Well guys I've been shopping around more gars, but I was driving through Houston yesterday and came across a pet store I haven't been to before. So I walk in and it's not bad. I go to the fish (not a huge selection, but good variety). As I'm walking by I see a tank with about 10 fire eels. I have been interested in fire eels for about 4 years but never got one due to its potential size. Well when I saw the price of $14.99 I almost had a heart attack. The lowest I have found in my area is $30. I left the store without one to make sure I really wanted it. On the way back through I stopped by and picked up the one that looked the best. He's about 6" long. After a rough 2 hour trip back home I acclimated him to my 30 gallon. 3 hours after he was placed into the tank and the very first time I attempted to feed him, he hand fed blood worms!!!! I just thought I had to share how awesome it was for him to eat out of my hand after so much stress and a completely new environment. I'm excited to see the monster he will become!
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- Thread starter Dahawkster15
- Start date
Nice whats your plans for him when hes bigger. Ive never heard of a fish hand feeding fresh out of the store
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I just got a 40 b, so when I get that cycled he will be going in there until he is about 12". Then he'll go in my 125 wide until he's closer to 2'. At the point I hope to have a bigger tank and if for some reason I don't, I will find him a loving home with an mfker. I assume at about an 1" to 1 1/2" a month will give me roughly 1-2 years to either build, buy, or rehome. As for the hand feeding, I thought the same! Everything I researched about these eels told me they were hard to feed in a new environment, much less hand feed! I got a zig zag eel a month ago and I haven't seen him eat nor does he ever come out! So I think I picked an awesome one! Lol
Our fire eel is from Houston too.
He was a good eater from the start.
I dunno where you got him, but watch him for parasites. Ours looked fine when we brought him home, but ended up with anchorworms all over him (was by himself, didn't get it from one of our fish). Took for friggin ever to get rid of them.
Seems like a lot of the stores down there are Vietnamese owned and while they have a great fish selection and good prices they just about ALWAYS use live foods and a lot of the fish seem to have parasites. All the other fish we got down there had internal ones, and they weren't all from the same stores.
Hopefully I didn't offend any Vietnamese ppl, not singling them out in general, it's specifically the stores down in Houston, and probably has to do with where they're sourcing their live feeders and who their fish wholesaler is, and seems like from the similar stock and selections their community is probably wholesaling from the same people most of the time, maybe putting in bulk orders together (that would explain the low prices too). The few non-asian run stores mostly seemed to have run of the mill segrest-style stock, so I'm guessing they don't have access to or know about the same wholesalers or something.
Hopefully since yours eats bloodworms they already had him on prepared and this won't be a problem.
He was a good eater from the start.
I dunno where you got him, but watch him for parasites. Ours looked fine when we brought him home, but ended up with anchorworms all over him (was by himself, didn't get it from one of our fish). Took for friggin ever to get rid of them.
Seems like a lot of the stores down there are Vietnamese owned and while they have a great fish selection and good prices they just about ALWAYS use live foods and a lot of the fish seem to have parasites. All the other fish we got down there had internal ones, and they weren't all from the same stores.
Hopefully I didn't offend any Vietnamese ppl, not singling them out in general, it's specifically the stores down in Houston, and probably has to do with where they're sourcing their live feeders and who their fish wholesaler is, and seems like from the similar stock and selections their community is probably wholesaling from the same people most of the time, maybe putting in bulk orders together (that would explain the low prices too). The few non-asian run stores mostly seemed to have run of the mill segrest-style stock, so I'm guessing they don't have access to or know about the same wholesalers or something.
Hopefully since yours eats bloodworms they already had him on prepared and this won't be a problem.
Our fire eel is from Houston too.
He was a good eater from the start.
I dunno where you got him, but watch him for parasites. Ours looked fine when we brought him home, but ended up with anchorworms all over him (was by himself, didn't get it from one of our fish). Took for friggin ever to get rid of them.
Seems like a lot of the stores down there are Vietnamese owned and while they have a great fish selection and good prices they just about ALWAYS use live foods and a lot of the fish seem to have parasites. All the other fish we got down there had internal ones, and they weren't all from the same stores.
Hopefully I didn't offend any Vietnamese ppl, not singling them out in general, it's specifically the stores down in Houston, and probably has to do with where they're sourcing their live feeders and who their fish wholesaler is, and seems like from the similar stock and selections their community is probably wholesaling from the same people most of the time, maybe putting in bulk orders together (that would explain the low prices too). The few non-asian run stores mostly seemed to have run of the mill segrest-style stock, so I'm guessing they don't have access to or know about the same wholesalers or something.
Hopefully since yours eats bloodworms they already had him on prepared and this won't be a problem.
How would I treat for internal parasites an anchor worms for him? I know spiney eels are sensitive to medication, correct? Melafix? Primafix? Or just salt and and warmer water? What's your suggestions on what to treat him with and how to treat him. Thanks! And I got him from Pet City.
Salt and heat will work best. Fire eels like both, too, so it's even better!
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Ok, will add salt right now! Any other need-to-knows about fire eels is greatly appreciated!
Salt and heat won't get rid of serious internal parasites. I use prazipro, or anything with the main ingredient works. I don't think fire eels are specifically sensitive to this more than any other fish. He's never shown any issues treated at a fairly high dose.
Unless you notice sunken belly, or not gaining weight/growing even with regular feeding, white stringy poop, or other issues don't worry about it. Just something to watch out for.
Anchorworms are actually a crustacean that need to be treated specifically. The regular antiparasite meds won't work. But I wouldn't suggest treating for this anyway unless you actually start to see anchorworms (you will know if you see them - looks like tiny white worms attached to the skin). They're not all that common, and he's the only fish I've ever had with them out of hundreds.
Unless you notice sunken belly, or not gaining weight/growing even with regular feeding, white stringy poop, or other issues don't worry about it. Just something to watch out for.
Anchorworms are actually a crustacean that need to be treated specifically. The regular antiparasite meds won't work. But I wouldn't suggest treating for this anyway unless you actually start to see anchorworms (you will know if you see them - looks like tiny white worms attached to the skin). They're not all that common, and he's the only fish I've ever had with them out of hundreds.
Ok, I will get some prazipro today and begin that. So I shouldn't worry about anchor worms unless I notice some, correct? Thanks for the advice!
No, you definitely don't need to treat for that. Like I said, you'll know if they show up.