What Eel For A 68 Gallon?

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

I'm not even sure if this is the right place for an eel post, but for some reason the search function won't let me search for 'eel.'

I have a 68 gallon tank, and I have been really all over the place with what I want in it. At school we had a purple-mouthed moray eel (saltwater tank, and much larger, of course!), and he was just the coolest fish. We would feed him slabs of fish from the market, and shrimp and stuff. His name was Spot.

I would love to have an eel like Mr Spot, but of course he would need to be a smaller species and be freshwater. I would like for him to be the only inhabitant, so I would perfer he not be a species who liked to stay hidden a lot.

I don't know a lot about eels- is there an eel that meets these requirements?

 

[Anguilla82]

zig-zag and peacock eels stay at a resonable maximum size.

steer clear of fire and tyre track eels. they get way too big for your tank.

you could go for reed/rope fish. they are a bit like eels, and can be hand fed sometimes. they also like their own company so you could get a few ino your tank, and they only grow to around 40cm.

 

[Esfa]

how about a Monopterus albus (Asian swamp eel)?

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Zig-zags, peacocks, fire, and tire tracks are not eels at all! I think GoldfishAttentionSpan is looking for true eels. A freshwater moray (gymnothorax tile) would be good. They are brackish marine not freshwater. Read my article, the link is by my signature. It is MY ARTICLE ON BRACKISH EELS.

 

[Straydum]

spiny eels arent true eels yes, but i guess they make the cut. fishes like 'freshwater' morays would eventually turn to full marine if they are to thrive.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

spiny eels arent true eels yes, but i guess they make the cut. fishes like 'freshwater' morays would eventually turn to full marine if they are to thrive.

Or strong brackish.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

I have read up on basic marine setups and they are way too complicated for me. I have had hermit crabs in a brackish setup, but really I just added salt to freshwater. Would an eel need an elaborate marine setup (liverock, skimmer, etc.) or could I just add salt to a freshwater tank (I mean the equipment, etc.)? I really don't know anything about marine tanks, other than they are much more complicated.

I want to be sure I am able and willing to give an eel what s/he needs before I buy him/her.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

You would benefit form a skimmer. By adding salt do you mean table salt? or Marine Aquarium Salt? I f you want to get a freshwater moray you should start a thread over in the brackish forum. I'd be glad to help. It is not and expensive or difficult setup.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

I have read up on basic marine setups and they are way too complicated for me. I have had hermit crabs in a brackish setup, but really I just added salt to freshwater. Would an eel need an elaborate marine setup (liverock, skimmer, etc.) or could I just add salt to a freshwater tank (I mean the equipment, etc.)? I really don't know anything about marine tanks, other than they are much more complicated.

I want to be sure I am able and willing to give an eel what s/he needs before I buy him/her.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

A simple fish only or fish only and live rock really isn't that complicated at all. Really the only major difference is having to mix your water ahead of time.

 

[simonas]

I have a couple of freshwater morays and have had them for 9 months. G Tiles they are as Marine/Freshwater described. They are great fish to keep and I'd never kept marine or brckish before. they are very easy to keep in my experience take frozen lancefish prawnsetc voraciously and are reasonably active to make tank interesting. I have normal external filtration and add salt monitoring with a hydrometer

 

[spesh]

As mentioned before a couple of ropefish could be good and allow you to have a bit of comunity in there too.

One of my ropefish (the male) likes wrapping himself around my fingers while i'm cleaning, he's a bit nuts really. They are both active alot of the time, especially feeding time although they are not good competiters for food (I have to disctract my other fish and drop food for the ropefish away from the frenzy). They are quite eel like, the missus is adamant they are snakes lol

 

[Aaron89]

GoldfishAttentionSpan,

Do you live any where near chichester?

Maidenhead aquatics there have some awsome eels in their big cichlid set up.

If you dont live near them i reccomend you give them a call and ask for the name of the eels they have in the tank and google them.

I think they retail at around £60 but i would be tempted to purchurse one if my tank was aa suitable size.