Fire Eels

[predatorfan]

I have a 120gal. 48" long 24" wide 24" tall plywood tank and I would like to get a Fire Eel have been reading up on them and have been getting the tank ready( burying pvc pipe under the silica sand substrate some drift wood and a few densely planted areas with artificial plants i plan on attatching suction cups on the plants so they dont get "uprooted" this will be the eels home no other inhabitants exept for mabie some freshwater shrimp or crayfish or something. I have some questions and hope someone would be able to answer would like to know with this setup how big the eel is going to get and since they are nighttime fish would it be better to put moonlight lighting on the tank or just get some floating plants to dim the lighting i want to try to make it so he /she will come out more if possible. What is the best way to keep earthworms, and get them ready to be fed to the eel do you just soak them in water before hand??? And last what is the best place to get one I live on the Alberta Sask border and I really dont know any reputable fish stores for these kind of fishes.
Oh ya on my tank I have a plywood top with hinges on the back and latches on the front so I think all I have to do is Put some screen where the HOB filters are and the water heaters. Do I need a protien skimmer with this tank size or would frequent water changes be enough and are these strictly freshwater fishes or brackish. Hopefully some one can answer some of my questions and im sure I will have more but for now any help would be appreciated THX.

[nanoreefer]

fire eels are freshwater, i would add more then one eel as they can be vary shy, but they also tame pretty easy mine would beg for food and ate prawns and scalops from my hand, make sure you have a good top i thought i did but mine still jumped out:(, it took mine two years to grow to 16" and they can get three feet long but it takes a long time!, they will probably eat shrimp and crayfish may pinch them they are vary soft bodyed and get fungus easy, if they have a place to hide they dont normaly come out except for food, mine would come out and swim to top of the tank when he saw me comeing, they are great fish to have and even better when they get bigger, but that size tank is a bit of waist with just one or more fire eels, mabie try some bichirs, aros, ropefish, dats or something as well?

[predatorfan]

Good idea about adding more fish have been checking out different ideas 2 fire eels
2 rope fish
3 clown loach
2 discus
would these work in my tank, also its very exciting to hear that fire eels reach 3ft I thought they maxed out at around 22".

[ElGuappo]

Be aware of clown loaches. they get huge. over 12 inches easy.

Edit: i know this is a big tank but i donnot know if you are aware of how big they can get. you may not want something this big in there?

[Keri]

yes they are big but they are such cool fish at that size!! I think a 120 would be fine for 3 of them, they are not "open swimmers" really.