Fire Eel care?

[phoenixkiller]

Gonna get one of these beauties for my 55, which I'll be tearing down soon(ish).

If you could just share your opinion and a short summary of your experiences with this fish, that would be great!

Got a few questions though.

1. What decor would be optimal? Preferably cheap decor.

2. How deep does the sand bed have to be to be most comfortable?

3. Got some tips and tricks for making him come out more often?

4. How do you secure the lid so that he does not escape?

5. What do you feed him?

6. Are there any suitable tankmates for this amazing creature?

Thank you!

 

[joemamauggly]

in my opinion a fire eel is one of the ultimate freshwater pets but they could easily outgrow a 55

 

[AngelLover]

They are awesome! Be careful if you have a HOB filter, my boyfriend was cleaning ours in the sink one day not realizing our fire eel had made his way into it... He went straight down the drain :-/ sad day. Ours also liked to bury in our gravel so be careful if you siphon your gravel so he doesn't get squished!

 

[AngelLover]

Oh and they loved frozen bloodworms. They will eat like pigs. We gave them lots of places to hide under like driftwood etc... But they were actually very active in our tank and didn't hide much

 

[bettaowner]

A 55 could hold a fire eel for a while but you would need an upgrade. Dither fish like gouramis or barbs would make him less shy. Feed him at night so he doesn't need to compeate for food.

 

[vanimal]

I would say 75 gallons minimum for a starter tank no matter what size. Mine eats frozen blood worms, prawns, and beef heart. They are extremely picky so be ready to try different foods. I have sand for mine but they seem to like caves that are pipe like the best so a piece of PVC pipe would be perfect for a cave/hiding place. As they get larger blood worms should be swapped for earth worms and prawns. At first they take a while to get settled in and they might not eat, if this happens (happened to me for about 1 month) live ghost shrimp are the perfect solution as a temporary food source. Do not try to feed them pellets or freeze dried foods. Frozen or live only! I've never had any issues with him trying to escape my tank or getting into my HoB or canisters. BUT if you have an overflow! Be carful, mine got sucked in and I was able to save him and he is still alive and very healthy.

So ideal habitat- 75 Gallon + Aquarium with sand and a cave or PVC pipe.

Ideal diet- Blood worms, earth worms, prawns, and you can try beef heart but I don't feed it every night. You could also try mussels or tilapia and eventually I think I'll try them too sometime any other questions hmu.

 

[vanimal]

Tank mates should be peaceful. No large aggressive cichlids, they are nocturnal and mine is out at night. He will eat out of my hand and I keep him with
1 BGK
2 Rainbow Fish
1 Rainbow Shark
1 BN Pleco
1 Common Pleco
1 Eclipse Catfish
2 Pangasius Catfish
1 Fire Eel
1 Silver Dollar
3 Blood Parrots
2 Angels
1 Dwarf Gourami
1 Senegal Bichir
1 Red Bellied Pacu

 

[vanimal]

If you can't get a larger tank then a Peacock Eel would be a much better choice and could live for life in a 55.