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FAQs on Mastacembelid, Spiny Eel
Systems
Related Articles: Spiny
Eels, The
truth about spiny eels; A
closer look at these popular but problematic oddballs
by Neale Monks,
Husbandry of the Barred
Spiny Eel,
Macrognathus panacalus
by Marco Lichtenberger,
Related FAQs: Spiny Eels,
Spiny
Eel Identification, Spiny Eel Behavior,
Spiny Eel Compatibility,
Spiny Eel Selection,
Spiny Eel Feeding, Spiny Eel Disease,
Spiny Eel Reproduction, |
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Substrate for Peacock Eel 3-5-09
Hello All!!
I have searched high and low for the answer to this question to
no avail.
Is Estes' Ultra Reef sand OK for my spiny Eels, Flotsam and
Jetsam?
<Not familiar with the brand, but seems to be a lime-free (i.e., no
calcium carbonate) sand. Should be fine. Feel some: if it feels sharp, no, it
isn't safe; if it feels silky smooth, then it's fine.>
Before I acquired my
eels, I had a natural gravel in my tank that was obviously not appropriate so I
bought the Ultra Reef sand, removed the gravel and put in the sand, thinking
that sand is sand is sand.
<No, not really...>
Now I am reading that a
silica-based play sand is best.
<Play pit sand and swimming pool filter sand
both seem popular in the US, while here in the UK we tend to go for the smooth
silver sand used in gardening. But use whichever suits. The two key things are
[a] it's lime free; and [b] smooth in texture, as opposed to "sharp", which
means something specific in the context of sand.>
I really don't want to
stress my eels any more than necessary so I would prefer to leave the sand that
is in there now alone, but if there is a chance my babies will be hurt I will
remove the sand immediately.
<Feel it. If it feels nice and silky, you're
fine.>
What do you think?
Lana
<Good luck, Neale.>
Striped peacock eel – 09/04/08
Hey,
<Hello.>
My name is Brodie, I just purchased a
striped peacock eel from my local fish store. My water in my 20 gallon long tank
is sitting at about 78-79 degrees, and it has a rock cave, some plants, and a
piece of drift wood. So from my research the tank has plenty of the dark hiding
spaces striped peacock eels prefer.
<Okay. What about the substrate? Spiny
eels need sand or small rounded gravel. In addition it would be good if the
rocks had no sharp edges.>
After I acclimated him to the water he
immediately dove down into the rocks, which I read would happen if the tank is
too cold,
<…no…>
but it's at the recommended
temperature. Also he looks to be a little under nourished, I think the store was
feeding them fish flakes. I read I can force feed him blood worms through an eye
dropper, and this will replenish his health into a sociable tank mate.
<I would not do that… too much stress.>
In the tank as well are 5 tiger barbs
which I read do fairly well with the striped peacock eel.
<This tank will be overstocked in my
opinion once your fish are grown.>
I would like to know if you think him
burring himself in the rocks right away is a reaction to being in a new tank,
<Yes.>
the other fish, or because he isn't
healthy from the pet store? Also I would like to know if the force feeding is a
good idea? If not, what might I try to get the little guy up and running like he
is supposed to act?
<As food try feeding at night when the
barbs are asleep and the eel feels more safe. In the beginning they are almost
always nocturnal, which can change with time and patience. Bloodworms and live
earthworms (nightcrawlers) of adequate from a toxin free garden would be a good
choice of food items to start with. The small earthworms can be fed with
tweezers, just don’t
stress the animal too much. Please read
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/matacembelids.htm (including the linked
FAQs on top of this page) and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/spinyeelsmonk.htm and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/V4I3/Spiny_Eels/Spiny%20Eels.htm.>
Thanks for your help.
<Welcome. Marco.>
Re: Striped Peacock Eel 9/6/08
Thanks for the
information.
<Welcome.>
I have the small round gravel in the tank, and
the eel went right after the blood worm I cut for him.
<Glad to hear. I
guess the feeding issue is solved.>
I have an old 29 gallon tank I can set up
for the eel or the tiger barbs when overcrowding due to the growth of the fish
occurs.
<Very good. Have fun with your new pet. Marco.>
Twitching Eel? 1/9/08
Hi guys!
<Ave!>
I own 2 Macrognathus siamensis (Peacock Eels) and I recently moved them to a
20gal tank. One of them keeps on twitching, any ideas why?
