Misol snake eel
Yirrkala misolensis
The Misol snake eel has a slender, elongated body, covered in smooth, dark brown to grey scales with lighter mottling and a pointed snout.
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About the Misol snake eel
Misol snake eel is a sand-burrowing snake eel from the western Pacific that spends most of the day hidden with just its head poking out. In a tank it needs a deep, fine sand bed and a very tight lid, and it will eat small fish and shrimp. It reaches around 20 inches, so plan on a big, well-established marine setup and patient, meaty feeding.
Also known as
Quick Facts
Size
51 cm
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Difficulty
Advanced
Min Tank Size
125 gallons
Lifespan
8-15 years
Origin
Western Pacific (Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia; possibly Queensland, Australia)
Diet
Carnivore - meaty foods (shrimp, fish, squid); may need live foods at first
Water Parameters
24-27°C
8.1-8.4
8-12 dGH
Need a heater for this species?
This species needs 24-27°C in a 125 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Give it a 75+ gallon tank with at least 3-5 inches of fine aragonite sand; no crushed coral. Set rocks on the glass first so burrowing doesnt topple your aquascape.
- They are escape pros - use a tight lid, seal overflows, and mesh any intakes/powerheads; add a heater guard.
- Run SG 1.024-1.026, 75-79 F, pH 8.1-8.4, zero ammonia/nitrite, and nitrate under 20 ppm. Aim for good surface agitation and moderate flow that wont blow the sand bed around.
- Kickstart feeding with live ghost shrimp or small bait shrimp on tongs, then switch to thawed shrimp, squid, or silversides. Feed every 2-3 days with pumps off, placing food at the burrow mouth or lightly buried; soak fishy items in vitamins.
- Skip ornamental shrimp, crabs, and bite-size fish - they are food. Pair with larger, calm tankmates and avoid nippy bullies like triggers and big puffers.
- Do not net it; move in a container or PVC tube to protect the skin. Acclimate in low light with a slow drip for 45-60 minutes.
- Scaleless eel means copper and harsh dyes are risky; treat in a separate tank with eel-safe options only (prazipro, tank transfer). Watch body condition behind the head - a sunken look means it is not eating enough.
- Breeding in home tanks has not been done; they have a pelagic larval stage. Keep a single specimen unless you have a very large footprint and multiple sand beds.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Midwater grazers like tangs and rabbitfish - too big to be a snack and they ignore a buried eel
- Medium to large angelfish that are not super nippy - they cruise past the burrow and do their thing
- Heftier wrasses like Halichoeres or larger fairy wrasses - active up top, not into burrow drama
- Hawkfish and squirrelfish/soldierfish - perchers and cave lurkers that usually mind their own business
- Lionfish of similar size - both are ambush hunters and coexist fine if you feed well and target feed
- Another eel of similar temperament in a roomy tank with multiple hides - doable if you feed separately and give space
Avoid
- Tiny bottom fish like gobies, blennies, dartfish, or small anthias - prime late night snack for a snake eel
- Triggerfish and big puffers - notorious nippers that will go after the eel's exposed head
- Delicate slow fish like mandarins, pipefish, or seahorses - they get outcompeted and may be harassed or eaten
Where they come from
Misol snake eels are Indo-Pacific sand-burrowers. Think Indonesia and West Papua (Misool in Raja Ampat is the namesake), across New Guinea and nearby islands. You see them at dusk on sandy reef flats and lagoon edges with just a head poking out like a periscope.
Setting up their tank
If you have kept other burrowing eels, you know the drill: deep, soft sand, zero escape routes, and rock that will not topple. Mine spent 90% of daylight in the sand and came out fast at feeding time, so the layout needs to handle sudden bursts.
- Tank size: 75-120 gallons for a single adult, with at least a 4 ft footprint. Bigger is kinder.
- Lid: totally sealed. Mesh top with small openings, taped cord cutouts, and covered overflow teeth.
- Substrate: 4-6 inches of fine aragonite sand (sugar-grain). Skip crushed coral. It scrapes them up.
- Rockwork: set base rock on the glass or on supports, not on sand. Epoxy fragile stacks. They dig under things.
