Fw Eel?

[SeaSerpant]

What kind of FW eel would be good in a 50g tank?

[dsaundry]

Something in the "Spiny eel family" peacock eels..Depends on what you can find..Just so you know, they are escape artists..also they are not really 'eels" There is really no true freshwater eel but they are part of the family "Mastacembelidae" Spiny eel...hope this helps.:biggrin:

[SeaSerpant]

I know there isn't a true Fw eel but they give you the picture of one. so you know any more than the peacock eel?

[saltwatermaniac]

Have you looked at fire eels yet they get fairly big freshwater fish.
The Fire eel have red markings and is a color full addition the aquarium, as long as the tank is large enough to house this big eel. If you keep your Fire eel in sub-optimal conditions the colors can fade. Getting a Fire eel for a small aquarium is therefore not a good idea.

The scientific name for this fish is Mastacembelus erythrotaenia and wild specimens are found in floods and streams in India, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). The Fire eel has an elongated body that can reach a length of 100 centimeters (40 inches) in the wild. The snout is pointed.

When kept in captivity, the Fire eel seldom grows longer than 50 centimeters (20 inches), but it can grow much larger in captivity if the aquarist provides it with plenty of space and good conditions. House your Fire eel in an aquarium that is large enough and feed it live food, such as feeder fish, mosquito larvae, cyclops, bloodworms and brine shrimp. Many Fire eels will accept flakes and catfish sinkers in captivity, but live food should always be included in their diet. To begin with, a Fire eel is usually very shy and prefers to come out only during the night. If you provide your Fire eel with an aquarium setup that makes it feel safe, it can however become quite an affectionate fish and learn to eat food right out your hand.

As long as your Fire eel is smaller than 15 centimeters (6 inches), you can house it in a 91 centimeter (36 inches) long aquarium that have a capacity of 132 liters (35 gallons). As your Fire eel grows, you must of course move it to larger and larger aquariums. Keep in mind that this fish can grow very fast, and the 15 centimeter Fire eel that you find in the pet shop can reach a size of 1 meter within a year if you provide it with optimal conditions.

The elongated body of the Fire eel has a dark brown color, except for the belly which is light brown to light gray. The body is usually decorated with vividly red lateral stripes and spots, and these patterns can be used to distinguish one individual from another. The dorsal, pectoral and anal fin will also very often display a red edging. The decorative patterns will change as the fish ages, and juvenile fish will typically display yellow decorations that gradually become more and more red as the fish reaches maturity. The intensity of the color will often be affected by the general condition of the fish. A few of the most common health problems among Fire eels are parasite attacks, injuries and shock.

The Fire eel is a bottom living species that likes the soft Southeast Asian riverbeds. The bottom of your aquarium should therefore be covered in fine gravel without any sharp edges, since sharp edges can hurt this burrowing fish. The Fire eel likes to bury itself in the substrate and show nothing but its head. It will however spend a lot of time out of the sand compared to most other Mastacembelus species.

[SeaSerpant]

wow where did you find that? i'll think about that one. Any others?

[dsaundry]

zig zag eel..tire track eel..purple spaghetti eel...electric eel...black spotted eel

try this web site http:www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/div3.htm

I think that will have the info you are looking for.:biggrin:

[SeaSerpant]

it doesn't give me much information but gives me the name so that will help me research it. the first eel i looked at on that page was the fire eel. i will most definetly probably buy that one. thanks for the help.

[saltwatermaniac]

If you are looking at getting a fire eel try aquagiant or big als usually has them.:biggrin:

[SeaSerpant]

wow thanks right now i have a problem with my tank so no new inhabitants.:sad:

[saltwatermaniac]

Oh that sucks I know how that feels:sad:

[SeaSerpant]

my glass fish died on thursday and my pleco died today it's frustrating but it should be fine now because i did a 50% water change.