<Quick question: gravel or sand? Spiny eels in tanks with gravel are notoriously
sensitive to bacterial infections. So while this might be nothing more serious
than Ick, it might also be the start of something more critical. The lifespan of
Spiny eels in gravel tanks is distressingly short because of this often ignored
issue. Replace gravel with soft sand (silica sand is ideal).>
I'm hoping to get an e-mail back soon.
<You can certainly hope.>
Thanks!
a concerned friend.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Fire eel and gravel
1/3/08
Hi (Neale, Bob, whoever?) -
<In this instance, a very jet-lagged Neale.>
I have a 6 inch fire eel with a 2-3 inch thin bar Datnoides and a 2-3 inch
kissing Gourami in a 30 gallon tank. The fire eel and Datnoides will soon be
moved to a 135 that is cycling as we speak and eventually to a 300 gallon tank
with a clown knife so no worries about tank size (I hope...). In any case, the
gravel I have in that tank is relatively large, smooth edged gravel (each piece
is about 1/2 inch long and rounded). I also have a fake log / cave thing and a
little ceramic house in the tank as well in addition to a few fake plants. In
any case, my question is will the fire eel hurt itself burrowing into the gravel
that I have? If so should I move all the gravel out of the tank? Finally, would
a fire eel, Datnoides, clown knife and silver / black Arowana be ok for a 300
gallon tank?
<I am 100% against keeping Spiny Eels in tanks with gravel. I have seen too many
of these lovely fish get scratched by the gravel and then acquire some sort of
difficult to treat bacterial infection. The size of the eel likely makes a
difference, but at a mere 6", I'd not take the chance. Adult eels (say, over
18") seem to be less fussed, perhaps because they dig less anyway and will
happily make use of artificial caves and burrows. But small eels are too easily
damaged. I simply can't recommend any small or juvenile Spiny Eel be kept in a
tank without some sort of fine sand. Silica sand is ideal. You will also get to
see your Spiny Eel burrow and hunt for food in a more natural way, surely a
better way to keep it?>
Thanks,
Raymond
<Don't forget floating plants: Spiny Eels are apt to jump out of tanks without
floating plants. That old standby, Ceratopteris, is ideal. With a dense "canopy"
of floating plants, your Eel will spend a lot of time tangled among the roots
where it will much easier to observe than otherwise. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fire eel and gravel
1/5/08
Hi -
So should I take out all of my gravel and replace it with silica sand? And if I
do that will that negatively impact the nitrogen cycle that I have established
in there already?
Thanks,
Ray
<Greetings. Assuming you don't have an undergravel filter, then removing the
gravel and replacing it with sand will have ZERO effect on the nitrogen cycle.
In a tank with canister filters, virtually all the biological filtration will be
happening there, and not in the gravel. Cheers, Neale.>
Advice on
spiny eel, sys. mostly 7/29/07
Hi there!
<Hello!>
I have a five gallon tank with a peacock spiny eel (about six inches long)
that I have had for about four months now. I replaced the gravel that I used
to have in the aquarium with sand about a month after I got him, and since
then he hasn't come out at night.
<Normal. They're nocturnal and very shy, especially when kept alone. I'm
assuming you have Macrognathus siamensis, the most common species. A small,
pinkish brown species with a series of eye spots on the dorsal fin.>
He used to come out every night and swim around a little, but since I put
the sand in, he stays mostly buried all the time. every few days his head is
in a different place, so I know he is moving around.
<Yup. That's what they do. Eventually, they become more outgoing, even
trainable. But a happy spiny eel is a hidden spiny eel.>
But a couple weeks ago I got a snail and an Oto fish to help with the algae
that was accumulating in the tank, and since then he hasn't moved much at
all, and keeps all but his nose buried most of the time. is he happy? do you
think the fish scares him?
<No. But Otocinclus catfish are *schooling* animals and pine away when kept
singly. They're also short lived unless you have *excellent* water quality.>
also, since he has stayed alive all this time I assume that he is eating,
although I have never witnessed it, nor have any evidence of it. I keep a
good number of live blackworms in the tank, and the number seems to dwindle,
but I'm not sure if he really is eating them or if I am just sucking up
allot of them when I vacuum the sand or do water changes.
