Rubber Eels (Typhlonectes natans ). How common are they?

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Vancouver_98683

Vancouver_98683

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Dec 29, 2010
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I have a rubber eel about 20" plus. Just how difficult are they in our hobby to obtain? I know they are an amphibious species but just curious how well they adapt as a "community fish". I have mine with clown loaches, dats, and the species in my signature.
 
never seen caecilians (their common name) but i did have a lesser siren for a little while, until a hujeta gar half it's size tried to eat it :irked: my siren was pretty reclusive , despite being the largest (only other) thing in the tank aside from the hujetas. As long as it's getting food and is much thicker then any of the predators in the tank it should be fine, but from what i've seen amphibians do best without other fish pestering and competing with them
 
None of my fishes pester the eel. My large bichir, afrowana, clown loaches, datnoids, or flagtail. It comes out from being buried into the sand or being under a driftwood to go up and gulp some air frequently just as a bichir would. Pretty cool sight to see.
 
just keep an eye on it. the hujeta was 5-6 inches, the siren was almost 10, albiet kinda thin. just came in one day and the hujeta had 6-7 inches of tail coming out of his mouth and gave up an hour later, and the caecilians i've seen are pretty thin, i'd be especially wary if he's notceably thinner then the bichirs
 
How common are these? Haven't seen them on mfk for sale or on a web site. Just wonder why.

The only time I have seen these is during my So Cal trip to King's Aquarium few years ago. They had a Not For Sale sign for the black rubber eel they had. Mine is a blue tone with a ribbed "saran wrap sheen" to the skin. Neat thing to witness is when they shed. It's a bright red which they rub on a driftwood to remove like a "male protective" contraceptive. Here's a quickie vid:

[video=youtube;UMVgk2ova14]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVgk2ova14[/video]
 
I haven't seen them in a LONG time! I used to see them all the time when I was a kid. I even had a group of 6 in my 29g when I was like 8. I wonder why we never see them anymore. I always got mind from petsmart.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
I used to have one a long time ago. Really fun to have. I am almost certain you can't get them anymore. I can't remember if they are not allowed to be exported or imported.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Here is a quick vid tonight. It eats like a champ! Huge chunks of fz tilapia and smelt. Can see the bulged just like a snake after a feeding. Not sure how big it will get but presume it will get a little chunkier.

[video=youtube;053PQ4fYlNI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=053PQ4fYlNI[/video]
 
Here is a narrative tutorial of a eel owned from someone else. Saw this just now for the first time. Pretty interesting.

[video=youtube;W2X0NHY1Q_M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2X0NHY1Q_M#t=64[/video]
 
My lfs has lots of these but in display tank. Nasty looking creatures lol

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II
 
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