Tire Track Eel

[Paul_MTS]

lol, no going back now the guys coming in about hours time.

But no, noooo spare tanks and i need the money at the moment! My other equally large M. Armatus tyre track will move back into the big tank after tonight.

I'll take a few pics whilst transferring him and stick them up on the forum for a comparison.

 

[rixy]

look forward to the pics paul

 

[karmagl]

I had a tire track eel until he got about 8 inches maybe 10 and had to sell him back. He was really agressive with the other fish and at one of my mollies. He was just territorial and if another fish came in his territory they better watch out.

 

[steve_m]

I think you are ALL right about the size of tank. Yes you could keep both species in a 55g (not togerther) if you really wanted. But as CFC and Paul said they would house the fish in larger more comfortable size tank, as would I . Comfortable is a key word. would the fish be comfortable in a 55g "I dont think so" . Its a moral issue. no right no wrong

 

[ringham]

When I had my Tire track eel I similarly witnessed a lot of aggro towards my other fish. Unsimilarly mine died before I could give it away (NOT my fault btw).

Those pics of him are great though

 

[Paul_MTS]

Well finally got round to moving the armatus and here he is.

Excuse the pics... he was on the move! I put him in a 20x20 tank inbetween tanks for a few more shots. He measured 22".

Notice how the pattern finishes half way down the body and the shape of the mouth!

 

[720510]

Hi all
I'm new to aquariums and so forth but recently started with a 120 liter (no idea how many gallons!) tank and after a week of getting the water stabilized I put in there:
2 X Shark Fish
2 X Angel Fish
5 X tiny scissor tails
1 X small firetrack eel

I really loved the firetrack eel; he had great personality and was out quite a bit. He had a bit of wood to hide under which he did during the day.

Much to my dismay I started noticing a bit of lumpy behaviour from him on day 3 - he just floated about endlessy during the day, settling out in the open and when I got home today, he was dead. I'm really sad about this, and would like to try and find out what I did wrong. I have to also add that 4 of the 5 scissor also died, one by one.

I am going back to the shop tomorrow (Pets at Home) to question them about it but my water is fine (it was a bit cloudy on day 3 of having the fish but I did clean the bottom with a hand filter, replaced (treated) water - about 40%, as per their recommendation after I went to them about the scissor tails dying.

Reading this forum I see with shock that the eel was supposed to eat smaller / dead fish, bloodworms etc. At the shop they told me to feed him one tablet of the stuff they suggest for bottomfeeders, a night. Since it was gone each morning I figured he ate it but I suspect it could easily have been the other fish.

Was that what I was doing wrong?

The shark fish and angels are quite happy, btw, and swimming strongly.

720510
London

 

[moeberry]

Hi everyone. I got 2 tire track eels when I set up my first tank 7 years ago. I was told they would grow larger than 8 inches. one died shortly after but the other lived quite well in a 25 gallon tank. I still have him/her and about a year ago I found another and added it to my tank. At first Clovis (my eels name) was territorial with Bebe but now they are inseperable.

I recently moved everyone into a 33 gallon tank, and they were very happy.

Also I've always had other fish in the tanks with them, and when I added Bebe was the only time Ive ever witnessed aggressive behavior.

kid's screamin', check back later,
Moeberry

 

[Esfa]

Hi all
I'm new to aquariums and so forth but recently started with a 120 liter (no idea how many gallons!) tank and after a week of getting the water stabilized I put in there:
2 X Shark Fish
2 X Angel Fish
5 X tiny scissor tails
1 X small firetrack eel

I really loved the firetrack eel; he had great personality and was out quite a bit. He had a bit of wood to hide under which he did during the day.

Much to my dismay I started noticing a bit of lumpy behaviour from him on day 3 - he just floated about endlessy during the day, settling out in the open and when I got home today, he was dead. I'm really sad about this, and would like to try and find out what I did wrong. I have to also add that 4 of the 5 scissor also died, one by one.