<Spiny eels enjoy worms of all types, from Tubifex and earthworms through to
mealworms and bloodworms. The main thing is that there is nothing competing
with them at nighttime. No loaches and no catfish (your algae-eating
Otocinclus are an exception). Frozen bloodworms are the easiest staple.
Assuming that there's nothing else to steal his food, your spiny eel will
scarf up any bloodworms he finds at night. You could dump a pile of them in
the corner one night and see what's left in the morning. But really, I
wouldn't worry too much if he's healthy after 4 months.>
could he have stayed alive this long without eating?
<No.>
is there any way to know if he is actually eating the worms?
<Not really. But if he looks nice and plump when you see him swimming about,
then he's eating them.>
thanks so much for all of your help!
Tori
<Hope this helps, Neale>
New peacock spiny eel, sys.,
fdg. 6/2/07
Hi! thanks for all your advice
> I got the eel, he's about six inches long and looks well fed.
no white blotches on his skin or signs or irritation.
<Very good.>
> he is hiding under the gravel in my tank right now, but there
is a cave in there that I hope he will move into when he feels
more comfortable.
<Please replace the gravel with sand as soon as possible. In my
experience, small spiny eels die when kept in tanks with gravel.
The problem is that they try to dig into the gravel, scratch
their skins, and get infected with various bacteria. Once sick,
they are impossible to treat. I have seen this happen so often
that keeping small spiny eels in tanks with gravel strikes me as
a virtual death sentence. Now, changing to sand is neither
difficult not expensive. Silica sand (also known as silver sand)
can be obtained at any garden centre for very little money.
Choose the "smooth" not "sharp" grade for obvious reasons! A 25
kg (~50 lb) bag of the stuff costs about £3 ($6) at my local
garden centre, so in other words there is no excuse for not
buying and using the stuff. Plants love it, as do most fish. The
main problem it causes is getting into the filter if big fish
(like plecs) splash it about. It can potentially become
anaerobic if you allow organic material to decay under a great
depth of the stuff. To avoid this, simply keep it clean, use
Malayan livebearing snails to aerate the sand, or just keep the
depth to a minimum, say, 5 cm (2 inches). If you go for the
shallow sand bed approach, you obviously can't keep plants with
roots, but epiphytes such as Java fern and Anubias are fine.>
> my question is, I've tried both frozen bloodworms and live
mealworms so far, both of which he has left uneaten. he appeared
to smell the mealworms a little, but didn't eat any. I have been
able to find live butterworms, waxworms, and superworms,
whatever those are, are any of these suitable food? or would I
be better off trying earthworms?
<Spiny eels are 100% nocturnal when imported, so be sure and put
the LIVE bloodworms and/or Tubifex in at NIGHT. Remove anything
likely to compete, such as catfish and loaches. Catfish and
loaches are simply NOT at option with small spiny eels.
Earthworms are also very popular with spiny eels, and perhaps
the ideal reconditioning food for helping settle newly imported
specimens in. Once you know the fish is eating, then you can
wean them onto frozen alternatives. To be honest, spiny eels
have to be close to the top of the list of fish that should be
quarantined first so you can get them feeding before being
placed in a community tank. They just aren't, by any
measurement, "good community fish" -- they need a great deal of
special care, and the vast majority of specimens die within a
few months. Although basically hardy and very adaptable in terms
of water chemistry, their demands for sand and live foods make
them among the most difficult "common" fish in the trade. Larger
species, ironically, are easier to care for, being indifferent
to whether you use sand or gravel and being relatively easy to
feed with things like earthworms, live river shrimp, or even
(home-bred) feeder guppies. The small species, including all
those sold as "peacock spiny eels" are simply difficult fish
best kept by experienced fishkeepers in single-species or at
least specially designed aquaria.>
> there were also a lot of small snails in the tank I got him
from, and I was wondering if he was maybe eating those, since he
appears well fed. he looks like he's of a good girth, and
explored all around his tank last night. if he has been eating
snails, are they a good long term food source that I could maybe
raise in a separate tank?
<No, your eel isn't eating the snails. He lacks the jaw
structure for that. Snail-eating fish tend to have strong jaws
and flat teeth for crushing the shells: things you see on
puffers, loaches, and certain cichlids and catfish. Spiny eels
are nocturnal opportunist predators. They have deeply-cleft jaws
that allow them to swallow surprisingly large prey. The smaller
species feed primarily on worms and insect larvae, while the
bigger species are more or less piscivorous (though in captivity
are easily fed on prawns and other chunky invertebrate foods).
