Building around a fish  9/26/05
Clear Day, Hello, <Hello Pete>
I set up and cycled a 90 gallon tank a while ago (actually it has been
running for 6 months now with a 2" sand bed, 140 pounds live rock, refugium
etc) and at this point I have only added 1 Royal Gramma and some reef
custodians to it. I guess it is slow but better safe than sorry. Anyhow....
<Shows you have patience my friend, a must in this hobby>
I want to add a Snowflake eel to the tank and this creature will be the
"main attraction". Anything else I add over time will be added around the
eel' s needs and habits. My question is is it too soon to add the eel now? <No, but the royal Gramma may become dinner.> I have a very sturdy rockwork setup with lots of caves but would it be better
to put a piece of PVC tube in for a cave? If so, should it be open and
accessible at both ends or just one? <I'd try the rockwork first for aesthetic reasons>
Last part of the question is are there any major concerns regarding
acclimating the eel? Should I do the freshwater/Methylene blue dip and then
quarantine or just straight to the quarantine for 4 weeks? <Follow normal QT procedures.>
Thanks in advance for your help. <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Pete

Snowflake Moray Eel Question
Dear Sir:
I am considering adding a snowflake (or other species of moray) to my 75 gallon tank.(80lbs live rock 3-4 in sand bed, 4" Sohal tang, 2" clarkii clown, a few corals) I bought Florida aquacultured rock, and while the life was (is) amazing, the small crabs and mantis shrimp are getting out of hand. I have been catching some of the crabs with a trap, but I think they might have figured it out :( I haven't seen the mantis but am hearing a lot of popping, and something has been killing some of the crabs.
<Could be a pistol shrimp.>
Also something killed one of my clowns (I had a pair). I could move my shrimp to my refugium? would the moray kill my snails, hermit crabs?
<No & yes, respectively.>
I have a DAS aquarium and I run the skimmer 24 hrs a day, could I handle the bio-load?
<For a small snowflake, yes.>
Or am I just like the old lady who swallowed the fly who swallowed the
spider who swallowed the bird?
<A bit of that. There are some other fine trap ideas other than the ones commercially available. A tall glass jar bait with food at the bottom and positioned vertically but so that crabs can go in. Too slippery to climb out for crabs, but not for shrimp. Also, baiting food inside a nylon stocking. -Steven Pro>
Thanks for the help, D. Joe Hall