New to the hobby, the forum, and Fire Eels!

[Celestevan]

Hello all,

My name is Celeste and I am new to this forum as of yesterday. I apologize for the lengthy post and appreciate any responses in advance. I am new to the hobby and have been "gifted" with a new Fire Eel and Oto. This would be amazing IF I didn't only have a 15 gallon tank. . SO, here is my fish log:

In September/October of 2010 I started up my first 15 gallon planted aquarium. I used Tetra SafeStart and had my tank cycled in exactly 14 days (tested with API Freshwater Master Kit). I researched all the materials needed and this is what I ended up with: for substrate I have EcoComplete, I decided against ADA just due to cost in the area; I have a AquaClear 20, purchased at PetsMart, and a Aqua-Tech 15, which came with a cheap 5 gallon tank from Walmart (QT tank); a Marineland Steal Pro Heater 50w, which so far has done me fairly well; and a cheap fluorescent light that came with the tank.

After cycling my tank I added 3 Pygmy Corys and a Clown Pleco. Once they were established and doing well I decided to add 2 more Corys and my Betta to the tank (I did my research before doing this and the merge went well). As for Flora, the only plant I currently have in the tank are Ceratopteris thalictroides. As of now I have not experienced any casualties.

So pretty much close to stocked, my plan was to get a group of Kuhli Loaches and move my Betta out of the tank into either the 5 gallon, or a brand new tank. Well, after showing my friend videos of the Kuhli Loach, he decided that it would be a good idea to get something similar for Christmas.

Now I currently have a 12cm (approximately 5 inch) Fire Eel in my 15 gallon tank (Betta has been removed and is now in the 5 gallon tank - I did not quarantine as I felt bad keeping the Eel in a 5 gallon tank with course gravel and no hiding places). I was previously posting on Fishlore, but after searching for Fire Eel information I found myself here, thankfully! So here come the questions:

• 1. IF. . and this is a fairly large if . . I decide to keep the Fire Eel, I would plan on getting him in a 150 gallon tank that my dad has in his garage, OR I would purchase him a new 40 gallon Breeder or 75 gallon tank from Petco next month (I talked to the manager at my Petco and was informed that they will be having the dollar per gallon sale starting January on those particular tanks). From what research I have done in the past 24 hours I understand that they do grow quite large and need apt space. My question is, because I still have to cycle whichever tank I get for him, will he be okay in the 15 gallon until then?? I know cycling a larger tank can sometimes take months, but I've never dealt with it before so I'm unsure of the time frame.
• 2. The fire eel seems to have acclimated fine to the tank and has found multiple hiding spots and has buried himself completely (besides half of his head). I have been trying to feed bloodworms, but I'm unsure if he is actually eating as he is still fairly skittish. Is there a better food that I can offer him that he may accept more readily?
• 3. WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?! He is very, very beautiful, but I just don't know if I'm equipped to take him (or her) in. Cost is not an issue, but size may pose a problem. I will be making am move come January 2012, therefore the smaller the tank (around 75 gallons max) would be better for me until I make my final move. What do you think?? Is this adequate?
• 4. Lastly, the Fire Eel looks healthy, but one thing I did notice immediately was his snout. Between his head and his bristles at the tip of his nose, it appears to be thinner and whiter than other Fire Eel pictures I've seen. It does not look like fungus to me, nor Ich. Any ideas? I will try and post pictures if I can.

Once again, I am sorry for the novel of a post I just wrote. I just want to ensure that I am doing the right thing for the fish and not causing him/her harm. If bringing him to a pet store would be best then I will definitely do that, but if I can accommodate his needs then I will try to give him the best home possible.

