Echidna xanthospilos
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Minimum Tank Size | 125 Gallons |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Water Parameters | 72-78 F, pH 8-8.4, Salinity 1.020-1.025 |
| Aggression | Semi-aggressive |
| Size | 2' |
The Skeletor Moray Eel is one of the easier to keep eels. Unlike many of the moray eels, the Skeletor Eel has pebble teeth and a much more subdued aggression. Combine this with the eye catching coloration and the skeletor eel becomes an idea addition for anyone looking for mid sized eels.
Quick Tips on Keeping a Skeletor Eel
- Also known as the Spotted Moray Eel
- They are both hardy and docile, making them quick to adjust to life in the aquarium
- The Skeletor Eel should be fed two or three times a week
- The can move loosely attached corals
- Eels can escape tanks easily, be sure to seal all exits and weigh the lid down.
- Require rockwork with dens to be comfortable
- Pose a minor risk to smaller fish and inverts
Is The Skeletor Eel Reef Safe?
The Skeletor Eel is reef safe when all corals are secured in place. The main issue aquarists run into when keeping the skeletor eel with corals is the addition of new corals.
As eels run around the tank they will often rub against rocks, shaking them a bit but ultimate not changing a thing. However if they run into a coral that is not yet rooted or encrusted in the tank the coral will likely be knocked down. If this coral is not moved back to a good position it will likely die. Coral that is put back, even within seconds of falling, will be stressed and will likely suffer some damage.
Skeletor Eel Size
The Skeletor eels size will vary wildly throughout its life. When sold they will likely be under six inches. Within a year of ownership they will come close to two feet, quadrupling in length and becoming much bulkier. This allows for a few different ways to add them to a tank.
For large tanks with aggressive, established fish avoid adding the Skeletor Eel while they are still small. Instead place them in a smaller tank and get used to feeding them. Once they have grown into a more suitable size you can move the Eel into a larger tank. Eels are not bothered too much by moving tanks, so you do not need to worry about stressing the eel.
As the Skeletor Eel grows you will need to be sure they can fit between rocks and have at least three different areas where they can lounge around. They will most likely only use one or two spots, but having the option of other locations will cut down on any stress they may have.
Skeletor Eel Diet
Feeding the Skeletor Eel is always surprising, as they are much more lively when eating than resting.
The Skeletor Eel will eat two or three times each week and should be fed until they no longer accept food. While this is not generally a good idea for other fish, eels are prone to hunger strikes and should always be kept as full as possible.
The Skeletor Moray Eel will eat:
- Squid
- Octopus
- Shrimp
- Mussels
- Crab
- Frozen Silverside Fish
While they are less likely to accept frozen foods, always try to get them, to eat frozen. Live feeder fish are not nutritious, as they are bred for quantity with little quality control. Frozen silverside on the other hand are packed with nutrition. No matter what you choose to feed the eel be sure to mix up their food sometimes so that they have a more balanced diet.
Unlike other fish, eels do not do well with food dropped into the tank and should be fed using tongs or a non sharp feeding stick. This lets them slowly find and strike the food. Anything they do not can easily be removed as it is on the stick or held by tongs.
As the Skeletor Eel is a pebble tooth eel they will not grab and tear food as easily as their razor tooth relatives. Watch and make sure they eat their food and do not drop and lose their meal. Any food they do not eat will heavily contaminate the tank as it decomposes.
Speaking of tank contamination, eels are very messy eaters and require a powerful filtration system. This should consist of a canister filter and protein skimmer. The filter removes the larger particles that are too heavy for the skimmer while the skimmer uses bubbles to push out very small proteins that would otherwise pass through the filter.
Is The Skeletor Eel Aggressive?
The Skeletor Eel is not really aggressive, but they can eat fish that are much smaller than them. Avoid keeping young, slow moving fish with them and you should have no missing fish issues.
Like other pebble teeth eels, they can eat small crabs and shrimp and will do so if not well fed. The more consistent an eel is fed, the less aggressive they will be towards their tank mates.
All that being said, the Skeletor eel is less aggressive than most eels. They do not have sharp teeth and will have a lot of trouble catching anything other than hermit crabs or extremely young fish.