> thanks!
> Tori
<Hope this helps, Neale>
Spiny eel system and food
– 05/31/07
Hi there! I found your site yesterday and have read about
every page in it by now! Very informative, thank you!
<Hi Tori. I’m glad you like the site. You really read every
page? By the way, it's good you collect information before
buying.>
My sister knows how much I love fish and so for my birthday gave
me a five gallon tank with a filter and a picture of a spiny eel
that she wanted to get me. I've just gotten around to setting up
the tank (it's been running for two days now, with Watersafe)
and I just added three artificial plants (is this okay since
they will uproot them anyways?) and a cave structure, but when I
asked about the fish themselves I was very disappointed to hear
that they've only been fed normal fish flakes and been left to
eat scraps that fall to the bottom, and most of the eels in the
tank seem very lethargic. <Probably starving.>
Are these eels likely to survive very long? <When they eat
again: yes. If you think about buying one insist that you want
to see them eat. Probably they’ll only eat live food, if you are
lucky they’ll eat frozen food. If they do not eat, have skin
diseases or stay lethargic leave them there.>
Are they worth getting or should I look around for better cared
for eels? Also, if I get them, will they take right away to food
like freeze-dried bloodworms and such?
<You’ll probably have to start with living worms and hope that
they start accepting frozen food one day. Most of mine never
did. Freeze-dried food and flakes will not be eaten by most
spiny eels.>
I haven't found live worms anywhere yet, except fishing worms,
but I'm a little afraid of the bacteria that may be on them,
especially just starting out. <Earthworms or nightcrawlers from
toxin safe soil are ok, too.> The pet stores around here seem to
carry only freeze dried worms, but what is the best? (the eels
are small, less than 5 inches). <All dried foods are most often
not eaten by spiny eels.>
Also, since it's a small tank (5 gallons), is it going to be too
crowded with more than one eel or one eel and another fish or
two? It'd be nice to have something to look at while my eel is
hiding.
<First you need to know exactly what spiny eel species you are
talking about. Some only reach 5 inches, others 3 feet. For even
the smallest species I consider 15 gallons per specimen is the
minimum. See
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/matacembelids.htm and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/V4I3/SpinyEels/Spiny%20Eels.htm
for more information. If you want to use the 5 gallon tank, it’d
be best to consider some other fish species.>
Thanks so much! Tori.
<You are welcome. Marco.>
Spiny Eel questions... ID, sys., comp. 2/26/07
Hiya, WWM. This is Ashley again; the paranoid person with the two spiny eels
named Hope and Doom. <Hi Ashley, spiny eel keeper Marco here.> I'm pretty sure
they're what I've seen called yellow-tailed spiny eels. (Mastacembelus armatus)
<I just had a look at your older mails with pictures and hesitate to agree,
because the second picture seems to show that they have a separate tail fin in
contrast to an unbroken fin. If that’s right, they are not M. armatus, but a
smaller species, probably Macrognathus pancalus (max. 7 inches). Have a look at
the tail fin to verify.> They're still going strong, eating like pigs, and
uprooting my plants. I have been considering "downsizing" in the fish
department, since I have 5 tanks to keep up with now, along with tons of fish,
and many other pets. <That’s just the beginning, you are already addicted…> I
was wondering if the two eels would be okay in a 10 gallon together (alone). I
read somewhere that they stop growing at about 6 inches <Not if they are healthy
M. armatus.>. I was thinking about either keeping them in a 10 gallon, or
keeping just them, the gold dojo loaches, and the pleco(s) in the 30 gallon.
Which would be better? <If they are M. armatus, both tanks are too small in the
long run, since these fishes will get 90 cm (35 inches) long. If they are a M.
pancalus or another Asian species with separate tail fin, the 30 gallons would
ok.> I'm also wondering if the activity of the other fish (various guppies,
mollies, platies, the loaches, and the pleco) affects the eels' activity level.
