Large Fire Eel

[boogie]

Hi. I need help. I was told on another thread that my fire eel may eat fish that I want to get and now I'm upset cuz I don't know what to do. Fire Eel expert, your advice is greatly appreciated.

125 gallon planted tank with many hiding places. 3 tubes, several rocks and large tree root going from top to bottom covering 1/2 tank. So, I give my fish swimming room, but also plenty of covering/hiding places.

I have a large fire eel. Very thick and 24 inches.
1 regular pleco I intend to give to my lfs - about 5 inches.
3 very, very tiny cory cats that you can barely ever see.

I want:

1 centipede knifefish
1 to 2 transparent knifefish
1 to 2 rope fish
1 elephant nose or baby whale or both
1 dragon goby - but heard they need salt and my plants can't take that

I have 6 filters: 5 canister, 1 hang on

I do water changes every 2 weeks, even without all the above fish because I am keeping it prepared for whenever I find a centipede.

I know it is a lot, but I have over filtration - it's the fire eel eating things that I'm afraid of.....

Thanks

 

[Trimax]

You will have no problems with that mix so long as the fish are all reasonable size. Fire eels are relatively harmless and will show no interest in anything over 3 inches. They won't eat the cories as they give of a repellent and they sre too bony. everything else is safe. just watch your knife fish isnt too large as they can attack the eel.

 

[aidenb]

To a fire eel that size ropefish will look like big tasty worms

 

[Wet Whiskers]

I know my guys are lazy bums, but I couldn't convince them to eat a feeder for the life of them. I guess if they were absolutely starving (like hadn't been fed in a week) then may be they'd think about it. But, even when I feed every other day or every two days all they want to do is eat out of my hand. My big guy is at the point that if it falls on the ground he won't eat it, so I guess its how they're used to being fed and the individuals personality. I don't feed anything live usually except the night crawlers that I feed by hand, so hunting isn't in their vocabulary. Just my experience.

 

[gplachy]

I know my guys are lazy bums, but I couldn't convince them to eat a feeder for the life of them. I guess if they were absolutely starving (like hadn't been fed in a week) then may be they'd think about it. But, even when I feed every other day or every two days all they want to do is eat out of my hand. My big guy is at the point that if it falls on the ground he won't eat it, so I guess its how they're used to being fed and the individuals personality. I don't feed anything live usually except the night crawlers that I feed by hand, so hunting isn't in their vocabulary. Just my experience.

Wet Whiskers: How large are your fire eels. How long have you had them. Do you know positively how long they live - for certain? I've had mine since 2002. What do you have with your eels? Mine looks so mean, I put him in 1/3 of my tank for 3 weeks to get him used to new fish - I was afraid he would eat them (but the new fish always came and visited him -it was funny) and then I let him go and now he just likes to hang around in the 1/3 of tank he was confined in, even though he can go anywhere now. He has no interest in eating any fish and only want bloodworms. He really is a cuddly bear, just want to know how long they live. Was given horrible advice that they eat everything and can't keep them with other fish - so much bad advice out there and if you disagree - poof, you are the fish devil or something...

 

[Woodworm]

If the "dragon fish" your talking about is a also called a violet goby please don't mix him in that tank. Violet gobies are a tropical brackish fish. They can live in fresh water, but it shortens their life expectancy greatly and makes them susceptible to many types of diseases.