Spiny Eel

[Joemuz]

Can i keep a young (4") spiny eel in a comunity tank if i give it a sandy bottom and lots of hiding places? There is one at my LFS and he is so cute.
Is this ok? Cheers Joemuz

 

[nmonks]

Yes, you can. If you're in the UK, pick up this month's (January's) PFK magazine and you'll find a whole article on spiny eels by none other than my good self. Otherwise, remember the three golden rules of keeping the smaller spiny eels:

1. They love sand.
2. They need an escape-proof aquarium.
3. They can't compete with loaches/catfish for food.

In a quiet aquarium with mid and surface water fishes, the spiny eels will manage to eat the frozen bloodworms you give them perfectly well, and you'll find them charming pets.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Joemuz]

Yes, you can. If you're in the UK, pick up this month's (January's) PFK magazine and you'll find a whole article on spiny eels by none other than my good self. Otherwise, remember the three golden rules of keeping the smaller spiny eels:

1. They love sand.
2. They need an escape-proof aquarium.
3. They can't compete with loaches/catfish for food.

In a quiet aquarium with mid and surface water fishes, the spiny eels will manage to eat the frozen bloodworms you give them perfectly well, and you'll find them charming pets.

Cheers, Neale

Thanks a lot. I wasa gonna buy that the other day but got Air gunner instead(lol)
I will get a copy later. They look fab though dont they?
What do you mean they cant compete with loaches or catfish? I have cories, plec and coolie loach?
Shurley hel be fine with them if he has somewhere to hide?

 

[nmonks]

What do you mean they cant compete with loaches or catfish? I have cories, plec and coolie loach?
Shurley hel be fine with them if he has somewhere to hide?

It's nothing to do with hiding places. But cories, plecs, and loaches will likely eat the bloodworms before the spiny eel gets a chance. Of course, provide plenty of food, and you might be okay, but then you have the issue of water quality. So adding a spiny eel might work, but you have to watch that the spiny eel gets enough to eat. After suicidal leaps onto the carpet, the most common death for spiny eels is starvation.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Joemuz]

What do you mean they cant compete with loaches or catfish? I have cories, plec and coolie loach?
Shurley hel be fine with them if he has somewhere to hide?

It's nothing to do with hiding places. But cories, plecs, and loaches will likely eat the bloodworms before the spiny eel gets a chance. Of course, provide plenty of food, and you might be okay, but then you have the issue of water quality. So adding a spiny eel might work, but you have to watch that the spiny eel gets enough to eat. After suicidal leaps onto the carpet, the most common death for spiny eels is starvation.

Cheers, Neale

Can the get out the hole where the wires are? There is a gap about the thickness of a drinkin straw.

 

[nmonks]

Depends on the size of the spiny eel. But don't take any chances, use you common sense, and look for gaps and try to block them with something suitable, like bits of netting or filter wool.

Cheers, Neale

Can the get out the hole where the wires are? There is a gap about the thickness of a drinkin straw.

 

[Joemuz]

Nice one! Off to the LFS in a few days then, saturday i think i will go.
Thanks mate. I will tell you when i get one.

 

[nmonks]

Check which species your LFS has in stock. Some spiny eels like to be on their own, but others definitely do best when kept in groups. A "gang" of spiny eels with their heads poking out of a cave is really a very cute sight to see! In a group, they'll be less shy, as well.

Cheers, Neale

 

[ringham]

I was just wondering if you knew which kind of spiney it is that your looking at? As some species can grow petty big!

Also if you do get it I would love to see some picies of it in your tank

 

[Joemuz]

I was just wondering if you knew which kind of spiney it is that your looking at? As some species can grow petty big!

Also if you do get it I would love to see some picies of it in your tank

Ok when (if) i get it which i most likely will i will get some pics for yuo. I dont know which species it is?
Its realy small and cute. I won't be getting it for a week or two so when i do i will take some pics of him.
Cheers Joemuz

 

[nmonks]

As Ringham says, even the giants start off small and cute! That said, I've usually only ever seen tyre-track and fire eels (the two big species) in stock at around 20 cm or so. The "tiddlers" tend to be other species, typically Macrognathus spp.

You might want to do yourself a favour and check through the photos of spiny eels at Fishbase:

http/filaman.ifm-geomar.de/identificatio...2&areacode=

The commonest species in the (UK) trade are:

Macrognathus aral
Macrognathus circumcinctus
Macrognathus pancalus
Macrognathus siamensis
Mastacembelus armatus
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia
Mastacembelus favus
Mastacembelus moorii

As a rule, Macrognathus tend to be smaller, more sociable, and primarily invertebrate eaters, while Mastacembelus are bigger, intolerant of one another, and very predatory towards smaller fish. All love worms, especially earthworms, which are THE food to get them back into conditions with after import.

Cheers, Neale

Its realy small and cute.

 

[Joemuz]

Wow! That site is realy helpfull, apart from i dont have a clue which one it is .
Nice fish though. Im no spine eel expert so i wouldnt know what species it is. The name tag jusat said spiny eel.
Thanks for the help, Joemuz