Peacock Eel Questions

[Shrimp Johnson]

Hey there,

I recently made the grevious mistake of browsing fish profiles....and I came upon the very beautiful Peacock Eel. I was hoping some of the members here might have some concise information about them (there are so many conflicting "facts" on the internet, I have no idea what's right ). To be more specific, I was wondering:

Are Striped Peacock Eels the same as regular peacock eels? They have different scientific names (Macrognathus aral and macrognathus siamensis, respectively), but everything I've read online makes me think it's all one eel. Can anyone confirm/deny this and if so, what are their differences?

Also, would fish that range from 2-3" be safe with this type of eel? (AKA: Are they too large to fit in it's mouth?)

Lastly, I've read that they can be quite variable in size, anywhere from 6" to 16". Would one be able to live happily in a 55g?

 

[Surfer]

Hey there,

I recently made the grevious mistake of browsing fish profiles....and I came upon the very beautiful Peacock Eel. I was hoping some of the members here might have some concise information about them (there are so many conflicting "facts" on the internet, I have no idea what's right ). To be more specific, I was wondering:

Are Striped Peacock Eels the same as regular peacock eels? They have different scientific names (Macrognathus aral and macrognathus siamensis, respectively), but everything I've read online makes me think it's all one eel. Can anyone confirm/deny this and if so, what are their differences?

Also, would fish that range from 2-3" be safe with this type of eel? (AKA: Are they too large to fit in it's mouth?)

Lastly, I've read that they can be quite variable in size, anywhere from 6" to 16". Would one be able to live happily in a 55g?

The only questions I can answer are yes, the 2-3" fish will be safe, anything smaller than that can be food. Also, they will be happy so long as its just one eel, like you said.

 

[Shrimp Johnson]

The only questions I can answer are yes, the 2-3" fish will be safe, anything smaller than that can be food. Also, they will be happy so long as its just one eel, like you said.

Do you happen to know if there is a method to help these eels become sociable? I've often read that they're quite shy, would it help to give it the entire tank to itself for a month or so to settle in before adding other fish?

 

[Surfer]

Do you happen to know if there is a method to help these eels become sociable? I've often read that they're quite shy, would it help to give it the entire tank to itself for a month or so to settle in before adding other fish?

I think it'll just freak out once it sees a new fish in the tank anyway. I suppose it would be easier to train though, having the whole tank to itself for a month. I have no methods, but I'm sure there's an eel tamer on this forum I'm only used to fire eels wich are much bolder.

 

[bettaowner]

Dither fish like danios or hatchet fish are an option to make the eel less shy. You could add a couple more eels because they enjoy each others company

 

[Shrimp Johnson]

Dither fish like danios or hatchet fish are an option to make the eel less shy. You could add a couple more eels because they enjoy each others company

Hm...if I went with the dither fish option...are Harlequin Rasboras too small to live with a striped peacock eel? They seem like fun, peppy fish, but I wouldn't want to the eel to snack on them!

If I added eels, how many would live comfortably in a 55g? Keep in mind, I would like to have other fish in the tank aside from eels

 

[bettaowner]

Rasboras would work. You could add about 4 eels

 

[fishfanatic]

I had a peacock eel for a few months and it never bothered any of my fish large or small. Sadly my eel starved to death, they can be very picky eaters most people have luck with feeding theirs night crawlers. Sand would also be better than gravel but I bet you knew that you seem to have done lots of research.

 

[Shrimp Johnson]

Rasboras would work. You could add about 4 eels

Wow, really? I'd imagine four would have one heck of a bio-load If I opted for just two striped peacock eels, would it be alright to add a school about six cories? Or should the eels be the only bottom feeders in the tank?

 

[bettaowner]

The cores might work but feed the eels at night

 

[Shrimp Johnson]

I had a peacock eel for a few months and it never bothered any of my fish large or small. Sadly my eel starved to death, they can be very picky eaters most people have luck with feeding theirs night crawlers. Sand would also be better than gravel but I bet you knew that you seem to have done lots of research.

I'm sorry to hear about your eel I actually already have sand in the tank, it just happened to be a lucky coincidence. Was yours very active before he passed, or more on the shy side?

 

[fishfanatic]

I'm sorry to hear about your eel I actually already have sand in the tank, it just happened to be a lucky coincidence. Was yours very active before he passed, or more on the shy side?

Mine was very shy sometimes I wouldn't see him for a few weeks at a time. He was really neat to have and I wish things would have worked out differently. All the luck to you can yours though