anyone have a fire eel in a community tank?
- Thread starter PJ1
- Start date
My experience is similar to other posters. I had one that was huge - at least 3 feet long and very thick. He grew very quickly. Kept him with angels and severums and had no issues with each other. After initial shyness became very outgoing, always front and center in the tank. He had great colors, streaked with yellow and red lines and was ALWAYS hungry. He would only eat red wigglers and would eat as many as I would give him. I had to breed my own supply of worms to keep up with him. He ended up getting stuck in a decorative cave and died. Cool fish but very big and hungry.
I saw couple nice ones yesterday, very tempted...do they retain their colouring or does it fade with size and time?
If you plan on having worms be the primary food source for a fire eel, this is the best way to go. I couldn't believe how much mine would eat and always be hungry for more. There are a number of places online that will ship you red wigglers in the mail. You just need a starter batch and give them some time to get established and they will start breeding in large volumes. You need a large semi-sealed bin that doesn't get too hot or cold or too wet or too dry. I kept mine in the basement and fed primarily oats and occasional fruit/vegetable. I would also mix in some flake fish food in order to include some vitamins. I found the trickiest part was keeping the right level of moisture, but the worms bred like mad.
It's been a while, so I don't recall which vendor I bought my starter batch from but a simple Google search will return several to consider (Uncle Jims, Speedy Worm, etc). They all include instructions for keeping/breeding as well. It's really easy if you have the right spot and set up for it. Just don't underestimate how huge fire eels get and how much they eat.
It's been a while, so I don't recall which vendor I bought my starter batch from but a simple Google search will return several to consider (Uncle Jims, Speedy Worm, etc). They all include instructions for keeping/breeding as well. It's really easy if you have the right spot and set up for it. Just don't underestimate how huge fire eels get and how much they eat.
F
fisheb
yea i fed him and my bichir nightcrawlers the other day the bichir ate 3 in about 3 minutes and the fire eel took 2. so definitely will have plenty to eat the worms between the two of them. do you remember the size of the container you used for them? i had like a cooler or something in mind i just want to make sure i cant smell them i have a spot in the basement laundry room already picked out.
I am not sure a cooler will work well for this purpose. I had a large Rubbermaid storage bin with holes cut in the lid and covered with a fine mesh screen, otherwise some of the worms will crawl out. You need the holes for proper air flow. Flatter is better than deeper. You don't want the soil level to be too deep as the worms tend to congregate near the surface, right under the top layer. Anything too deep will create a "dead zone" of rotting materials and make it harder to regulate moisture levels. If maintained properly, there should not much of a smell.
Also, the eel its own very easy to keep but it's absolutely not for newbies, you will have to keep your water in pristine condition to keep it happy and growth well in long term.