They are fairly active during the day, and I'm wondering if I take the other
fish out, will the eels' activity level go down? <To me it seems their activity
is high, when the tank mates are peaceful, and low, when they are intimidating
the eels.> Or do I just have some really weird eels? Thanks in advance for your
reply, Ashley. <You are welcome.> Oh, and since they're fairly little, and don't
even bother messing with anything bigger than a bloodworm, do you think they
would harm 2 two and a half-inch Kuhli Loaches? I was told that they would
attack them like worms... <They are probably safe with M. pancalus, but would be
eaten by M. armatus>.
Re: A finicky eel? (no commentary?)
<Hi, Pufferpunk here.>
Ummm, was this supposed to have a commentary on it by one of the crew or was it
just being sent back to me as an exact copy of what I sent?
<We were having some kind of glitch with this email. I did respond to you, but
something went wrong. I'll try this again.>
A recent update: Over the past few weeks I've had a pretty stable setup in my 55
gallon brackish water setup. A nagging problem of how to get the ammonia,
nitrate and nitrite contents down to nothing is my main problem.
<Bio-Spira works wonders for cycling problems.>
I still think that I'm overfeeding.
<Definitely can cause re/cycling problems.>
I find that odd even when I have an entire aquatic garden covering nearly the
entire sand bottom. A total of 9 voracious adult mollies that devour anything
and everything, only judging by taste if it's food or not. I don't understand
how I could be overfeeding with how those guys devour food.
<Food=waste=ammonia=nitrites.>
Apparently of the fry I tried to save, 4 have grown up enough to swim freely
amongst the others without fear. Meatball the Tetraodon nigroviridis has been
growing steadily, and has actually taken to eating whatever variety food I drop
into the aquarium. The two bumblebee gobies seem to be doing well, surviving
with whatever bloodworms they can find before the mollies eat them all. I've had
no problems aside from with a couple of guppies that I tried to add to the
aquarium. When I put them into the quarantine tank, one guppy jumped right out
of the water onto the floor on the first night, and the male counterpart died
shortly after from fin rot.
<Sorry to hear that.>
I had also put in a weather loach, who had no problems at all.
<Loaches are FW.>
He ended up being called Jeac, reminding me of the cleaner shrimp from Finding
Nemo. Jeac just cruises along the bottom vacuuming up the sand and siphoning out
his gills as he goes along.
The entire point of my email is a new inhabitant. The new addition is a spiny
eel ( Macrognathus aculeatus), who originally went into my quarantine tank after
buying him. It was a low salt content setup with a pH of 7.2, nearly
insignificant levels of nitrates, nitrites and ammonia, and had plants to make
it look like it had a use to it. After hiding himself under the sand for a
little while, he stopped trying to hide at all. Not more than the next day I saw
him lazily laying on the sand bottom, taking slow, raspy breaths. He was faded
and his gills were a bright red color, and that's why I checked all the chemical
levels. I couldn't figure out what it was so I risked tossing him into the big
aquarium. I found it very peculiar because in the big aquarium I had JUST done a
40% water change because of a very high nitrate and nitrite level. Even
afterwards the levels were higher than the quarantine tank, the salt was much
higher with a hardness of 15, and a pH of 7.6. Oddly enough he has recovered,
and is much more active. He hides in a log during the daytime hours, and is
constantly out exploring at night. My main problem is that I haven't seen him
eat anything since I got him, which was 3 days ago. I was told that they eat
bloodworms as well, but he hasn't touched any of them when I squirt them nearly
right on top of him, and in the end the puffer and the mollies eat all of them.
Will he eventually start to eat or is there something still wrong with him that
I have to fix to restore his appetite?
<Although I have read in a few places that these fish can be kept in brackish, I
think they do best in FW. A little salt will probably be ok, except for the
fact that you have a puffer that definitely prefers high-end BW-SW. My 2 (6")
adults are living in SW. As far as your eel eating (for all I know, the problem
has resolved by now after all this time... sorry), are you feeding live
black/Tubifex/bloodworms? Or frozen? As these are wild-caught fish they are
used to eating live food. Also, some shy, nocturnal types are reluctant to eat
in the light, so you may want to try feeding after lights out.>
BUBBLES BUBBLES BUBBLES!..... My bubbles!
(P.S. apparently I've become the second person in this entire area to have any
expertise in brackish water aquariums, the fish compatible and especially the
plants that thrive in that water. Looks like doing your homework pays off,
although I have still not yet reached the holy grail of balancing the chemical
levels in my aquarium.
