My Fatty

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Hrm if they're the same length and one has more weight/fatter, I'd say that's likely a female.
 
Great poses! The last series really shows his dorsal spines and color to great effect.

Huge difference in sheer mass between those two. Glad to see the little one is eating well and putting on weight. How's long do you figure it will take him to catch up?

O

The smaller one in this picture is one of the two I've had for a long time. I think he will always be smaller because he always has been. My new eel isn't still in my quarantine tank for a few more weeks. He's putting on good weight but still doesn't even begin to compare to these two.
 
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Love these pics and your eels!

Does substrate color make a difference in fish color with eels like it does with bichirs?
 
The smaller one in this picture is one of the two I've had for a long time. I think he will always be smaller because he always has been. My new eel isn't still in my quarantine tank for a few more weeks. He's putting on good weight but still doesn't even begin to compare to these two.

Gotcha, I was thinking of your newest eel. Still great shots there :)

Also interested in magpie's question about substrate for fire eels.

O
 
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Love these pics and your eels!

Does substrate color make a difference in fish color with eels like it does with bichirs?

Yes, they tend to match the base color to the substrate for camouflage. Before I moved them into this tank they actually had completely black sand and their base color was pretty much completely black. Now, the sand is pretty dark but not completely black and their base color has changed to match it, but it wasn't much. I don't think the substrate color has much to do with their yellow/orange/red markings though. I think those are more driven by food and just genetics.
 
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She's looking great!

In terms of determining sex, are there any secondary sexual characteristics for fire eels? On my TT, there is a small (approx. 1/8" )protuberance at the genital pore which I read was an ovipositor. It's definitely not an internal breeding tube which extends outward when it's time to deposit eggs, but a permanent external organ.

Anything similar in fire eels? I imagine it would be similar if not the same among the Mastacembelus eels.

Or perhaps someone with experience can chime in on whether what I read was correct?

O
 
She's looking great!

In terms of determining sex, are there any secondary sexual characteristics for fire eels? On my TT, there is a small (approx. 1/8" )protuberance at the genital pore which I read was an ovipositor. It's definitely not an internal breeding tube which extends outward when it's time to deposit eggs, but a permanent external organ.

Anything similar in fire eels? I imagine it would be similar if not the same among the Mastacembelus eels.

Or perhaps someone with experience can chime in on whether what I read was correct?

O

I'm really not sure. I wouldn't think anything like that would be showing yet at 13" anyway though. I'm mainly basing the sex off of someone's comment earlier that the females tend to be a bit girthier than the males. To be honest though, I really have no clue.
 
From the scientific research papers I read females are heavier than males and have a bit more girth yes. Other than that, from memory (which is hazy) no.
 
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