Moray Eels Fascinating Additions To Marine Aquariums

Moray Eels One for the Intermediate Marine Aquarist

Put Moray Eels in your tank and you are pretty much guaranteed to get a wow reaction from anyone who sees it. They are universally recognised (although few will know there are over 700 species) and make a fascinating & unique addition to a marine aquarium. Although definitely not suitable for the novice aquarist, for someone with a bit of experience and the tank resources to house one they have a lot to offer. They are tolerant of minor water quality issues, disease-resistant (seemingly immune even to the most common parasite Ich), relatively easy to feed, and available in sizes to suit most tank setups.

Home Aquarium Suitable Morays

Although as mentioned there are over 700 species only a handful are realistically within reach of the home aquarist, although many others can be seen in public aquariums. Those suitable for the home aquarium range in size from around 10″- 12″ in the case of the Golden Dwarf Moray (Gymnothorax melatremus) up to those which can reach around 5 feet in length in the case of the Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra) & Chain-Link Moray (Echidna catenata). Be warned – although many don’t reach their full length in captivity they do grow quickly so if you are considering buying one bear in mind the fact that that cute baby eel will soon sprout (its not uncommon for Zebra Morays to grow a foot in a year), it will probably need a tank to its self, or if the accommodation is big enough will need large robust tankmates which will leave them alone. Contrary to their fearsome reputation Morays are not particularly aggressive towards other species unless they think they are food (basically anyone that can fit in their mouths). However, they will not thrive long if constantly harassed by aggressive species either.

Choosing a Moray Eel

The following list includes the seven most suited to life in a home aquarium listed in order of suitability based on availability, ease of housing and cost:

Snowflake Moray Echidna nebulosa

Maximum Size: 40 inches

Availability Common

Price Low

Tank Size 50 Gallon minimum (36″ x 18″ x 19″)

Snowflake morays are probably the most commonly found eel species when visiting aquatic stores and for good reason, they are relatively small, peaceable and hardy. They also look really nice too in any community or reef aquarium. Snowflake Morays are one of the few eels species that will live happily in the same aquarium being docile, even towards its own kind. They are fairly easy to feed and even easier if you keep any form crustaceans with them so they are not really suitable for a mixed invert reef tank set up. Otherwise, for those wanting to try their hands at keeping an eel, the Snowflake Moray is our first choice.

 

Zebra Moray Gymnomuraena zebra

Maximum Size: 60 inches

Availability Common

Price medium

Tank Size 90 Gallon minimum (48″ x 18″ x 24″)

The Zebra Moray is a visually striking eel which is suitable for a large home aquarium. They are easily identifiable thanks to their markings, unique patterns of alternating black, brown, and white vertical stripes. They are fairly peaceable toward suitable size fishes and most invertebrates but will consume any crustaceans in the tank given these form a large part of their natural diet. Despite being a large Eel they seem to adapt readily to captivity providing they are properly housed. As well as good water quality this means providing plenty of hiding places as the Zebra Moray’s are quite shy, especially during daylight hours.  When choosing a Zebra Moray it is best to choose a juvenile specimen rather than a well-grown one as it will adapt to aquarium life easier. They grow pretty fast anyway so you won’t have too long to wait for them to reach an impressive size. Only keep one per tank – unless you have a huge Aquarium set up.

Goldentail Moray Eel Gymnothorax miliaris

Maximum Size: 27 inches

Availability less common

Price medium (significantly more than a Snowflake)

Tank Size 50 Gallon minimum (36″ x 18″ x 19″)

The Goldentail moray is one of the smaller species available and like the Snowflake Moray it is fairly easy to keep but they will consume and crustaceans sharing the tank and possibly smaller fish, so choose any tankmates with caution. They occur in several colour variations, ranging from yellow through gold to a speckled brown and gold like the one pictured. They are a bit more colourful than the Snowflake and perhaps for that reason seem to command a higher price.

 

Honeycomb Moray Muraena melanotis

Maximum Size: around 40 inches

Availability less common

Price medium

Tank Size 50 Gallon minimum (36″ x 18″ x 19″)

No prizes for guessing how it got its name. The Honeycomb Moray comes in a few colour variations, varying from black-and-white through to an orange Brown & White, but whichever colour you ger you are assured of a good looking eel.  They are normally safe with fish species being mainly crustacean eaters in the wild, however, don’t take this as gospel as they might just take a fancy to a small slower moving one. Because they are so attractive they tend to be quite expensive, and they can be slightly fussy feeders (unless you have a tankful of small crabs and Shrimps).

 

Chain-Link Moray Echidna catenata

Maximum Size: 65 inches

Availability Common

Price Comparatively Low

Tank Size 90 Gallon minimum (48″ x 18″ x 24″)

The Chain Eel, also known as the Chainlink Moray Eel is one of the larger ones which can still be kept by home aquarists largely because it is peaceful and somewhat retiring, seldom being active during daylight.  It has a white-yellow body with brown, black, or grey chain markings and seems to be disinterested in eating other fish (which can be a blessing). Given their preference for hiding give them a rocky or coral-based environment and a diet of live crustaceans such as grass shrimp or fiddler crab two-three times a week and they will grow quickly into attractive centrepieces.  Not the 90-gallon tank is very much a minimum size and would only really be suitable for a solitary Chain-Link.

Dragon Moray Enchelycore pardalis

Maximum Size: 36 inches

Availability Rare

Price  Very Expensive

Tank Size 50 Gallon minimum (36″ x 18″ x 19″)

If you are lucky enough to see one for sale and have the funds and tank space then grab it before someone else sees it. The Dragon Moray is not only rarely offered but is a quite stunning fish as can be seen from the picture above. They are almost entirely piscivorous and will gleefully eat any tankmate small enough to fit into its mouth (and its got a surprisingly supple set of jaws). Not one for the inexperienced keeper (if only because of the price) but more something to aspire to.

Dwarf or Golden Dwarf Moray Gymnothorax melatremus

Maximum Size: 10 inches

Availability Scarce

Price High

Tank Size 30 Gallon minimum (30″ x 12″ x 18″)

Last but not least we finish with what is by far the smallest Moray available The aptly named dwarf or Golden Dwarf. When discussing them though the term available is a slight misnomer as they are both seldom offered and expensive. The good news though is that they are easy to keep and a single specimen will live happily in a relatively small tank. They are a lovely golden brown colour and some have attractive golden mottling, and of course, they have those captivating powder blue “Cats Eyes”. They are suitable for a fairly small set up, but the problem with a smaller size Marine tank is keeping the water right – something which can be a little trickier when inhabited by a carnivore which inevitably results in a lot of waste. They tend to be nocturnal so will need feeding after lights out, and they like a secure “den” which can best be provided by a suitably sized PVC pipe. In a suitable size tank, two will live together quite peaceably as can be seen in the video below.

Video of Two Gymnothorax melatremus

 

So there you have it our rundown on one of the more fascinating species you can have n a Marine Aquarium set up. They are not for everyone but as you can see they are not that hard to keep and if you choose a smaller species they are not that difficult to house either. Interested in more unusual marine species? Then why not check out some of our other more unusual tank species such as the Chalk Bass which are much easier to keep but still obscure enough to be a talking point.