Fire eel

[Lhotse]

Hi folks. Have just joined so not sure if this is in the right place. Have a beautiful fire eel who hand feeds. He is in a 5ft bow front. He is about 2 - 3 ft long with a girth of around 2 inches. Is the tank big enough or should I get a 6ft. Many thanks

 

[tlindsey]

Hi folks. Have just joined so not sure if this is in the right place. Have a beautiful fire eel who hand feeds. He is in a 5ft bow front. He is about 2 - 3 ft long with a girth of around 2 inches. Is the tank big enough or should I get a 6ft. Many thanks

View attachment 1428558

Welcome aboard
Yes get the 6ft. aquarium.

 

[kno4te]

If planning to keep the eel for life then will need a bigger tank than current. Older members had big fire eels in 300g+.

 

[Lhotse]

Thanks for responding. Much appreciated. I will start looking for a new tank for him

 

[dlee4three]

How long did it take for him to get that big?

 

[Lhotse]

How long did it take for him to get that big?

About 3 years. He really is quite lovely ?

 

[phreeflow]

Never kept one of these too long but would like a big one. Just wondering, are they predatory or aggressive? Will they try and eat smaller plecos and pick off dithers like rainbowfish?

 

[Lhotse]

Never kept one of these too long but would like a big one. Just wondering, are they predatory or aggressive? Will they try and eat smaller plecos and pick off dithers like rainbowfish?

They can be predatory with smaller fish they can fit in their mouth. They are not aggressive except apparently with their own kind and are quite shy fish. A small bristlenose would be okay but the fire eel could suffer damage from the larger plecos if they are startled and move quickly. I had to remove my large plec for this reason. They do need a BIG tank and I am already looking for a 6 foot or bigger. They can be quite long lived if looked after properly. They will need somewhere to hide. I have a large boat that takes up most of a 5 foot tank. Pipes would be okay. No sharp edges and a large diameter. Mine feeds exclusively on earth worms which I get off the internet.

 

[phreeflow]

They can be predatory with smaller fish they can fit in their mouth. They are not aggressive except apparently with their own kind and are quite shy fish. A small bristlenose would be okay but the fire eel could suffer damage from the larger plecos if they are startled and move quickly. I had to remove my large plec for this reason. They do need a BIG tank and I am already looking for a 6 foot or bigger. They can be quite long lived if looked after properly. They will need somewhere to hide. I have a large boat that takes up most of a 5 foot tank. Pipes would be okay. No sharp edges and a large diameter. Mine feeds exclusively on earth worms which I get off the internet.

Thanks for the info. So apart from what fits in their mouths, it sounds like I don’t have to worry about them attacking anything?

 

[Lhotse]

Thanks for the info. So apart from what fits in their mouths, it sounds like I don’t have to worry about them attacking anything?

I have not seen mine attack other fish and he has has angels and gourami in with him. If they are startled though they move extremely quickly and fish in the way may get a bit battered as he goes back into hiding ??