 

[SCGeordie]

First, welcome to MFK (nice to see I'm not the only one on here in the middle of the night!).
Sorry I can't be much help with your Fire Eel questions, but you will definitely get answers here (as soon as the lazy bu%$rs get out of their beds).
Nice to see someone actually researching their new hobby (i'm new as well having bought my first tank (46g Bowfront) only a couple of months ago. I now have a 6g (male Endlers, 5g male EndlerxGuppy hybrids, 10g Female Endlers and fry/juvies and my 46g Community, reckon by around Feb 2011 I'll be looking for a bigger house the way my collection is growing - I have another 2 10g tanks (Endler Breeding), a 20g long (Endler Growout) a 40g Breeder (undecided) and a 50g Seaclear System II (possibly Discus) all waiting for me to finish painting my new 'Fish room/Office'. Now that I just read about Petco having a dollar a gallon sale in Jan (Thank You) I can hear my wallet sobbing and credit cards running to find hiding places!
Anyway, sorry I couldn't help answer your q's but welcome to MFK, again.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Welcome to MFK... I CAN help you with the fire eel questions, I have a good amount of experience with them. My responses will be in red...

Hello all,

My name is Celeste and I am new to this forum as of yesterday. I apologize for the lengthy post and appreciate any responses in advance. I am new to the hobby and have been "gifted" with a new Fire Eel and Oto. This would be amazing IF I didn't only have a 15 gallon tank. . SO, here is my fish log:
Definitely NOT a beginners fish, but that doesn't mean they can't be kept by a beginner successfully.

In September/October of 2010 I started up my first 15 gallon planted aquarium. I used Tetra SafeStart and had my tank cycled in exactly 14 days (tested with API Freshwater Master Kit). I researched all the materials needed and this is what I ended up with: for substrate I have EcoComplete, I decided against ADA just due to cost in the area; I have a AquaClear 20, purchased at PetsMart, and a Aqua-Tech 15, which came with a cheap 5 gallon tank from Walmart (QT tank); a Marineland Steal Pro Heater 50w, which so far has done me fairly well; and a cheap fluorescent light that came with the tank.
You should ideally keep spiny eels on sand substrates, as they can scratch themselves on gravel and this can lead to bacterial and fungal infections, which they are prone to.

After cycling my tank I added 3 Pygmy Corys and a Clown Pleco. Once they were established and doing well I decided to add 2 more Corys and my Betta to the tank (I did my research before doing this and the merge went well). As for Flora, the only plant I currently have in the tank are Ceratopteris thalictroides. As of now I have not experienced any casualties.
Good. I love corys.
So pretty much close to stocked, my plan was to get a group of Kuhli Loaches and move my Betta out of the tank into either the 5 gallon, or a brand new tank. Well, after showing my friend videos of the Kuhli Loach, he decided that it would be a good idea to get something similar for Christmas.
I love kuhlis... especially when you have a TON of them, when I worked at a wholesaler that carried them we would have tanks of over 100 and you could walk by and lightly tap the glass and the would squirm EVERYWHERE. Quite entertaining (not something we did often, mind you!).
Now I currently have a 12cm (approximately 5 inch) Fire Eel in my 15 gallon tank (Betta has been removed and is now in the 5 gallon tank - I did not quarantine as I felt bad keeping the Eel in a 5 gallon tank with course gravel and no hiding places). I was previously posting on Fishlore, but after searching for Fire Eel information I found myself here, thankfully! So here come the questions:
In my opinion this is the best fish site on the internet.... MANY experts post here. Although not everyone is an expert, be careful who you listen to, make sure they know what they are talking about.

• 1. IF. . and this is a fairly large if . . I decide to keep the Fire Eel, I would plan on getting him in a 150 gallon tank that my dad has in his garage, OR I would purchase him a new 40 gallon Breeder or 75 gallon tank from Petco next month (I talked to the manager at my Petco and was informed that they will be having the dollar per gallon sale starting January on those particular tanks). From what research I have done in the past 24 hours I understand that they do grow quite large and need apt space. My question is, because I still have to cycle whichever tank I get for him, will he be okay in the 15 gallon until then?? I know cycling a larger tank can sometimes take months, but I've never dealt with it before so I'm unsure of the time frame.