<Sorry to say, those plants won't fair well in high-end BW. If your puffer is
small <2", you still have some time before you need to raise the SG.>
<I hope you get this response--Pufferpunk>
Sick eel please help
I have a Aethiomastacembelus elipsifer Tanganyika eel and it does not look like
he is eating and has gotten very skinny. I was wondering if there was anything I
could do to fatten him up. He is not very active and does not look very good. I
have him in a 55 gal. with mainly a Tanganyika/Malawi setup. I have tried
feeding him bloodworms, freeze-dried plankton, and flake food at night after I
have turned the lights out and the other fish have already been fed. I even
tried holding it in front of him and he will not eat it. He used to bury himself
all the time and now he just stays in one spot out all the time. I am very
worried about him. What should I do?
< These eels are very cool. I saw many different species in lake Tanganyika as
few years ago. They ranged from little small 4 inch eels that would swim around
like little sea horses to very large ones like fire eels. In the wild we saw
them feeding on small shell dwelling cichlids in around the rocks. We caught
them at night in minnow traps using very oily fish as bait in the trap. I would
catch the eel and place him in a separate tank that is well covered so he won't
jump out. Place a layer of fine sand on the bottom and a rock or cave that he
can hide in. Make sure the water temp is at least 80 degrees. I would first try
some live washed earthworms or some well washed black worms. Then I would get
some feeder guppies and throw them in the tank. See if the eel will take the
guppies out of your hand. If this doesn't work then maybe small strips or raw
fish cut to bite sized chunks. In a large community tank these eels are
reluctant to feed because of all the commotion the cichlids create. You eel may
end up needing live fish all the time. -Chuck>
Thanks, Jessica B.
FW Eel for 20g Tank? 7/26/04
Hello
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am sorry for sending you this letter but I have looked for days to find out
about something.
<You don't have to apologize for asking questions, if you can't find the answer
somewhere.>
That something would be that I am looking to buy an eel and I only have a 20
gallon tank. Would that be enough to have a eel. If so you tell me which one
or ones would be good to get. If not could you tell me of something similar.
<Most eels grow fairly large--way too large for the tank you have. The only
smaller eel that comes to mind is a spiny-nosed eel. http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0603&view_records=1 Even
this eel will grow to 6". Eels will only eat live foods, so be prepared to
spend some $$$ on worms & such.>
Thank you
Tyler
I would really appreciate it if you would write back. Thanks
<Good luck finding the eel you want. ~PP>
Large FW Catfish fed feeders...
I just found out you guys existed! Boy I could have used your help a long
time ago. I didn't really have a question for ya, but wanted to tell you a
story. I know you hear this a lot but I was also the victim of poor pet store
knowledge (more than once) and ended up with a Pseudoplatystoma corruscans
(shovelnose catfish). <Cool cat, but very large with a larger mouth> The guy
told me at the store that at about 6 inches the little guy was pretty much full
grown. <LOL> I know now that that was completely false. Anyway we kept the
little fella in our 33 gallon and he is was one of my favorites in the tank.
Loved to eat and has really unique patterns. We were planning on keeping him
till he got closer to a foot long. Unfortunately he never made it that far, he
inherited what I think was a bacterial disease from some feeder comets, <Please,
Please, PLEASE! No feeders unless you're willing to QT them. Garden worms and
human seafood (shrimp, mussels, etc.) is far safer for these large cats.> even
though we wouldn't have had him for very long I was really mad that he died so
quickly (3 months). He quit moving around and had his feelers pulled back to his
side. A usually quite knowledgeable fish keeper told us to just let it ride for
a couple of days, thinking he might just be shedding, <Shedding??? Catfish don't
shed there skin>> since he was the only one in the tank that was sick. He died
the next morning. The other fish I was misinformed about is our fire eel. He
lives in the same 33 gallon tank (don't worry I've treated the tank with Pimafix
because whatever the catfish had it affected our leopard leaf fish, he got some
body slime and cloudy eye but everyone is healthy now) and looking at your
website I found out that he may get 2-4 feet long. The pet store told me he
would be max a foot and a half. Right now he is just about a foot long and
happily resides under a large piece of driftwood, coming out at night and to eat
out of my hand, he loves frozen shrimp!<Great, safe food. But vary it somewhat.>
I was wondering how long it will take for him to get too big for the tank and
have to be given away. <Not really sure.> I'll miss him but it's not fair to
cage him in such a small tank. <True> Will he really get 4 feet in captivity
<possible, over 3 for sure.> or could we maybe get away with keeping him in a
100 gallon or more? <Would surely allow you to keep him far longer. Min.
recommended size is around 80 gallons. Upgrade your plan to a 125 or 150 and you
could have him for life.> Sorry to write you a novel. Pet stores should be
forced to have accurately knowledgeable staff, the losers are the poor fish and
pissed off purchasers.
