Just Bought Some Rubber Eels=)

[Mikaila31]

I'm so happy I ran across these guys, the tank they are in is temporary. The store only had two left and could only hold them for 24 hours. I had them hold these guys for me and when I went to get them the next day .

Their scientific name is Typhlonectes natans, both of them are about 12" long and will eventually reach 24". They look like a cross between a eel, a snake, and a worm. They are aquatic like a eel, their head is shaped like a snakes, and the swim like a snake. Their body is also segmented like a worm, they have eyes but are nearly blind.

They are also amazing escape artist . They can easily get out of a tank if there are any holes in the hood and once they get out they don't stop, they will also get out of the room .

So what do you guys think?

Cheers, Mikaila31

 

[GobyMaster]

Awesome!

How big is the permanent tank going to be?

Got any more pictures?

GobyMaster

 

[Mikaila31]

They will be going into a 55gal in a few weeks. I will post some more pics later .

Cheers mikaila31

 

[randallhart]

Lovely eels.
Never saw those before.

 

[paul_219]

Well gr8 eels. Wonderful.

 

[J4MES]

what are you feeding them on?

 

[helterskelter]

My friend had these and the fattest one he had gave birth to 4 6" long babies so that would be fun to see again, but their is a very intresting video I've soon on these, just gonna check youtube to see if it's in there.

Ok found it for you

http/frogroom-podcast.blogspot.com/2006/...tes-natans.html

 

[BigC]

These litlle beauties are a kinda of annomolie in that they are a kind of fish / kind of reptile if you know what I mean, they dig into the gravel quite a lot so provide them with a good deep fine gravel/sand for this purpose. and one last point although blind in some respect do not include such tank mates as khulii loaches or the likes of as they will surely become a meal.
Regards
BigC

 

[Straydum]

my hair stands whenever i see them. reminds me of overgrown earthworms. haha no offence.

 

[Mikaila31]

what are you feeding them on?

At the moment I'm offering them krill, but they haven't eaten any yet. One of them has already shed it's skin and the other one is in the process of shedding. When I asked the store what they where feeding them the said pellets and flakes . I might try some prawns, Would the ones from the grocery store be Ok?

Straydum I find these guys adorable . When I went to pick them up from the store they were both asleep, one of them woke up and gave a big ol' yawn .

A pic of the one that is shedding

Coming up for air

Cheers,
mikaila31

 

[Tommo]

they are a kind of fish / kind of reptile

They are a type of amphibian, called a Caecilian. Naturally they live as much out of water burrowing in mud as they do in the water (why they are so good at escaping tanks and slithering away!)

 

[Mikaila31]

Yep I am already planning to get a dock similar to the one stated here, for these guys to rest on once they go into the 55gal.

 

[Kevin_D]

they are a kind of fish / kind of reptile

They are a type of amphibian, called a Caecilian. Naturally they live as much out of water burrowing in mud as they do in the water (why they are so good at escaping tanks and slithering away!)

Yeah, theyre Amphibians, its a common misconception that theyre Fish, as theyre called Rubber Eels in the US, I think to help export them out of South America as "Fish" as the trade in Amphibians in their native countries is restricted, here in the UK I bought my ones as "Caecilian Worms" (lol) though the shop did acknowledge they were Amphibians, Typhlonectes natans are almost completly aquatic, though they will sometimes rest out of the water in the wild, they are completly happy to be always in water, and have bred quite well in captivity with no access to land, some other species of Caecilians are completly terrestrial, and fossorial, and some species, like the Ichthyophis, is semi-aquatic.

Mikaila31, they should accept pre-frozen blood worm really well, also live earthworms and maggots, if your able to get small feeder shrimp they apparantly are good to feed them as well, I havent tried as i havent been able to get them.