I've heard mixed opinions of having both though. Some people say they get along fine, others say they have to grow up together otherwise they will try and kill each other, i've heard that as long as your tank is big enough they won't fight.... ultimately, would it be a bad idea to try it? I would get them both as babies, and they would live in a 210 gallon tank
I'm interested in having both a fire eel and tiretrack eel...
- Thread starter Carefree_Dude
- Start date
I have a 10" tiretrack eel in a 55 gallon aquarium, and from past experiences I have had they are very territorial and will bite at other eels. He has killed two other eels including a fire eel. When I got him I had a smaller yellow tail spiny eel in the tank, and the two lived peacefully together until he started growing larger. I came home one day and he had bitten the other eels tail causing some pretty bad damage. I isolated the smaller eel into a 12 gallon tank, but he still died. Then I ended up getting a fire eel (idiot me), and from the get go the tire track eel chased him all over the aquarium. Tire track eels seem to have a really pissy nature about them, so dont assume that they will get along as a rule of thumb. I did have a firemouth cichlid in the same tank and it would mess with the tire track eel. The tiretrack would chase that cichlid all over the tank but could never catch him, and he would only chase the cichlid if it happened to bother him........it was sort of amusing. I plan on getting at least 125 gallon tank when the tiretrack eel gets larger. They are fun to watch but I dont think they are to social with other eels. Hope this helps.......
I would say.. if your not overly experianced with spiney eels it is not a good idea. I've successfully mixed a few species that are considered "single" species.. but in doing so I've also had to seperate.. and otherwise re-home fish. my success with fire eels was to introduce them all at a young age at the same time. even so it was a bumpy road. with my M.Dayii i recently introduced 2 prior combatants together.. so far.. so good. I treat them like Cichlids.. re-arrange decor, only interfear if one is constantly chaseing the other around the tank. They are very territorial fish. My tire track is a jerk.. and won't tolerate any other spiney eels, period. Some people have had success.. but rarely is it long-term. IMO if you want more spiney's get 2 more tire tracks and introduce them to your current one after a big water change, and re-decoration of the tank. You might have luck that way. But also plan on a larger tank then a 210 depending what species of tire track you own.
I currently have a 4" tiretrack and 3" fire in a 65g (yes, its temporary) and my tiretrack will CONSTANTLY chase the fire eel once he sees it. The only time the fire can come out safely, is when its feeding time cuz my TT is really too greedy to care about anything else then. The fire eel lives inside an ornament otherwise which the TT has already grown too thick to enter but he won't be able to hide in there soon. Sadly, I think I may have to return him and may try getting another 3" fire eel instead. Take what you will from that...