Don't rush to write me back,
Amber <Don>
Ghosts, Knives and something else
So how many of each Corys and/or loaches? <Say four to six Corys or three or
four loaches. But as I said the loaches will get too big in time. You may have
to trade them in at some point. And what are your thoughts on a tire track eel?
<A tire track eel will get over 2 feet. Recommend min tank size is over 100
gallons. Don>
Nicole
Fire Eel fdg., sys./comp. 4/1/06
Hi Crew!
<Michael>
Hope all is well in Wet Web land.
I have a feeding issue with my 12" Fire Eel. I purchased him 8 days ago
from my LFS and since then I have not been able to get (him or her) to eat.
<Happens... mastacembelids don't like changes... and being "moved" is a
biggie>
(We will assume its a he)............. I have tried feeding him frozen
bloodworms with no luck and have just tried frozen krill even though I could not
find any documentation supporting krill to feed him.
<Some will take... but takes training on to>
He is in a 94 gallon corner tank with plenty of caves housed with a red
empress, Hap Ali, sunshine peacock, yellow lab, pike cichlid,
<These are aggressive species...>
and 2 cats (4" and not sure the type). All fish are between 4-5 inches.
I understand that there is some good competition for food for him and have
found ways around that. I have tried using a feeding stick to spear the krill
and have used the stick which acts like a turkey baster as well to blow the
bloodworms by him. He has had ample time to eat both. My latest attempt today
was to put the bloodworms in a shot glass and to lay the glass in the tank (and
yes, I took the Jack Daniels out of the shot glass first).
<Heee, good idea to both>
The bloodworms stayed in the glass and the cichlids left the food alone. I
left that in there for a half hour and watch patiently to see him not eat.
I have read and re-read your archives and understand that they can go on
hunger strikes for weeks at a time but I guess I would really value your input
on my situation.
Aside from not eating he does look healthy and acts fine.
Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Michael J. Bukosky
<I would try some live worms... likely "black Tubifex" if you could find, or
other... placed in a container as you've done here... but really, the best
scenario is going to be to place this fish in a less-agonistic setting...
completely covered top, with "soft" rounded substrate, diffuse lighting and
soft/er, more acidic water than some of the fish you list prefer. I would do
this move if this spiny eel does not feed within another week. Bob Fenner>
Peacock Eel questions... sys., comp. 4/26/06
Hello!
I just found your site, and it's great! Anyway, I have a few questions. I
currently have a peacock eel and 4 mollies (2 Sailfins, 2 shortfins) in my
aquarium. I have read in some places that Peacock Eels like brackish water,
<Mmm, can tolerate some...>
and so do mollies, but other places say that the Peacock Eel is completely
freshwater.
<Many mastacembelids are brackish... not this one. Please see:
http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=50400>
Do Peacock Eels benefit from marine salt in their water?
<Not much, no>
How much salt should I add is this is the case?
<A minimum amount...>
Also, I have seen a 'Figure 8 Puffer' in my local fish shop, and was also
wondering if this species is a suitable tankmate.
<... no. Too likely to bite the mollies, spiny eel>
I have also heard that they are brackish.
<... please see WWM re>
Any other information about suitable tankmates for my mollies and my Peacock Eel
would be greatly appreciated!
Paul
<Paul... time to read my friend. Learn to/use the indices, search tool on WWM.
Bob Fenner>
Some Questions about Spiny Eels - 05/22/06
Hi,
<<Hello>>
First off your site is very helpful and I have learned much from it.
<<Is good to hear>>
However I do have a problem that I couldn’t find an answer to on Google or your
site.
<<Okay, let's see if I can help>>
I’m new to aquariums and about 5 weeks ago I purchased a Striped Peacock Eel.
