American Eels (anguilla Rostrata)

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Recently bought 5 at a bait shop for 5 bucks! Anything I should know? I was planning on only keeping 2. I am likely going to put on in my mother's pond since she does not do well with goldfish. They do not fare well when going from 30 degrees to 80 degrees in 24 hrs. How do I determine their sexes? I obviously want a female for my mother's pond. Also their is a rather old pleco in the pond. Will the pleco try and feed on the eel's mucus membrane and irratate it? Additionally I have no real clue what species/sex on of my bigger eels is. What is the difference between American and European Eels? This one eel has way bigger eyes an a shorter snout.

 

[england]

http/aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20American%20Eels.htm

Plecs could go one of two ways....yes the very well may chow down on the mucus or leave well alone

 

[nmonks]

I have kept Anguilla anguilla, and my simple opinion here would be "why"? True eels are large, predatory, nocturnal escape artists that won't do anything much in a pond. Seriously, it'll either vanish into the mud or slither away next time there's a rainy night.

If you're going to keep a true eel, the best thing is to keep it in an aquarium where you can at least observe it. Do not fill the aquarium more than half full! Provide basic filtration but no heating, the maximum safe temperature being 16 degrees C (60 F) according to Sterba. Decorate the tank with sand and install a few hiding places in the form of ceramic pipes or equivalent. Keep the tank firmly covered. Feed every other day on earthworms, river shrimps, and meaty foods such as squid and lancefish. They are extremely aggressive and should not be combined with anything else. Sexing the freshwater stage in this eels life cycle is, I believe, impossible because they do not develop any sexual characteristics until they are in the sea. Sterba reports one European eel living for 90 years in aquaria!

In terms of biology, American and European eels are identical, and for a while it was believed they were the same species, but with different numbers of vertebrate because the juveniles experienced different conditions as they swam from the deep sea breeding grounds into freshwater rivers. While I think that theory has now been dropped, they are for all intents and purposes identical fish.

Cheers, Neale

Recently bought 5 at a bait shop for 5 bucks! Anything I should know? I was planning on only keeping 2. I am likely going to put on in my mother's pond since she does not do well with goldfish. They do not fare well when going from 30 degrees to 80 degrees in 24 hrs. How do I determine their sexes? I obviously want a female for my mother's pond. Also their is a rather old pleco in the pond. Will the pleco try and feed on the eel's mucus membrane and irratate it? Additionally I have no real clue what species/sex on of my bigger eels is. What is the difference between American and European Eels? This one eel has way bigger eyes an a shorter snout.