Would a snowflake moray eat a cleaner shrimp?

whatcaneyedo · #1 12-29-2009, 06:09 PM

I've seen pictures of it being done in the wild in National Geographic where a shrimp was cleaning out the mouth of a green moray but I'm guessing that my snowflake would make a quick lunch out of a cleaner shrimp. Has anyone tried putting a cleaner shrimp with an eel and been successful?

the marine apprentice · #2 12-29-2009, 06:20 PM

in the lfs in red deer the guy has a 3 foot long morey and it has like 5 cleaner shrimp cleaning him

justinl · #3 12-29-2009, 06:45 PM

snowflakes are specialized crustacean predators. so yes it is likely that the cleaner will be a snack and yes it happens. some people have had success by allowing the cleaner shrimp(s) to get well established in the tank before introducing a snowflake though.

no_bs · #4 12-29-2009, 07:01 PM

Our ribbon eel ate our shrimp.

Griffin · #5 12-29-2009, 08:28 PM

I bought a snowflake eel a few years back and loved him, would come out for hand feeding, would wrap around my hand and arm, very friendly and very nice to see when he was cruising the tank glass. He did however eat both my 2 cleaner shrimp in the first two hours of being introduced to my tank. He did not bother any other tank mates but make sure your rock is stable.

whatcaneyedo · #6 12-30-2009, 12:02 AM

I've had mine for over 4 years and I've never tried putting any shrimp with him. However after seeing some pictures I thought it might be possible but I guess they behave a little bit different in nature.

JOEL · #7 12-30-2009, 12:09 AM

He can and he will I lost mine

injektion · #8 12-31-2009, 04:42 AM

mine ate my peppermint shrimp a while back. don't see why it won't go for the cleaner shrimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffin

I bought a snowflake eel a few years back and loved him, would come out for hand feeding, would wrap around my hand and arm, very friendly and very nice to see when he was cruising the tank glass. He did however eat both my 2 cleaner shrimp in the first two hours of being introduced to my tank. He did not bother any other tank mates but make sure your rock is stable.

i thought you weren't supposed to hand feed eels lol

justinl · #9 12-31-2009, 06:15 AM

hand feeding of most eels is a bad idea. snowflakes are one of the pebble toothed eels... they don't have the wicked fangs that are what people typically think of when someone says eel. they can still do damage (not certain to what degree) but aren't as dangerous and are often more docile than their fang-toothed cousins.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #10 12-31-2009, 07:51 AM

When I had a 1.5'-2' snowflake I could hand feed him too. The problem was that every time I would put my hands in the tank he would bother me for food. He bit me a few times too...doesn't really hurt but doesn't feel too good.

On one dive in Trinidad (South Caribbean) I saw a large eel being cleaned by both a cleaner shrimp and some sort cleaner fish and that was really cool!