<<Read here and at the links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/matacembelids.htm
>>
At first he didn’t eat much (actually hardly at all) but a couple of weeks back
he decided to eat as much as he could get. I would like to know how many 8-10
mm long pieces of earthworms an eel about 7-8 inches should safely consume each
day.
<<Hmm...would think at least 3-4 pieces would be fine. Live Blood and Tubifex
worms would be relished as well, and will add some variety to the diet>>
Also he is outgrowing his home/cave rather rapidly
<<Indeed, can reach a foot in length>>
so should I try to find him a new hideout (the gravel is a bit to harsh for
burrowing) or attempt to possibly put new finer gravel in his half of the tank
(during a partial perhaps?).
<<I kept some of these eels a few decades back (did I really just say that?!),
quite interesting creatures as I recall. A fine/soft substrate is
best/ideal...along with some plants/hiding places...and subdued lighting>>
I want your personal opinion/s as well a reasonable answer/s so that is another
cause to actually Email you guys and gals.
<<No worries mate...I hope I've been helpful>>
Thanks in advance,
Matt
<<Regards, EricR>>
Some Questions about Spiny Eels II - 05/23/06
Wow thank you very much.
<<Quite welcome>>
I was feeding him as much as 8 pieces and before I decided enough was enough and
he still wanted more lol.
<<Yes, can be quite glutinous. Best to feed smaller portions several times a
day>>
However I know they like to hide and that they like "soft" substrate, I wanted
to know if it would be a good idea to change part or even all of the substrate
during a partial water change or add a larger hiding spot.
<<Would depend much on your filtration setup...but I think changing out parts of
the substrate with partial water changes over the course of a week or so would
be safest>>
Thanks again,
Matt
<<Always welcome, EricR>>
Hello! I have an eel-related question.
Mastacembelid ID, Sys. 7/9/06
Hello! I've been frequenting your site for the last little while
once I started getting fish and realizing that what the pet stores told
me was for the most part completely wrong. Your site has helped me
tremendously with my Fire Eel (who I've had now for almost 3 months and
he's doing extremely well :-) )
<Ah, good>
but I've noticed there is a general lack of information on the
"yellow-tail spiny eel".
<Mmm... is sold under a few other common names... Most often as the Zig
Zag eel on the U.S. west coast... Old scientific name is Mastacembelus
panculus, now Macrognathus panculus:
http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=10147&genusname=Macrognathus&speciesname=pancalus>
I bought one of those about a month ago (he is also doing well, so
whatever breed of eel he is, the care is much the same of that of a Fire
eel.)
<Yes>
and he's grown a lot.
<Good... though won't get as large... 9 inches is about maximum>
I got him when he was about 2 inches long. I've looked at various
pictures and he seems to resemble a zig-zag eel?
<Ah, yes>
Albeit slightly yellower, perhaps. Anyway, I've included a picture so
perhaps someone can tell me what it is, or if I'm completely wrong in my
thinking that he is a type of zig-zag. Thank you for your help, and I
look forward to hearing from you!
-Becki-
<Does appear to be this species to me as well... Can make very
interesting, long-lived pets... given initially healthy specimens, good
care, consistent maintenance and feeding... As with all spiny eels, do
pay particular attention to keeping the top entirely enclosed to prevent
them exiting. Bob Fenner> |
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General habitat questions re Mastacembelids, Gouramis 7/26/06
Hi from New Zealand. I’m planning to purchase 3 striped peacock spiny eels
and have been searching the internet for 3 days solid trying to gather
information.
<Is about, but not easy to find... the Net will be much better... soon>
Most sites contradict another one so I’m all confused. I plan to have 9 Gouramis
in the tank as well and two fake rocks that have lots of hiding places, some
fake plants, low watt lights, Eclipse Aquarium Hood, and some walnut gravel as
it has very small smooth pebbles. How many gallons will the tank need to hold?
<Mmm, the "bigger the better"... at least 200 liters...>
What dimensions do you suggest?
<More "flat" than tall and narrow... to provide surface area for gaseous
exchange, habitat for these types of fishes>
Am I on the right track with my plans? I just want to get it right so the
critters don’t suffer. Thank you in advance. Emily
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/matacembelids.htm
and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/anabantoids.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
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