Fire Eel

[EFCLad]

Hi guys,

I have a tank plenty big enough for a fire eel but already have an eel in there at about 10 inches. We he get eaten or can I keep em both together?

 

[Paul_MTS]

how bigs the fire eel?
how bigs the tank?
what is the other eel?

 

[EFCLad]

1) 4 and a bit X 2 X 2
2) Peacock Eel
3) medium size at the mo

 

[CFC]

It should be fine, only quite small fish are at risk from spiney eels.

 

[Juno]

fire eels are generally quite peacefull. i have one that is 4 years old and about 55cm (almost 2 foot) it's never eaten another fish. He lives happily with a 15cm zebra spiny, some angels, botia's etc.
The tyre tracks are the ones to watch out for.

follow this link: http/www.guppiesforyuppies.co.za/contain...p?TID=1763&PN=1
It is on a local south african forum.

the pic is not that good but it will give you an idea of how big these boys get and he is not even fully grown yet.
be warned though when you start keeping eels it never stops at only one.

 

[Paul_MTS]

lovely eel you have there Juno. Fire eels really are quite slow growers aren't they! what size did you get him at?

i got a tyre track in November at 10cm and he's now a chunky 45cm! where as my fire eel i got at the same time just over 20cm and has only grown to about 30cm

 

[tenxiong]

You should be carefull because a buddy of mine had two and they both joped out.

 

[Juno]

the fire eel does grow very slow, he was about 7cm when when i bought him. he grew quite slow in the first 3 months till he reached about 20 cm. after that he grew to 45 cm in 4 months. He then stopped growing for some or other reason and in the last year he started growing again. so it looks like they get growth spurts for the first year and then slow down. He also goes through times, a month or two, when he eats virtually nothing and then for the next month he eats like crazy.

 

[Paul_MTS]

thanks for that Juno, looks like mine is in 1 of the resting stages. Still really keen to eat but he hasn't grown a noticible ammount in a good few months now.

Don't worry tenxiong my tanks are very well covered. Most fish will try to escape if there not happy though.

 

[Francis]

paul, I got my tire track 2 years ago and he was 3 inches now he is about 9 inches yours has sure grown quicker than mine!

Francis.

 

[Paul_MTS]

hmmmm what tank do you keep him and what do you feed?

 

[Juno]

i feed mine bloodworms while they are young (hikari) then as they grow they get earthworms and when they get to the stage where i cannot stay ahead with earthworms i move them on to ox liver.
my fire eel eats about 200 to 250 grams of liver per month. i know it is a lot but he is a big boy and handfeeding him is a pleasure not a chore and the pakistani loaches i keep with him quite often steals a lot of the liver out his mouth. so i reckon he gets about 150 to 200g per month that translates to about 50g per week in two feedings.
my zebra spiny is also about 4 years old and is almost fully grown at 17cm he only eats bloodworm not even interested in anything else. my juvenile tyre track is about 10cm at the moment and have just started eating earthworms and is growing fast.