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Fire vs. Tiretrack eel

M

Myra

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Hey guys,


I'm looking to stock a 500 gallon (8 x 3 x 3) with an eel, but can't seem to decide which! The current stock list consists of:


1 x silver aro
1 x giant gourami (gold)
1 x flagtail prochilodus
3 x rotkeil sevs
5 x hericthys bocourti
5 x tinfoil barbs
1 x oxydoras niger

I've heard that fire eels are much more beautiful but that tiretrack eels have got a whole lot more personality- which do you guys think I should go with? Is there any way to go with both?
 
In my experaince you have tehh personalities flip flopped. my fire eels are far more interactive then my tire track is. My fire eels are very active and handfeed, where my TT hides just about 24/7 and the only time i see him is when i drop food by his hide spot. the likelyhood of mixing the species may or may not work. that size a tank it may work if you have a single specimin of each, and alot of hiding spots. as for the compatability of the fish in the tank with the eels. I do not know as I haven't kept many of those.
 
I was leaning towards a fire eel actually but several people have told me that they are extremely fussy when it comes to food and that feeding them becomes a big challenge. Can you tell me whether this is true? Thanks for clearing up the bit about personality. :)
 
I would agree with them. They can be fussy eaters, and are abit more sensitive to water quality. I started mine of earthworms cut up, which was suggested here by another MFKer, and have since gotten them to take frozen bloodworms, and the occasional flake. all 3 of mine hand feed and it helps introduce them to new foods. if its in my hand they have to taste it to see if it's good eating. they where abit finicky at first. and need to be imo the first fish into a tank or at least introduced with very passive fish who won't pick at them. But hold their own just fine after they are settled in. My TT on the other hand was very simple to get eating, feeder guppies. frozen blood worms, earthworms chopped, and now anything else my Bichir eat. But he also hides alot and will eat out of my fingers but darts back to his hideing spot. My fire eels live with a jerk of an oscar and they have no qualms comeing out to say Hi when I walk into the room.

If you want the personality and the interaction, the fire eel is worth the extra hassle, but if you want to avoid the extra hassle I'de suggest the TT which can be interesting. and may become more tame after time, or stay relatively reclusive.

either way they are very unique and interesting fish to keep. just be careful.. they're addicting.
 
I kept both and they were both pretty active. They would both hand-feed at the top of the tank. You can't go wrong with either one.
 
CichlidAddict;3342548; said:
I kept both and they were both pretty active. They would both hand-feed at the top of the tank. You can't go wrong with either one.
Click to expand...

Did you keep both together in the same tank? I'm still trying to figure out whether that's a good idea or a recipe for disaster. The tank is certainly big enough, but would they get along or would they bother one another?
 
MonsterMinis;3342546; said:
I would agree with them. They can be fussy eaters, and are abit more sensitive to water quality. I started mine of earthworms cut up, which was suggested here by another MFKer, and have since gotten them to take frozen bloodworms, and the occasional flake. all 3 of mine hand feed and it helps introduce them to new foods. if its in my hand they have to taste it to see if it's good eating. they where abit finicky at first. and need to be imo the first fish into a tank or at least introduced with very passive fish who won't pick at them. But hold their own just fine after they are settled in. My TT on the other hand was very simple to get eating, feeder guppies. frozen blood worms, earthworms chopped, and now anything else my Bichir eat. But he also hides alot and will eat out of my fingers but darts back to his hideing spot. My fire eels live with a jerk of an oscar and they have no qualms comeing out to say Hi when I walk into the room.

If you want the personality and the interaction, the fire eel is worth the extra hassle, but if you want to avoid the extra hassle I'de suggest the TT which can be interesting. and may become more tame after time, or stay relatively reclusive.

either way they are very unique and interesting fish to keep. just be careful.. they're addicting.
Click to expand...


This makes me want to go for a fire eel more than the TT. The hassle might be there but I'd really love the interaction rather than a fish who hides all the time. Thanks for your help. :) Also thanks for mentioning the bit about them having to be first, that's something to take into consideration.
 
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