spiny eels...

[Acer]

has anyone ever owned or own a spiny eel? i was doing some reading and 1 know that name is just a classification for the many species but written profiles and hands on experiancemight differ.. i was planning on getting one or two for my 55 gal...

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I currently have 2, but previously had 4. Two would be perfectly fine in a 55 gal tank. Just make sure you have a sand substrate (or smooth gravel) and your plants do not reach the top of the tank. If they do, make sure you have enough cover. I haven't had any eels squirm out of my tank yet, but I also don't have any holes for them to get out of the tank into. I never see mine eat, so trying to get them to eat is the key. But we've had them for over a year, so they must be eating something. They mostly come out of the sand at night when all the other fish are sleeping. That's not to say that they are nocturnal (not sure if they are or not). Mine usually hang in the greenery during the day, or burrow. Then at night they are out swimming around the tank. Really cool to watch.

 

[Toirtis]

I currently have 2, but previously had 4. Two would be perfectly fine in a 55 gal tank.

Except for fire eels, which will eventually exceed 40" long and be far too large for a 55.


I have 12 spiny eels myself, 2 barred yellow, 2 peacock, 2 tyretrack, 2 zig-zag, 2 fire, and two striped peacocks. Most of mine hide out most of the day, but are often active in the eveing an hour or two before the lights go out. Mine relish anything 'wormy' (blackworms, bloodworms, small earthworms) and FW mysid shrimp especially, but go after most frozens foods and small live feeder guppies.

 

[TomK2]

I like them. They are escape artists. I have found them in my HOB filters, they swam up the output strream to get in there. One even swam in a canister filter outflow and met its demise at the impeller. They usually will eat frozen bloodworms, the trick is getting enough past the other fish and down to them till they figure it all out.

 

[Acer]

yah i think on friday im going to pick one up from a pet shop named Julies Pet's.. in general are these eels hardy? the store doesnt have a return policy.. they're not too expensive about 5.99 each.. and are about 4-6 inches long.. i was thinking about putting it in my 29 while my 55 cycles. i guess im gonna have to get a piece of pvc for it to hide in because i have regular gravel, but in my 55 i plan on using pfs.. is there a way of sexing them? i dont really care too much on breeding but worry more about male 2 male aggression.. would that be a problem>? sorry for being so long winded but i like to have at least some knowledge before i buy , that way i dont get freaked out or worried if something strange happens.// thanks guys

 

[Toirtis]

Fairly hardy, and sexing is pretty difficult at the best of times.

 

[Acer]

yah.. finally went out a bought one.. the one i got is a pretty good size, i would say about 7-9 inches long.. very intersesting fish.. i still havent figured out what kind it is. the petshop owner said they dont get any bigger than that and kept calling it a standard spiny eel, looks light brown almost yellowish and has a pointy mouth.. any ideas?? 8)

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Does it have peacock spots on the end of its tail/body?

 

[Toirtis]

Pattern? At 7"-9", I am already thinking tyretrack...

 

[Acer]

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddbal287.jpg
looks more like this?? iw will be posting some pics when i get home from work today, i've tried reading up on these eels but just get confused at the many many contridictions there are online.. maybe you can help?[/img]

 

[LydiaGreen]

I found a website with that EXACT pic and they are calling it a starry night eel
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgu...&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-38,GGLG:en&sa=N

But, googling starry night eel results in zip. I've asked another forum (specializing in odd balls) and posted the pic. Maybe starry night is another common name for tyre track?

 

[LydiaGreen]

AHA -- found a website that stated the scientific name for starry night spiny eel is Mastacembelus armatus - ie. tire track or zigzag eel (websites are reading as though tire track and zigzag are the same thing).

Is a 55 big enough for a fish that could reach 30+ inches?

 

[Acer]

i have no clue really.. like i said i was doing some reading and all the info was sooo confusing.. i thought maybe this was a zig-zag?? wich looked like they dont get bigger than 8 inches??

 

[Toirtis]

Taxa on the 'starry night' seems to be a bit inconclusive....it may well be just a form of tyretrack, but I am not sure...I have yet to obtain one, and they have only been offered in the LFSes for a couple of years now.

If it does indeed get 32"+, it will also be quite thick, and far too large for a 55.

 

[Acer]

what would be a good size for it?

 

[Toirtis]

I would go 90G.

 

[Acer]

everytime i go to petsmart to but supplies i look at a 110 gallon long they have.. very nice.. maybe i should start dropping hints huh.. christmas is only 3 months away..

 

[FUBAR]

I had a tire track eel years ago. If I had to guess, I'd say it grew to about 8". Never got any bigger.

 

[oscarbreeder]

Heres a pic of one of my two.

 

[Acer]

this is a pic of one of the eels.. did i tell you guys i have 2 now? i thought i lost one because i did a pwc and couldnt find it anywhere, i moved all my gravel around.. or i thought i did, looked inside all the ornaments and nothing.. i have lost a crab like that before so for sure i thought it was a goner.. i cleaned the whole house and didnt find it, i gave up and left it for dead, so last night i go out and buy one before i went to pick my girlfriend up from work, i acclimate it and everything and put it in my 10 gal where the other one was.. so today i come home from work and go to take a pic to post on here and what do i see.. not one but TWO!! spiny eels foraging for food.. so now im stuck with 2 for the time being.. thats what i get for trying to be sneaky.. huh.. all the ladys are probably laughing at me right now.. 8)