Fire Eel with Clown Loaches

[Pazzoman]

Hey everyone,

just wanted to ask a few questions.

-What is the growth rate usually for fire eels at the start of 5-6 inches?
-Best diet for them?
-Best substrate for them or they are ok with bare?
-How to break an eel from live foods?
-Can a 5-6 inch eel live with 2.5 inch clown loaches? (Not sure on the mouth structure of fire eels)

Thanks A Million

 

[Lady Blast]

My fire eel has been growing slowly, but I am comparing it to my RTC that I had who in 6 months was already over a foot long. I've had mine a few months and has grown 2 inches. He's now between 8-9''.

I never fed him live food, I feed him blood worms, krill and raw shrimp.

I use sand for my substrate. I read everywhere that you must have sand or they will hurt themselves. Mine has dug himself a nest under the pvc pipe that I bought for him.

I have a strange tank right now, I'm trying to get out of goldfish, and I got some biggies in my tank, but I'm switching it over to a freshwater tank where I have a juvenile black ghost knife and angel fish. I have a few small baby angel fish that the bodies are as big as a nickle so they are quite small and the fire eel has no interest. He's shy, but comes out to beg from me as soon as he see's me. I also have 6 bristle nose plecos, and 2 are babies with long fins....they are maybe 1 inch long (body only)....no issues at all.

He will though take an entire cube of blood worms and enhale it, so I know he has a large mouth.

I read in places that once they get larger you will have more issues with them so only time will tell for me. I watched a lot of youtube videos on fire eels to check out what other people were keeping for tank mates!

 

[zukiGS500]

I've never had any issues with my fire eel going after other fish, unless they tried to hang out in his tube, then he would chase them out. He is over 2 feet and fat, and never gives a second look to the group of panda corys that have been in the tank with him for years.

I've kept him in both bare bottom and sand substrate tanks. He did bury himself in the sand a lot when smaller, but as soon as I put in a piece of pvc pipe for him, he stopped. Just get something at least as long as the eel is (or longer), and slightly bigger around.

Night Crawlers (or Red Wigglers if night crawlers are too big) from the bait shop, along with ghost shrimp and market shrimp/frozen fish fillet are good.

If you are having issues getting him to eat the dead food, pick up of those plastic tongs from petco/petsmart and start feeding him worms with it. The eel will soon associate the tongs with food, mine attacks the tongs irregardless of if there is food or not. Then soak a small piece of shrimp or fish with a cube of blood worms for 5-10 minutes in a cup and try feeding that to him.

 

[Pazzoman]

Thanks very much!!! Great read will use these ideas as well as use youtube for guidence as well. I will update when ever I eventually get one. Also I will look into sand vs bare tank through old post for eels but still with add various sizeable hiding places.

Thanks again!

 

[Lady Blast]

Hey cool!

I really love this fish, and I am sure every fish lover would. He's so freaking cute and I love this personality. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Feed meeEeEEeEEeeeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I've never owned a spinney fish before so he's my only knowledge, but his red has been becoming fantastic lately.

My best advice when you find one that you want. Ask what they are feeding them, and then ask them to feed it so that you know it's eating frozen food already. I got ahead of myself with a ghost shrimp eating lion fish in my salt tank and they are 39 cents each here....not cool....kinda pricey. Just be prepared to pay the price with the food. Overall ....he's been a great wet pet and I am so proud to talk about him and get my friends to feed him cubes of blood worms or a krill. ( the women aren't so keen on the krill, clams, etc , etc LOL) I told a friend of mine and she freaked out!!!)

I am so excited to get a bigger tank once he's larger and have him as my amazing pet. He's already making me in love with him, I can't wait to have him for many years.