Hi all, I baught two tire track eels about two weeks ago for my fifty gallon tank, I know they will outgrow it but its only their home for about another month until i get them and the plecos a bigger tank. Im just looking for someones experiences in keeping these beauties, you know like what you fed them,what they were kept with,how big the tank was, how sociable they were, etc etc etc... Also are they antisocial to coenspecifics??
Tire Track eels
- Thread starter Zack
- Start date
I had one 12 years ago. It was in a 55 with a green severum, and angelfish, and a pleco (yes now I know how overstocked it was!!!) It grew so long that it could take its nose to the top of the water and it's tail still curled and inch or two on the bottom. It ate flakes, pellets, algae discs, and feeder guppies. It lost it's tracks though. Ended up just looking all one color with a few splotchy stripes. Good luck with them, I think they are really cool.
Oh and it loved to go under the gravel, made a royal mess if the tank needed vaccuuming.
Oh and it loved to go under the gravel, made a royal mess if the tank needed vaccuuming.
i have one tire-track and one zig-zig eel. very cool fish. i have heard they may be agressive to conspecifics, but i don't think this will be a problem until they're much larger. in fact, my two eels pretty much avoided each other, and each claimed a cave at the opposite ends of their tank. of course, they're not the same species, so that might prove nothing! but the caves...they are an important point, you *must* have lots of hiding spots for these guys or they'll hide behind the filter intake, the heater, etc...and be very unhappy. rocks, caves, driftwood, whatever!! one of my mine lives in a small pvc pipe.
i've kept them in a 55g since they were about 2 inches long, and they've nearly tripled in size in a year. they'll be moving to a 125g when i move in august, but despite the eels' size, i don't think they need nearly as large a tank as another fish that might be a foot long or more someday...so a 75g would probably be okay.
i keep them with large gouramis, sun cats, a small common pleco, and a variety of loaches. no problems with any of those fish. in the past i've also kept them with zebra danios, cory cats, and swordtails with no ill effects, but it is my prediction that as they get larger they will be happy to pick off small fish like the zebras, or any kind of tetras or guppies, etc.
food? mine prefer live blackworms, but i'm sure they scavenge a bit, too, because i had my zig-zag for about 6 months before i read about them loving blackworms...i try to get blackworms and add them as a treat once a week at least.
sociability? hmm...mine come out religiously every night, poking around for food. but during the day, i rarely see more than a little mouth protruding from a rock cave or the sand.
very interesting critters though, some of my favorite fish.
i've kept them in a 55g since they were about 2 inches long, and they've nearly tripled in size in a year. they'll be moving to a 125g when i move in august, but despite the eels' size, i don't think they need nearly as large a tank as another fish that might be a foot long or more someday...so a 75g would probably be okay.
i keep them with large gouramis, sun cats, a small common pleco, and a variety of loaches. no problems with any of those fish. in the past i've also kept them with zebra danios, cory cats, and swordtails with no ill effects, but it is my prediction that as they get larger they will be happy to pick off small fish like the zebras, or any kind of tetras or guppies, etc.
food? mine prefer live blackworms, but i'm sure they scavenge a bit, too, because i had my zig-zag for about 6 months before i read about them loving blackworms...i try to get blackworms and add them as a treat once a week at least.
sociability? hmm...mine come out religiously every night, poking around for food. but during the day, i rarely see more than a little mouth protruding from a rock cave or the sand.
very interesting critters though, some of my favorite fish.
No worrys about availability of caves, im a catfish nut so naturaly my tanks are filled with wood,pvc,and slate. mine are about five inches and seven inches and are already proving hell on some feader danios and white clouds. Iv never tried blackworms but have read some heated debates as to wether or not they are safe for fish, so i'll stick with earth worms,bloodworms,brineshrimp,pellets and danios. Im surprised to read that yours rarely come out as mine are out ALL the time, i rarely look at the tank and dont see them. well Thanks for all responding, and everyone else is still welcome to give their two cents. Thanks
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/feeding/blackworms.shtml
blackworms are fine, as long as they're fed live. you just need to keep them at lower temps to keep their metabolism down, and rinse out the dead ones.
blackworms are fine, as long as they're fed live. you just need to keep them at lower temps to keep their metabolism down, and rinse out the dead ones.
Mine liked to dig himself down into the gravel with just his head
sticking up. Very hard to look for sometimes. He also would eat nothing but black worms (live) and they can grow pretty quick.
sticking up. Very hard to look for sometimes. He also would eat nothing but black worms (live) and they can grow pretty quick.
Ive raised a few
Tire track eels eat small live foods like feeder guppies but not until they get bigger for now just try frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp. I keep my tire tracks in a 60 with puffer fish. they are good with any fish that are to big to fit into their mouths.
if you have any other questions i will be happy to answer them
e-mail me at just_me6662002@yahoo.com and i will get back to you as soon as possible
-kristina
Tire track eels eat small live foods like feeder guppies but not until they get bigger for now just try frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp. I keep my tire tracks in a 60 with puffer fish. they are good with any fish that are to big to fit into their mouths.
if you have any other questions i will be happy to answer them
e-mail me at just_me6662002@yahoo.com and i will get back to you as soon as possible
-kristina
Lol, I don't think he needs any info, this thread was started 3 years ago.
I've done the same thing a couple of times.
I've done the same thing a couple of times.