American Eel

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F

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
5,542
20
92
Central Wisconsin
I know that this is repetative, but I need one of these fish for our live fish collection here at UWSP.

If anyone has access to these legally, please let me know.

I am also looking for anyone on here who has them to comment on the experience...so anything american eel related can go here.

We really want this fish for a 8'x4'x2' aquarium we are building now to hold large coldwater oddballs.
 
They are sold at local bait shops - I'm happy to get you one, or several - being bait, they are super cheap. I've had a few short-term, but never long enough to really get a good feel for them as pets.
Let me know if you want some.
 
Ive kept a few here and there. They are remarkably intelligent. They will try to escape, but after crawling on a dusty floor for a few hours, mine never tried to escape again. They will spend time in the filter, if you have a HOB. I fed them almost everything, they loved tadpoles
 
Xiao said:
Yes they will. If they're healthy (you really have to try to kill these, tough as nails) they aren't fussy eaters - if it's meaty they'll generally eat it.
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sweet. might keep a couple this summer just for fun, then. :P
 
Plec123 said:
sweet. might keep a couple this summer just for fun, then. :P
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They get big but IME they are slow growers. Make sure there are adequate hiding spots - larger specimens tend to be territorial and I have lost about 5 eels due to aggression.
 
fwprawn said:
They are sold at local bait shops - I'm happy to get you one, or several - being bait, they are super cheap. I've had a few short-term, but never long enough to really get a good feel for them as pets.
Let me know if you want some.
Click to expand...

Seriously? How are they collected? Just as elvers coming up your streams? Collection of them documented online appears to be fairly minimal. Are you sure these are A. rostrata?

Shenanigans said:
Ive kept a few here and there. They are remarkably intelligent. They will try to escape, but after crawling on a dusty floor for a few hours, mine never tried to escape again. They will spend time in the filter, if you have a HOB. I fed them almost everything, they loved tadpoles
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Sweet - sound like good news. The tank ours would be going in is going to be eurobraced, and have a sump. So obviously the overflows will not allow any fish in, and the holes in the euro bracing well covered.

Xiao said:
Yes they will. If they're healthy (you really have to try to kill these, tough as nails) they aren't fussy eaters - if it's meaty they'll generally eat it.
Click to expand...

The news keeps getting better, now just have to find one!

Thanks for the help - if anyone is able to get and ship me one by legal means I am very interested.

Keep telling me more experiences - pretty much everything I have heard this far I expected or "knew" but personal experiences are always great.

Looking forward to having one of these guys!
 
I used to catch tons of then about 2 feet long by throwing some cut bait in a minnow trap and sinking it off the dock on the river in NH where I lived. Leave it over night and you'd have at least 5 the next day.


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Fleshy - No clue - I don't know where they get their shiners either - I'm sure they are farmed or something ? But seriously, no clue. I'll ask.
Actually, don't know about which species. All I know, though, is that they can be caught here, too.
 
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