I am going back to the shop tomorrow (Pets at Home) to question them about it but my water is fine (it was a bit cloudy on day 3 of having the fish but I did clean the bottom with a hand filter, replaced (treated) water - about 40%, as per their recommendation after I went to them about the scissor tails dying.

Reading this forum I see with shock that the eel was supposed to eat smaller / dead fish, bloodworms etc. At the shop they told me to feed him one tablet of the stuff they suggest for bottomfeeders, a night. Since it was gone each morning I figured he ate it but I suspect it could easily have been the other fish.

Was that what I was doing wrong?

The shark fish and angels are quite happy, btw, and swimming strongly.

720510
London

Pets at Home are rubbish for fish! They were probably just bad quality fish. How long did you leave the water to stablise? And i have never heard of a "shark fish"? What do they look like?

 

[PoPoV]

Indeed. The Juwel tanks, whatever their faults, do seem to come in logical sizes. I'll have to be more careful when speaking about tank sizes to our friends in The Colonies!!! You're right of course, width is often much more useful than depth.

Cheers,

Neale

I presume the tank you have which is 40cm wide is a Juwel? These seem to give wider tanks with less height which are much more usefull for keeping decent sized fish in than most manufactorers standard sizes.

LMAO!!! The colonies? B) Its came a long way since taxation with out representation. Over here we call it the United States. You know, One of those countries that does not surrender and eat cheese.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Hi everyone. I got 2 tire track eels when I set up my first tank 7 years ago. I was told they would grow larger than 8 inches. one died shortly after but the other lived quite well in a 25 gallon tank. I still have him/her and about a year ago I found another and added it to my tank. At first Clovis (my eels name) was territorial with Bebe but now they are inseperable.

I recently moved everyone into a 33 gallon tank, and they were very happy.

Also I've always had other fish in the tanks with them, and when I added Bebe was the only time Ive ever witnessed aggressive behavior.

kid's screamin', check back later,
Moeberry

My flavus was in a 40 gallon before i had him....

Notice how skiny and weedy he looked, only took him a few months to get him to this size....

Fine keep yours in a small tank if thats what you want to do, just dont recomend it to any one.

 

[moeberry]

I didn't mean to recomend anything, thank you. I was only sharing my experience, and was cut off by my kid, so I'll finish now.

Like I said I got my first eel 7 years ago. I was told that she wouldn't grow more than 8 inches, and she hasn't. It has only been in the last week that I found out how large a tire track eel can get. I'm wondering if they are really tire track eels at all, because of their small size (my new eel is about 5 inches long).

I'll take the 'tude as concern and let u know that Clovis is not skinny or sickly. She's actually quite fat, which gave me a laugh when I added Bebe (the 5 incher) and she tried to chase him but he was way 2 quick. Don't get me wrong, I watched very closly to make sure that no one was getting hurt. It took a week or so but they are now best buds, much to my khuli loaches dismay. Clovis and Khuli were always together until then.

I was told that a good rule of thumb is minimum one gallon of water for each inch of fish. Has anyone eles heard of this guidline?

Anyway, with all the bush and hiding caves I've got in there, they seem very happy and healty. I'll try to post some pics of my set up, and maybe you guys who are a little more knowlegable can tell me if they really are tire track eels, or some other type.

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Moeberry

 

[fishfishfish]

great lookin eel.and what may i ask is that catfish next to him in those pics paul?

 

[Paul_MTS]

That would be my bolt cat- Aguaronichthys torosus

 

[Canis-Equus]

720510 -

Your fish probably died because your tank wasnt cycled properly - 1 week is not enough, try 6 weeks?

And then it seems you added a whole bunch of fish at once, which would have made the ammonia levels in the tank shoot up... which will kill fish.

And no, a tyre track or indeed any eel will not eat pellets. or flake. or anything except small meaty things like bloodworm, earthworm, prawn etc.