Swamp Eel Monopterus Albus!

[the_evil_duboisi]

Despite it growing natural in Korea, I haven't been able to find any good info about it. Not in any English sites either. So I've decided to turn to some personal experience.

1. What does it eat? Can it be weened onto nonliving foods like krill, shrimp and possible carnivore pellets?

2. How big of a tank would it need? Also, would it need a lid?

3. What kind of layout would it prefer? One with lots of hiding places?

4. Is it easily mixable with other fishes? Or best kept alone?

I hope somebody can answer these questions!

 

[Paul_MTS]

You'll need to feed meaty foods. No need for live but use plenty of frozen foods such as lance fish, prawns and mussels.

Definitely need a tight fitting lid with any holes covered, unfortunately I had a small hole in a corner and soit committed suicide. Grow to about 24-30" if I remember correctly so something around 70 gallons would do.

Use sand substrate and decorate with bog wood and plants to create hiding places.

Mine was only young a the time at 10" and was fine with my other fish but as they grow it's said they do get more aggressive and with powerful jaws small fish or fish they dislike will end up as dinner.

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

Thanks! But no luck with dried foods?Also, is mixing a problem? You said this can happen, but yours didn't. What were the tankmates? Do you think peaseful, big, easy-going species will be fine?Sorry for more questions; I'm so glad somebody managed to answer me!!Oh yeah, the ones sold here are 8 inches long.Thanks! But no luck with dried foods?Also, is mixing a problem? You said this can happen, but yours didn't. What were the tankmates? Do you think peaseful, big, easy-going species will be fine?Sorry for more questions; I'm so glad somebody managed to answer me!!

 

[Fruitbat]

I've personally only kept Monopterus albus on one occasion many years ago before they became illegal to own in Texas but I do have some insight I can offer.

Monopterus albus is a very predatory fish and anything small enough to be swallowed will probably disappear quickly and these 'eels' can swallow larger fish than you might think. They are very hardy and will tolerate most aquarium conditions. They like to burrow into the substrate most of the time so it is important to make sure the substrate is sandy or at least made up of rounded gravels rather than coarse material. They also like lots of driftwood or rock caves.

Like most 'eels', Monopterus albus is an outstanding escape artist and will take advantage of any opening in the aquarium top so it is important that even small openings be sealed up somehow (I use plastic screen siliconed in place over all aquarium openings). They tend to prefer 'meaty' foods, as you might expect from their predatory nature, but mine would take pellet foods intended for carnivorous fish.

The Asian Swamp Eel can get quite large with specimens approaching a meter in length being occasionally recorded. More commonly they reach about 40cm or so. The one I had was about 50cm when I finally got rid of it. Keeping them with other fish is a gamble. The one I kept was in a 55 gallon tank with some medium-sized South American cichlids and the Monopterus albus was fairly aggressive toward them, even grabbing one Rainbow Cichlid (Herotilapia multispinosa) that was obviously too large to swallow. Personally, I'd recommend against keeping them with other fish unless the tankmates are quite large.

-Joe

 

[Paul_MTS]

Dried foods are highly unlikely to be taken. Like most predatory fish, oddballs and larger catfish frozen foods are the best way to give them a good varied diet.

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

Such a hardy fish is a picky eater? That's something I haven't heard before ALso, that's my main concern before I even aqquire the eel.

You said it had a bigger mouth than I think. Does that mean the "thinner" fishes like polypterids are in danger?

Thanks!

 

[Paul_MTS]

In the oddball side of fish keeping a fish that eats frozen foods isn't considered picky. A fish which only eats live foods is picky.

They are an easy fish to care for.

Depends on the species and sizes.

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

Yeah, but if they're younger, they would most likely eat dried fooods more readily.

The species is the one in the title; and it's also the only species found locally.

Thanks again, but all the "oddballs" I've kept where never picky eaters so I found it a big strange. Just personal experience.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I was referring to the species of bichir you were worried about being eaten.

When there young it's even more important to get the diet right to make sure there not stunted.

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

Yep.