I Would Like To Get Some Advice On Eels, Would Eel Owners Please Respo

[cgbender]

I have had smaller tanks in the past. 2 weeks ago I got a gently used 55 gal. tank. It came with a stand, 200 watt heater, and a EHEIM 2213 canister filter. I have made up my mind that I would build the tank around the three things that I have always wanted to have in a tank. First was that I have always wanted to have a spiny eel, the second was sand in the tank and the third where things like snails and an upside down cat. I have visited several forums, scientific info sites, and I am a little overwelmed because I seem have lots of info but none of the answers I am really looking for (this could be because I haven't figured out the right questions yet.) So thus I turn to you ... I would like to hear your opinions, hear what you have observed, and just talk to people that have acturaly owned eels.

Question 1

Which eel(s) would be most appropriate for a 55 gal. tank?

Question 2

What type of plants are best to be added to the tank (what plants make the eels most comfortable, do eels do best around, and do well around eels?)

Question 3

What type of decor and ordimentation is best (for providing hiding spots and would be appropriate?)

Question 4

Tankmates: What fish go well with eels? I have read that they might eat smaller slower fish and understand that what Im more interested in are what are good tankmates that can co-exist without pestering the eel? {Having read about fin nippers and eel pesterers and not having them defined.}

*I know that they are exscape artist so I have already taken care to make exscape routes inexcessible*

 

[severum boy]

Question 1

Which eel(s) would be most appropriate for a 55 gal. tank?

Hi, any eel up to about 1' long would be suitable for your tank. The most common eels like Tyre track and Fire eels are too big for your tank so dont think about them. Instead, look for Mastacembelus circumcinctus, the Half-banded eel fully grown at 16cm, M. zebrinus, the zebra spiny eel, at about 12cm (although no-one really knows for sure, they are rare in the trade, most specimens turn out to be M. circumcinctus) or Macrognathus aculeats. the peacock spiny eel at a maximum of 25cm. This one is probably the most common of the smaller spiny eels. There are other small spiny eels, but they are not as common as these.

Question 2

What type of plants are best to be added to the tank (what plants make the eels most comfortable, do eels do best around, and do well around eels?)

Eels wont really be bothered about the plants, although something very tall and thin may be a good hiding spot. When mine were small they used to rest in some floating plants so maby you could add some of them.

Question 3

What type of decor and ordimentation is best (for providing hiding spots and would be appropriate?)

Eels, as you probably know, need places to hide. Some are more outgoing than others, but never the less they all need a place to hide. A sand substrate is a must, gravel is simply not suitable for a fish that buries themselves as much as eels do. Pipes about 1"-2" thick depending on the size of the eel are a really good hiding place, but failing that then a pile of large smooth rocks securly placed in the corner of a tank is another good idea. Bogwood and rocks give a number of good hiding places, and your eel may well decide to take up residence below some wood. They are adaptable creatures, but they do need at least one good hiding place per eel.

Question 4

Tankmates: What fish go well with eels? I have read that they might eat smaller slower fish and understand that what Im more interested in are what are good tankmates that can co-exist without pestering the eel? {Having read about fin nippers and eel pesterers and not having them defined.}

Small fish will get eaten yes, but a 2 foot long fire eel cant eat anything bigger than an adult platy, so unless your having very small thin fish with them I woudent worry too much about it. I keep mine with Rainbowfish who work really well. Most fish will be ok, but barbs are probably best avoided as a general rule as they can be too inquisitive for their own good. Pufferfish are also another curious fish to avoid, they could easily do some nasty damage to an eel.
I could go on forever saying what would be ok and what woudent, so is there anything that you had in mind?

 

[severum boy]

Oh yes, feeding.
All eels will accept frozen foods like bloodworm. This is cirtainly the best food for them, although larger ones may like a piece of thin prawn as well as some bloodworms. The bloodworms are best fed by using a pipette to feed it directly to their mouth. This stops the other fish getting a look in as eels can be fairly slow to feed. It also cuts down on wasted food, and you can see exactly how much food they are eating. They will need feeding every day.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Severum Boy said it all! One thing I would like to add is one species of eel you could have. Macrognathus Aral. It should grow to about the same size as a peacock eel (mine is about 10 inches and 4 years old). The care requirements are pretty much the same as they are for all eels.

Ryan

 

[toddnbecka]

I have a pair of Tanganykian plagiostoma spiney eels, they would also be a good choice for a 55. Unlike most other African spiney eels they don't grow very large, and are quite tolerant of other members of their own species. They thrive on a diet of frozen bloodworms and occaisonally brine shrimp, though cichlid eggs are one of their favorite foods. They will clean out a nest in spite of the best efforts of the parents to repel them, but are generally ignored otherwise. They don't bother even tiny fry, just eggs. They aren't nearly as commonly available as Asian species, and quite a bit more expensive as well. On the other hand, they don't bury themselves in the sand, and my pair have some beautiful colors. The background color is orange with black bands on the female, and a somewhat less regular pattern on the male.
Female:

Male:

They have spawned a few times, but the eggs are always eaten soon afterward. Overall, good fish to mix with Tanganykian cichlids provided you don't want to raise fry in the same tank.

