I don't think this is uncommon with a lot of fish, and animal, species. The bigger one definitely makes a lot of effort to grab a lot of food, but is definitely much bigger. I'm not too worried about it since I'm not interested in breeding, and I'm pretty sure it's impossible to do so anyway. Lol. It has been a lot of fun so far watching them grow from the 4" I got them at to 12-13" now. And, they still have a long way to go. Lol.
Nice to see someone dedicated to their wellbeing and willing to care for them until they reach full size. I don't run into many full size Mastacembelus specimens as it seems people aren't prepared to deal with their needs. Especially nutritional needs.
(went away for a week - she came once, not every day as she had agreed and been paid to do, and dumped a TON of food in - killed off over half my tank )
Thanks for the compliments. I really can't wait until I get a new phone with a better camera though.Beautiful pics
I got my Tire Track and Fire at about the same time, but the Tire has gown WAY faster. The Fire is probably ~10" and the Tire is easily 12"+ (and much thicker). I suspect, as others have said, that they are both females. I've had 3 Tires before - one got to ~35" before being killed by an incompetent "pet sitter"
My Fire is out a LOT more than the Tire, but now I'm changing things around (having removed the resin ornament I mentioned in the other thread), maybe I'll see her more
Will try and get some pics.
FWIW, they both started at ~6" or so, feeding on reg wigglers. Now *all* they eat are nightcrawlers. My old female used to be able to go through 8+ crawlers at a time, this Tire will go through 4-5, and the Fire usually 1 or 2 (at least right off the bat, they may snack on others overnight, as I feed ~30+ at a time - EVERY fish in the tank; synos, plecos, chichlids, all LOVE them).
They'l gulp them down pretty quick once they hit ~8" or so. They do have teeth, so they don't just swallow them. and they can get HUGE (6"-8"). Best tank cleaners you can get - they will eat *everything* on the bottom
here we have a local prawn farm and all our LFS sell prawns year round priced from 10 for $1 to 12 for $2.50. they are usually sold at the size .5-1" but if they don't get eaten like when my bichirs didn't eat them they outgrew my bichirs and had to be removed but they are great cleaners. Here is the sizing chart from the farmNope, I just toss them in and they all go for them
I love eels, but have only been successful with Tire Track - had one Fire before, but he didn' thrive and just wouldn't eat at all. I was worried with this one, but she went right after the red wigglers, and within a month or so was going after the thinner crawlers. Now she wolfs down even the largest of them. (FWIW, I get my crawlers by the box of 500 at my local bait store). They're the Canadian Nightcrawlers, not the European Nightcrawlers you'll usually find online. These you keep in the fridge (they want to be in the high 30s F).
Things will get "interesting" in the tank when I add the crayfish shortly (now that the weather is warming) - we are lucky enough to have a local crayfish farm - *real* crayfish (or crawfish, as so like it) - they type you eat, not the tiny Paper Crayfish you get in the LFS' (same species as the "Electric Blue" or "Red Crayfish" that they always want so much for. I get about a dozen of these for ~$10
(Though they are also a delicacy for my Reed/Rope fish and my Bichirs, lol)
WTF are those! Those long arms are different than any crawfish I've ever seen. Those are some creepy looking buggars.