- Hideouts: bury 1-1.5 in ID PVC pieces (12-24 in) with the ends exposed. They adopt these quickly.
- Flow: moderate overall, gentle near the sand. Cover powerhead intakes with foam guards.
- Lighting: they like dim areas. Overhangs and caves help them feel secure.
- Filtration: they are messy predators. A solid skimmer and regular water changes keep nutrients in check.
- Parameters: 1.024-1.026 SG, 76-80 F, pH 8.1-8.4, ammonia/nitrite 0, nitrate kept low.
Escape risk is high. Snake eels can pass through ridiculous gaps and will climb into overflows. If a credit card can slide through a gap, so can your eel.
PVC burrows: rough up the outside with sandpaper, rinse, then bury at a slight angle so one end sits just above the sand. They take to these within a day or two.
Acclimation: dim the room, drip acclimate slowly, and transfer in a container, not a net. Release near a pre-made burrow or PVC so it can disappear and calm down.
What to feed them
They are ambush predators that eat crustaceans, worms, and small fish. Most will accept thawed foods once they figure out tongs mean dinner.
- Go-to foods: raw table shrimp, squid, scallop, chunks of marine fish (mackerel, salmon skinless bits, sand lance).
- Transition helpers: live ghost shrimp or small crabs at first, then mix in thawed items on tongs.
- Technique: feed at dusk. Wiggle the food lightly at the burrow entrance. Be patient and consistent.
- Schedule: juveniles small portions daily or every other day; adults 2-3 times per week until you see a slight belly curve.
- Supplements: soak foods in a vitamin/HUFA product a couple times a week.
Do not use feeder goldfish or other freshwater feeders. Also do not rely on smelt or silversides as the only food. They are high in thiaminase, which can cause deficiencies over time.
If yours is stubborn, rub a shrimp piece in clam juice or add a tiny bit of fresh clam. The scent often flips the switch.
How they behave and who they get along with
By day they ghost around under the sand, with just eyes and snout showing. At night and at feeding time they can be bold. They do not bother corals, but their digging can topple poorly secured frags.
- Good tankmates: tangs, rabbitfish, larger peaceful wrasses (fairy/flashers), larger clownfish, hawkfish that are not too pushy, peaceful angels. Aim for fish that are too big to be seen as food.
- Avoid: triggers, puffers, large aggressive wrasses, groupers, and eels that may bully or bite. Skip nano fish and ornamental shrimp; they are snacks.
- One per tank is safest. Snake eels may scrap with similar burrowers in tighter quarters.
Invert safety: cleaner shrimp, small crabs, and tiny gobies will disappear. Hermits and snails are hit or miss depending on size and how hungry the eel is.
Breeding tips
Not something you are going to pull off at home. Like other eels, they have a drifting leptocephalus larval stage. No reliable sexing, no established spawning cues in captivity, and no rearing reports from hobbyists.
Common problems to watch for
- Escapes: they will find gaps around lids, cables, and overflow teeth. Double up with mesh and tape if you must.
- Refuses food: keep lights low, try at dusk, start with live ghost shrimp, then wean to thawed on tongs. Consistency wins.
- Abrasions on snout and body: usually from coarse substrate or rock edges. Switch to finer sand and add PVC hides.
- Mouth injuries: from grabbing hard prey or rock. Offer softer foods and feed near the burrow so they do not thrash into rock.
- Medication sensitivity: eels are scaleless and do poorly with many meds.
- Powerhead and overflow accidents: use intake guards and mesh weirs.
- Nutrient creep: heavy, fatty foods and irregular feeding lead to high nutrients. Skim well and keep a steady water change rhythm.
Avoid copper-based treatments with eels. If you must medicate, use a separate QT and choose eel-safe options like praziquantel. Always research dosages for scaleless fish.
Quarantine setup for a burrower: bare-bottom QT stresses them. Use a tray of fine sand and a couple of PVC tubes so they can hide, and keep lighting low. They settle faster and start eating sooner.
ID note: many shops sell snake eels just as snake eel. Yirrkala misolensis tops out around the mid-size range for snake eels (roughly 40-60 cm). Plan the tank like it will reach the high end.
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