Eel Stories

[starsplitter7]

A couple quick Eel stories. My tiretrack lives in a tank across from my couch. She stares me down when she wants super. She's hard to ignore when she is about 12" long and almost as thick as my wrist. Her normal fare is shrimp pellets, but once a week she also gets cocktail shrimp. She doesn't seem to have a preferance. She lives in a cave with a ropefish and a spotted raphael catfish and she hates the bichir. Bites him at every opportunity.

In another tank I have peacock eels and a little yellow tailed spiney eel. They are usually hidden, so I feed the tank dry foods first to let the eels know it is time to eat. They come out of hiding and head to the top of the tank. Tonight for frozen foods I had krill and spirulina brine shrimp. The bravest eel came to the top nosed my fingers, nosed the krill and brine shrimp, and swam away distinctly dejected. I felt so bad. I went to my fridge to check again for blood worms. Finally scrunged up the last of a packet of blood worms. The eel came back and tore the blood worms from my fingers. I always worry I'll get bit in the frenzy, but it hasn't happened yet. The eel and my smallest clown loach compete to pull the wad of blood worms from my fingers.

[glenna]

sounds like an entertaining evening!
I do not have any eels and am out of room
but if only I win the lottery or something....dreams about a fish room big enough for eels!

[starsplitter7]

Keep Yellow Tailed spiney eels. They are very pretty, 4-5" long, about 1/2" tall and less than 1/4" thick. They are very peaceful, although I think they would eat very small fry. Mine do not bother BN fry. These guys are even smaller than peacocks, who are also very peaceful except with the smallest of fry. I have kept them with neons with no problems. THey are sand stirrers, so you need to have a sandy bottom and lots of hiding places.

[glenna]

hmmmm...maybe I could get some.
Would probably have to order online as I live in an apparent dead zone for fish. Nice to hear that they would do okay with my other fish.

[starsplitter7]

They are also very pretty, interesting and good dispositions. But they are escape artists, so the tank needs to be closed. I have found eels in my filters. They are pretty hearty. The yellows can be a little shy til they are comfortable. The peacocks are much less shy.

[JonasBygdemo]

I can't help it, I just find eels creepy! They usually have beautiful markings (especially the tiretracks), but they are sooo creepy!

[starsplitter7]

It helps to own the eels. I think of them as water puppies. They are very smart and interactive.

But then I really like snakes, and so eels are a natural. Although the animal that really looks like a snake to me is a ropefish. I adore my little ropefish. He lives with the tiretrack in a cave, and both of them look out of the cave together.

[Crissyloach]

I can't help it, I just find eels creepy! They usually have beautiful markings (especially the tiretracks), but they are sooo creepy!

Hehe! I am with you on this one- they creep me out!!!!!

[glenna]

is it really so different from kuhlis, or even weather loaches??..I have friend who "yukss" everytime I try to show her the weather loach tank.
All these are snakelike, in a sense but CUTE as a bug in a rug when they peep out with their little barbels poking all directions....like a startled cat!
Speaking of cats, if you haven't looked at Glenny's recent post of tank photos, you should. That is the coolest CAT sleeping on the warm light above the tank! There is an especially cute pic of the cat with one ear back, like "no photos, please!"

[starsplitter7]

That's how I feel. I consider my Dojos to be puppies in the tank. My mom used to be grossed out by them, but when she got to know them, she thought they were sweet. Kuhlies look like worms, but I like worms, so I ama difficult judge.

I like eels because of their intelligence and they are interactive. My tiretrack begs for shrimp and shrimp pellets. And my little yellow spiney tailed eel is so small and pretty, I can't imagine anyone who doesn't think they are pretty.