the eel tank entirely around a Japanese Dragon Moray (Enchelycore pardalis). My understanding is that the dragon moray has more stunning color when collected from Japan than Hawaii. <Mmm, yes... or the Marquesas... though both/all "color morphs" are gorgeous...> My LFS has told me that both fish require significantly cooler water than other fish. Is this correct? <Mmm... define "significantly"... My answer is no... both are tropical fishes, both collected in warm water... though the small Centropyge does occur in water in the upper sixties F. in places> I can cool the eel tank easily as it is a separate system, but the angel will be mixed with fish from all over the world. I have not been able to find a recommended temperature range for these animals. Will a warmer tank temp (~80F) affect the viability of the angel? Any suggestions? <Should be fine... You can find, see, infer this information by looking up these species on the site fishbase.org Cheers, and good-life with your projects. Bob Fenner>

Dragon Eels and Tesselata Eels Hey guys, My first question is about Dragon Eels. How easy are they to keep? <Very much so. Same old challenges of not letting them get out of the tank... getting big, being messy...> I currently have a Chainlink eel and a Blackedge and they are pretty easy to take care of. Both were really easy to switch to frozen food and are fairly fun and personable. Is a dragon the same way? <Yes> Or am I looking at something that is going to be more difficult to care for? My second question is that I have fallen in love with Tesselata eels. I currently have an empty 75 gal that if I got one would go into until he outgrew it. How fast do these guys grow? <Not that quick... a few inches a year... given "just" feeding for maintenance (as opposed to growth, satiation> I have heard that they can be pretty aggressive and I have heard that of the larger morays they are one of the best to keep. Any info on them would help. Thanks for your help, Wade <Please see the various references to the Moray Eels posted on the materials archived re the group on WetWebMedia.com Bob Fenner>

Dragon eel I looking for a eel that called a dragon eel. My friend said its yellow has a horn on top of it head. If you can tell maybe when I can get this eel from or maybe help me find a location that sell them. I'm in the New York area. Thank you. <Likely Enchelycore pardalis. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/morays.htm Can be special ordered through LFS or check with The Marine Center (linked at top of page). Bob Fenner>

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