Peacock Spiney Eel

[CatLover]

I have been looking at peacock spiney eels lately (the common, small species that CFC made an index entry about).

I'm aware they are predators toward small fish. Would zebra danios be small enough for them to eat? Are cories small enough? And, could they slurp down a kuhli loach? If they can eat any of those, then I won't be getting one.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I have one myself. It's a kid though, so no problems from it.... Uhm.... lesse....

I think the corries may eventually become food, but maybe not....

 

[CatLover]

Thanks for your input!

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Paul_MTS]

I would of thought all of them would be safe, there's no way it would be abel to eat a cory, firstly there quite big bodied but also they have pectoral and dorsal spines. I'ved kept 1 with khuli loach before with no problem and I reakon danios will eventually be to big anf fast for a spiney eel aswell.

 

[nmonks]

I think a lot depends on how well you feed it. For the smaller spiny eels (Macrognathus spp.) fish are not their food of choice. They have evolved to eat worms and other small animals in the substrate. So provided you kept it well fed with bloodworms, tubifex, etc., it will probably ignore the other fish. On your list, the danios are the only ones the right size to be eaten, but I think the risk is small. I'd worry more about things like neons, which are slow-moving and sleep at the bottom of the tank.

The larger species (like fire eels and tyre track eels) are much more serious fish-eaters, so they can't be kept with small fish.

Cheers,

Neale

PS. Some of the Macrognathus spp. are quite sociable, so consider getting 2-3 specimens. They'll be more outgoing and less shy.

 

[CatLover]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Judging by the mouths of my two 5-7" spinys, I doubt they could eat anything much larger than an endler when fully grown.

 

[ringham]

There is no chance of a peacock soiney eating a corry, and I am 99% sure that it wouldn't eat a danio even when fully grown.

As stated above, fire eels are supposed to be more serious fish eaters and beleiev it or not but I keep a cory with my 18" fre eel!!!! and guess what, NO PROBLEMS!!!!! I put it in because my other tank had to be completely cleared and knew that there was a risk but in the end I don't really care and best of all, it wasn't eaten anyway.

Gankutsuou, it seems as though you have been told that most spiney eels are big time predators and will kill and eat alost anything. IMO you may need to learn a bit more about them

Eating the kuhli loach is a possibility becuase it is like a peice of spagetti but if I were you then I would definately give it a try. I am pretty sure that he would much prefer bloodworms over kuhli loaches and should leave them alone. If some of them do disappear then you can always just take back the eel (no big deal).

 

[Gankutsuou]

pfff? take the eel back?
Nah. He's more precious to me than anything except the Albino Senegal I have. I've let the albino get away with eating a cardinal and neon already (and I just love how he glows a light blue....)

But yes, Most of these fish i planned on trading in to my lfs either way. I was just going by what the fourm said on them. Maybe the fourm needs an update on the peacock eel?

 

[ringham]

maybe.

The same previous statement of mine also goes for CatLover

 

[0x0000ff]

And, could they slurp down a kuhli loach? If they can eat any of those, then I won't be getting one.

My Peacock Spiny Eel 'Trogdor' is just under 15cm long, and lives with 9 banded Kuhli loaches. They're good friends, and hang out together all the time.

I'll post some pics when I get home from work. (couple of hours)



I grow pretty much all my own food for my aquatic friends; live black worms, grindal worms, brine shrimp, vegies etc. I've never had any problem with a peacock eel attacking another fish of any size.

In fact, I introduced 8 Half-beaks into the tank a couple of months after I got the eel. They were smaller then 2cm long and they're all still alive and well.

(edit: first post, btw!)

 

[0x0000ff]

and ahh, no.. the tank doesn't look like that anymore

 

[CatLover]

Aww, isn't he a doll

 

[ringham]

Nice looking spiney, do you have a full body shot?

If you don't it doesn't matter.

 

[0x0000ff]

Nice looking spiney, do you have a full body shot?

If you don't it doesn't matter.

I sure do! I'll post it soon

here we go:


12cm


~13.5cm


~15cm

(gave it a male name, so i refer to it as male)
he doesn't bury himself much, there are alot of hiding places in the aquarium; yet he shares a large skull with my green knifefish. No idea why they live together when there's 4-5 empty hiding locations in the tank.