Thanks for the insight.

I will keep posted on the status.

My baby tetracephalos and calvus are around 1 inch length.
I say "baby", because in san diego zoo, I saw an aquarium of tanganykan
cichlids, and they were at least 5inches in length! I never thought they
were that big in the wild. In the shop, I have seen 3 inches at most, but
I prefer "baby" size because I do not have a "very big" tank.



duane wrote in message . ..
On 15 Jan 2004 11:22:13 -0800, (Chip) wrote:

Hi,

The shop advised me to add salt if I were to put a moray eel.
Since I already have a successful formula in keeping a tanganykan tank,
I did not add salt, even though tanganykan cichlids can sustain some salt.

It has been one week since inception of a 1 foot moray eel.

At first, the moray eel would just hide inside the rock, with head
slightly peeking out.

Research on web: they have poor vision, but great sense of olfaction.
Nocturnal hunters. Indeed, last night, I removed my tank cover (to prevent
algae buildup during daylight), and I saw the eel in all of its splendor
swimming around tank. Beautiful!

Shop advised that it may take weeks for them to start eating.
Indeed, I throwed in some recently dead goldfish and shrimp, but only the
cichlids and the crab went for it.

My tank: 3 baby tetracephalos, 2 baby calvus, 1 3inch leleupi, 2 red crabs,
1 king crab, 1 5inch female fiddler crab, 1 foot moray eel.

Cheers

you'd need brackish water to keep it alive for more than a few weeks,
brackish water is too salty for the africans and not really enough salt
for the eel. Lots of times you can get the eel to accept less salt..
i.e. full salt moray to a brackish tank, or a brackish eel (silver dragon)
to a fresh tank by gradually lowering the salt mix over the course of a
few weeks but I really doubt you'll make the moray work in an african
tank.

another thing you'll find out is that the Lamprologus tretocephalus and leleupi sleep
on or near the bottom at night (not sure on the calvus because I've never
had them) and an eel, any eel will eat anything that fits in their mouth at night.

your once a month feeding thing will be the death of your africans from
the eel if the eel makes it long enough to survive the fresh tank in the first
place

a full grown Lamprologus tretocephalus is about the size of a nice moray snack
and it's my favorite african by far.... what a waste.

I had a moray for years until it outgrew my 180 gallon salt tank so I do have experience
with them and I've kept africans for almost 20 years and one thing I can tell you is
that if you have enough salt to register on a hydrometer you'll kill them for sure.
but then again I'm sure the guy at the fish store knows his fish and as soon as they
get some nice pacu in he'll sell you 2 or 3 of those too ;-)

Duane