 

[Straydum]

you might want to consider not having many bottom dwellers. fishes like the raphael catfish would fight for hiding places with the eels. bkgs are quite aggressive when it comes to territorial issues aswell. my bkg once took a bite out of my fire eel's tail fin.

 

[shelly007]

Hi
I have got three Zebra eels, when I first got them they were very shy, but now they all come out even when the lights are on. Frozen Blood worm is their favorite and I feed it to them down a tube, I spread it out over diferrent areas at the bottom of the tank so they don't fight. they love a place to hide, I have got a terracotta tube and some bog wood. So far they are not interested in my neons, My Angel fish had a chewed dorsil fin and I suspect the eels but I am not sure.
They are fairly new to me but they are doing well. They like the sand too.
Good Luck

Also the eels change colour all the time!

 

[cgbender]

Im glad to see this forum is active and Im glad to see people actualy talking. My tank is coming together slowly and I would like to thank everyone for chiming in. I have given some thought as to what I want to do. Where as Im still a little wishy-washy as to what Im gonna add to the tank ... I have desided that Im gonna add a pair of peacock eels. I found an interesting artical that about peacock eels stating that if they are kept in a tank with white sand they bleach out. I have been giving some thought to adding some night lighting to the tank so I can view the tank for an hour or two after the tank lights go out. If anyone has any info or sites that talk about whether this is a good or bad idea, please shoot it my way. I have had a crazy little thought for a "hidie-hole" (I live in a small college town where i cant find drift wood and nice hiding place rich decorations ... so) while talking with a friend in toys r us I spotted a lego cargo plane with two cargo doors. I figure it might be fun half buried in the black sand with plants growing up around it. Any comments?

 

[Straydum]

i'm not too sure about the white sand part though i really doubt that 'bleaching' would happen. the lego idea doesnt sound like a problem, just as long as it doesnt leech anything into the water. you might want to try pvc pipes as an alternative, i'm sure they arent that hard to get

 

[cgbender]

I have a friend that used the lego idea on his tank and exstensivly tested the structure before placing it in his tank and he also has the darker opaic gerbal tubing in his tank, but those where for his black ghost knife. Im being indesisive as to # of eels. I have read that they do better in groups but all the sites that I have been reading seem to bicker as to what really is the best way of keeping them (1 or 2). As for the pvc idea i already have 1x12 and 2x13 tubes cut and cleaned. I have also been looking for a good desk reference about freshwater eels and keeping them in aquariums. Any responces would be well welcomed!

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Fire and Tire Track eels will usually not get along well with members of the same species. They usually will as babies, but the adults and especially the males will not do as well together. The smaller spiny eels will appreciate members of their own kinds, especially the peacock eel. I don't know about the African spiny eels, as I have never kept them.

Ryan

 

[Straydum]

well for a 55g i think you can house around 3-4 peacocks. peacocks do prefer groups, same as their relatives as opposed to their bigger counterparts (though i do keep 2 fire eels together with no aggression). check out the fish index on peacocks. it should have a deal of information there

 

[CAC]

Macrognathus circumcinctus the half banded spiny eel, Macrognathus pancalus the yellow tail spiny eel, Macrognathus zebrinus the zebra spiny eel, Macrognathus aculeatus the peacock spiny eel, Macrognathus siamensis another peacock spiny eel variant and Macrognathus aral the striped peacock eel.

Ive never kept any peacock eels, but have kept the other species mentioned and have found them to do better in groups, especially my yellowtails and zebra who were lost without other eels of their species arround. My single Macrognathus circumcinctus however has never had any other eels of the same species with it (allthough has been with yellow tails and a zebra) and has allways thrived. Even now he/she is fine without any other eels at all in the tank.

Ive never used anything other than white playsand in my tanks, and have never found an eel to be washed out by the colour of the sand. However during and after feeding, for the next day or two their colours are best, then when they get hungry again the tend to get washed out. Also, during waterchanges I have noticed changes in colour.

If you can, try to get the eel/s to eat some kind of stick/flake/pellet to get the best growth aswell as bloodworms and other insect larvea. (sp?)

For hiding places, mine have allways just used filters as their faveourite places to hide, allthough when removed they stay in/under bogwood for the most part.

EDIT: P.S. You will need a bigger or an additional filter for a 55g.

 

[cgbender]

Its interesting to hear that about the eels. It kind of sounds like they have some control over their pigmentation.

 

[CAC]

Its interesting to hear that about the eels. It kind of sounds like they have some control over their pigmentation.

I wouldnt call it control, but they do change very quickly. I guess its like us. When we are tired, hungry, cold etc we may be pale and pasty, but when we heat ourselves up, have a rest and eat we usually gain any lost colour back again, its just that with eels, it seems to be much more dramatic...