If you want something thats not going to be "Advanced" keeping imo I would go with a Tire track.. like Ray broke it down while they are abit more reclusive then fires generally they tend to adapt to tank life much more readily. I would also suggest a tire track if you're keeping a more aggressive community of fish, Fires are generally gentle giants. there are exceptions but my fires did not do well with cichlids, while my tire track had little difficulty fitting in.
Also fire eels, and armatus tire tracks both are huge fish.. 30"+ is easily attainable imo if properly cared for. There are members on here with specimins of both species larger then 3' in iir 300+ gallon set-ups. a healthy fish of either of the 2 larger species can and willg row 1" or more per month when well fed and cared for, these fish will eat alot their first year.
On that note.. I would suggest a favrus ( patterned belly TT) or M dayii ( Black leopard eel) if you want something that will get good sized but not quite so beastly. You can expect these species to get in the 24" range in captivity, I have one that is roughly 20" at 2yrs. had her since she was about 5". I don't have much experiance with Favrus but there are a few around that have kept them long-term very suffessfully.
What SA species are you planning on keeping with them? I ask because some species are just bad tank-mates for spineys period.
If you do want a fire eel, be prepared for a fish that may never take prepared foods and may require live nightcrawlers it's entire life. though most do take to frozen krill, fish fillets, ect... many refuse to eat anything but nightcrawlers ( as is my experiance) reguardless of what spiney you go with I would also strongly suggest QT with live blackworms, and a round of Prazi-pro before adding it to any other set-up. Most spineys come in emmaciated and in poor health. often full of gill flukes and/or worms. I have never lost a spiney eel useing this QT method/husbandry practice. I free feed live black worms until they are around the 10" range and able to start eating cut up nightcrawlers, at this point I also introduce frozen krill, and other things. Or around 3monthes in my care.
Spiney eels generally jump for a few reasons. insufficent security places to hide, you can have a tank packed with hide spots but if the eel doesn't feel secure they will keep looking for a secure place. Poor water quality, these fish do not like excessively high nitrates and any change in water chemistry may stress them out and cause them to seek "greener pastures". to much aggression from tank-mates. And in a more simplified nutshell, Stress. A spiney that readily swims around it's tank and pokes its head out when you enter the room to see if you have food is likely an eel not going to try to jump.
Alot of people reccomed tapeing up your tank ect.. i personally do not. After the initial settling in period if your spiney is trying to jump out it needs its needs met better, because eventually it will find a way out. Ive had spineys jump, only once was it a random occurance. The rest where compleatly avoidable and it was my fault for not being more aware of the tank.
sorry if i was abit jumbled.
Also fire eels, and armatus tire tracks both are huge fish.. 30"+ is easily attainable imo if properly cared for. There are members on here with specimins of both species larger then 3' in iir 300+ gallon set-ups. a healthy fish of either of the 2 larger species can and willg row 1" or more per month when well fed and cared for, these fish will eat alot their first year.
On that note.. I would suggest a favrus ( patterned belly TT) or M dayii ( Black leopard eel) if you want something that will get good sized but not quite so beastly. You can expect these species to get in the 24" range in captivity, I have one that is roughly 20" at 2yrs. had her since she was about 5". I don't have much experiance with Favrus but there are a few around that have kept them long-term very suffessfully.
What SA species are you planning on keeping with them? I ask because some species are just bad tank-mates for spineys period.
If you do want a fire eel, be prepared for a fish that may never take prepared foods and may require live nightcrawlers it's entire life. though most do take to frozen krill, fish fillets, ect... many refuse to eat anything but nightcrawlers ( as is my experiance) reguardless of what spiney you go with I would also strongly suggest QT with live blackworms, and a round of Prazi-pro before adding it to any other set-up. Most spineys come in emmaciated and in poor health. often full of gill flukes and/or worms. I have never lost a spiney eel useing this QT method/husbandry practice. I free feed live black worms until they are around the 10" range and able to start eating cut up nightcrawlers, at this point I also introduce frozen krill, and other things. Or around 3monthes in my care.
Spiney eels generally jump for a few reasons. insufficent security places to hide, you can have a tank packed with hide spots but if the eel doesn't feel secure they will keep looking for a secure place. Poor water quality, these fish do not like excessively high nitrates and any change in water chemistry may stress them out and cause them to seek "greener pastures". to much aggression from tank-mates. And in a more simplified nutshell, Stress. A spiney that readily swims around it's tank and pokes its head out when you enter the room to see if you have food is likely an eel not going to try to jump.
Alot of people reccomed tapeing up your tank ect.. i personally do not. After the initial settling in period if your spiney is trying to jump out it needs its needs met better, because eventually it will find a way out. Ive had spineys jump, only once was it a random occurance. The rest where compleatly avoidable and it was my fault for not being more aware of the tank.
sorry if i was abit jumbled.
