Eel question from a newbie

[SherriSixxx]

I have totally fallen in love with the eels on the aquarium window of a Chinese restaurant (yes, you heard right, a restaurant!!). Obviously these eels are for food. But I'd love to have a few of them as pets, can anybody give me any info?

Has anybody ever had these kind of eels in their aquarium? They are grey, toothless, and I think they are European Eel.

Is it safe to buy fish from an outdoor fish market meant for restaurants? How long do these eels live?

Any info would be very appreciated. Many thanks in advance!!

 

[sylvia]

Find out if they are freshwater or not. Then ask in either the oddballs (freshwater) section, brackish or marine accordingly. You'll get a lot more responses there.

I don't know what the particular eels would be but a few pictures would help people here identify them.
Also, I'd warn you that they probably get very big and will need quite a big tank. Considering eels are usualy territorial, you may find you need a very large volume for 2 or more though, for one, it might be reasonable as eels tend to spend most of their time hidden away and, even if they grow very large, don't require as much room as another fish of the same potential size. You also need to consider the predatory nature of most eels. As for how long they live - I would imagine at least 7 years. Possibly more.

 

[CFC]

If they are European eels (Anguilla anguilla) then they are cold water fish and will need to be kept in a species tank as they are ferocious predators that will attempt to eat anything they think they can swallow. They can be kept in captivity and make interesting aquarium subjects but will need a sizeable tank since they can grow to over 6 feet in length.

 

[SherriSixxx]

Thank you so much for your very good info! Ouch, so if I try to 'save' an eel from a frying pan by bying an adult from the fish market, am not doing it any favours? It would starve to death?

Does anybody know where I can get an elver from? What other fish does it get on with? I quess the eel would eat newts and small fish, so it would have to be another largish fish? Or another eel? Any recommendations? Would like it to be an active, 'social' fish.

Once again, so many thanks in advance!!

 

[CFC]

There are not many fish safe from the jaws of an adult European eel, once over a foot in length they are almost completely piscavorious (fish eaters) and as they grow they look towards taking larger and larger prey, a 4 foot long eel will happily consume other fish up to a foot long. Any conventionally shaped coldwater fish that was too large to be eaten by an adult eel would need a huge tank to be housed in, we are talking along the lines of carp sized fish and tanks in excess of 200 gallons here. Other eels are fine though (provided they are all a similar size) as they are quite sociable and not really territorial.

Captive eels are extreemly easy to feed as they will take all manor of meaty foods when hungry, pieces of fish, shrimp/prawns, earthworms and mussels will all be wolfed down in seconds.

 

[SherriSixxx]

CFC, you know so much! Am so happy you are sharing your knowledge. I tried looking in fish books about other kind of eels, but didn't find any nice looking as European eel. Which smaller eel would you recommend, maybe a social one, that I can mix with other fish? I am looking at buying a quite a large aquarium, as I have whole table to put it on.

 

[CFC]

Several of the spiny eel family; Mastacembelidae, stay at sizes which are suitable for housing with small fish in average sized aquariums. The most commonly seen of these are the Peacock spiny eels; Macrognathus aculeatus http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?act=ST...t=0#entry636543 and the very similar Macrognathus siamensis, though others such as the Zig zag spiny eel; Mastacembelus circumcintus and the Zebra spiny eel; Mastacembelus zebrinus are also sometimes imported and just as suitable.
Unless you have a large tank of at least 150 gallons it is best to avoid other spiny eels such as the Fire eel; Mastacembelus erythrotaenia and Tyre track eel; Mastacembelus armatus both of which can grow to sizes in excess of 30 inches.

 

[SherriSixxx]

Spiny eels don't look as lovely in the pics, but I'll have to find a good fish shop in London, and go to have a look at them, to see their personalities etc.

Also, another stupid question, how do the European Eels eat all the other fish, as they don't have teeth? Or have I possible made a mistake by trying to identify the eels in the Chinese Restaurant's aquarium, maybe they are not european eels, as no teeth?

Thank you again, and sorry for my newbie stupidity!!

 

[CFC]

Fish dont need teeth to be able to eat other fish, all they need it a mouth big enough to fit around the other fishes head. Eels like other predatory fish without teeth set into the jaw have a row of sharp bristle like pads on their gums which grip onto their preys flesh, as the fish is grabbed the pads hold it in place preventing the fish from being able to escape backwards and the fish is slowly pushed down into the throat where is is reduced to a pulp by the pharnegal teeth set in the back of the throat. Large eels have jaws very similar to that of constrictor snakes (boas, pythons etc) that can open extreemly wide to fit around the bodies of their prey, once the head is in swallowing position it is all over for the prey fish.

 

[BOD]

watch out it might try and bite ya hand off lol!

well you learn something new everyday!

 

[SherriSixxx]

Yep, will make sure my eels won't bite me Have never seen an eel eat, so will be very curious to see them strectcing their jaws!

Another twist to my question now. After looking through lots of fish books, my boyfriend now thinks the eels in the Chinese Restaurants aquarium are not European eel, but Chinese/Japanese Eel!! I don't know wht's th edifference? They look very similar to me!!Would Chinese/Japanese eel be easier to keep?

I even tried to ask the people working in the Chinese restaurant about their eels, but they weren't very friendly, as I wasn't coming in actually wanting to eat the eels!

 

[congo dude]

wat about a ropefish/snakefish ? a beutiful fish that dusnt grow huge feeds readily and is full of character !

 

[CFC]

The eel most commonly eaten in the chinese community is Anguilla japonica which can grow to around 5 feet in length. All members of the Anguilla genus are similar in their feeding habbits and care needs in captivity so all of the above information for Anguilla anguilla is still relevent for Anguilla japonica.

 

[Fishy411]

wat about a ropefish/snakefish ? a beutiful fish that dusnt grow huge feeds readily and is full of character !

true. I dont know how much you would like a polypterus but they look a lot like eels and the common ones (senegals) are very active and grow fast.

 

[SherriSixxx]

Will have a look at the snake fishes definately,thanks. But my heart is really set on the European/Japanese eels. My next question is gonna be difficult! Where can I get an European/ Japanese Elver??? I don't think any of the fish shops have them, unfortunatly

I can't even think where to start looking for them???Any suggestions?? Thanks