150 gallon is the way to go. You could keep him in a 75 for a while, but he is going to need the 150 eventually anyway, so might as well just set it up now. He will be OK in the 15 gallon for a month or two, but the sooner you move him the better. Keep the nitrates in your tank low.
I haven't found larger tanks to take any longer to cycle than smaller tanks... my 125 actually cycled faster than my 20. I've honestly, after many trials and errors, mostly given up on fishless cycling, and use Seachem Stability as a cycling aid. Tetra safe start is good too, I've cycled with it as well, but Stability is my favorite... you will find a lot of misinformation about cycling products on the web, and a lot of people say Safestart is the only one that works... I've simply found this to be untrue. You can also use Seachem Prime with Stablity (Prime kills safestart) to neutralize and ammonia or nitrite. I've never even come close to losing a fish from cycling with it, and I've cycled 5 tanks with it.

• 2. The fire eel seems to have acclimated fine to the tank and has found multiple hiding spots and has buried himself completely (besides half of his head). I have been trying to feed bloodworms, but I'm unsure if he is actually eating as he is still fairly skittish. Is there a better food that I can offer him that he may accept more readily?

This can actually be an indication he doesn't have enough hiding spots. Try giving him pvc pipe to hide in... just normal pvc pipe from a hardware store.
Bloodworms are good, some eels love them, others not so much. Other good food for small fire eels are frozen krill, and chopped up earthworms from the garden (pesticide free garden please, and washed first). They very rarely take pellets. A good way to "target" feed them is to push the frozen cube of bloodworms (assuming they're frozen) into the substrate directly, so it thaws and creates a pocket of worms in the substrate. Try this near where he normally hangs out and then turn the lights off.

• 3. WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?! He is very, very beautiful, but I just don't know if I'm equipped to take him (or her) in. Cost is not an issue, but size may pose a problem. I will be making am move come January 2012, therefore the smaller the tank (around 75 gallons max) would be better for me until I make my final move. What do you think?? Is this adequate?

So about a year from now? I would seriously consider just setting up the 150... it's really not as hard as it seems, and we are here to walk you through it. A big tank is just so much more stable. But, a 75, with heavy duty filtration and a lot of water changes, would probably work for a year MAX.

• 4. Lastly, the Fire Eel looks healthy, but one thing I did notice immediately was his snout. Between his head and his bristles at the tip of his nose, it appears to be thinner and whiter than other Fire Eel pictures I've seen. It does not look like fungus to me, nor Ich. Any ideas? I will try and post pictures if I can.

It's very common for fire eels introduced in to a new environment to push their nose against the sides of the tank. I don't know why they do it, but I'd seriously wager that's what you're seeing.
Once again, I am sorry for the novel of a post I just wrote. I just want to ensure that I am doing the right thing for the fish and not causing him/her harm. If bringing him to a pet store would be best then I will definitely do that, but if I can accommodate his needs then I will try to give him the best home possible.
You gotta consider some idiot might get him at a pet store, and throw him in an even worse environment. If you go that route, I'd try to find him a proper home through our buy/sell section or even craigslist... maybe you have an aquarium club near where you live? That might be another option.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Welcome!

 

[DMasker]

I agree with Aclockworkorange, we got our fire eels around the same time and we both learned a lot before hand and after we got them. If you make them happy, they will make you happy.

 

[Celestevan]

Thank you every one for the welcomes.

Aclockworkorange:

150 gallon it is then! Will that most likely maintain him for his lifetime or will he eventually need an upgrade? As for the cycling, I did have trouble timing the use of Prime with the Tetra Safestart with my 15 gallon. According to TTS I had to wait at least 24 hours after using Prime to use Safestart, but me and my paranoia had to give it at least 72 hours or so to ensure it didn't mess with the bacteria. Water changes were a scary thing as well.

Yes, my plan was to set up a 75 gallon here then switch him to the 150 gallon when I moved in a year. If the 150 gallon would be better overall though, then that is the way I'm going to go from the start. Would a 150 gallon aquarium only home him or would it allow other fish?

Hopefully his nose will get better. As for the EcoComplete, do you think that is too rough for him for the time being? I currently have plants in that tank and would hate to have to uproot them and move them into sand for a couple weeks. I'll make sure his tank contains a fine sand substrate though.

What is your opinion on Rimless tanks?? I just fell in love with this 175 Square (Rimless) 48 x 48 x 16 Tall tank. Would a long aquarium be better suited for him so he has room to swim??