Eels

[ChrisCook]

I have developed a bit of a love affair with eels. I currently have 2 Fire Eels. How does stocking of eels work - is it still an inch a gallon?
What other eels are on the market that are fairly active and friendly?

Chris

 

[chrismr]

My first reply is a question: are they currently living in your 40 gallon tank? If so, you should know that these guys get really big adn a 40 is not nearly big enough... If not, how big is the tank?

 

[ChrisCook]

They are currently in the 40 gallon tank (my sig is not current - there are a lot less fish int here now) but they are in there with a view to increasing the size to a 120 gal tank in the future.

 

[abarnswell]

Peacock spiny eels stay pretty small (around 12" max). Tire track eels can get bigger (not much) than Fire eels even. They are all pretty friendly and personable. You can even train them to eat out of your hand.

 

[Juno]

fire eels are quite friendly so you can pretty much keep most eels with them, however i would steer clear of tyre tracks because they can be quite nasty.
tyre track eels are mostly very teritorial and as they grow become more and more grumpy. they also like to snack on some of the other fish.

i bought a fire eel and tyre track eel at the same time a couple of years back they lived quite happily together until the tyre track got to about 30cm, at that stage the fire eel was about 35cm, the fire eel got a skin infection and had to be removed for treatment, when i put the fire eel back the tyre track kept on chasing it and would search for the fire eel until it found it and then bite it or chase it around. Eventually had to give the tyre track away.

The peaccok and zebra spiny eels stay quite small and are by far better suited to the home aquarium than tyre tracks or fire eels because the tyre tracks and fire eels get huge. the fire eel i have now is currently between 55 and 60 cm and is still growing also fire eels are prone to getting skin infections.

edit: all my eels have been trained to eat out of my hand.

 

[abarnswell]

Speaking of eels... I have always had a fascination with them and have always wanted one, but the larger marine eels are simply too big/aggressive for me to keep. I keep mostly small tanks, 30 gallons or less.

Last night I was at my LFS and saw this darling little snakey thing in one of their freshwater tanks. It was about 4-5 inches long. The guy at the LFS told me it was a Tire Track Eel, that it would stay that size (yeah, right!) and that it was very peaceful and harmless. I asked him a lot more questions, and all of his answers were perfect. I was SO excited, so (and I know better than this!) I bought him (yes, on impulse), although I did have a lovely planted 10 gallon tank at home that was fully cycled and pretty much empty, except for two Mollies and some snails. I brought him home, fed him some live blackworms, which he devoured very happily. Then I got online and started reading about spiny eels. Oops. I made the wrong choice. It sounds like a Peacock Eel would be perfect for me (keeping it in a longer tank), but certainly not the Tire Track Eel. No way. so, he goes back to the LFS today. That's too bad, because he is very friendly and very curious. He stares at me and cocks his head. These guys have to be pretty intelligent. He looks and acts intelligent.

Am I right in thinking that Peacock Spiny Eels would be suitable for a home acquarium? From what I have read online, they grow to about 12" long and that they can be kept in groups. What size tank would I need for one or two of these little guys? Or would I need three of them (to spread out any aggression)?

Thanks for any feedback/advice!!

 

[Juno]

firstly make sure that you in fact have a tyre track, because they are quite often id wrong. The peackok spiny's are pretty cool, and also the zebra spiny / half banded spiny stays quite small. as far as tank size is concerned stick top the normal stocking rules and you should be ok.

 

[abarnswell]

I did take him back today, and I asked the guy at the LFS if he was SURE it was a Tire Track Eel. He said he was ure it was. He also said that they usually have Peacock Eels, too, but that he was out of them at the moment and would have some more in a week or so. So, I returned poor little Tire Track . I may go back in another week or so and see if the Peacocks have come in.

Thanks for the reply, Juno.

 

[ringham]

Personally I wouldn't recommend a tyre track eel as they can be very terratorial but then it depends on your tank stock lost.