Fire Vs. Tiretrack Eel

[MyraAlam]

Hi guys,


Just researching and looking into these two and was wondering what your own thoughts or personal experiences have been. They would be placed in a 500 gallon (8 x 3 x 3) tank with the following:

1 x silver aro
1 x flagtail prochilodus
1 x oxydoras niger
1 x giant gourami
5 x tinfoil barbs
3 x rotkeil sevs
5 x hericthys bocourti

At the moment both seem pretty awesome, but going to have to pick one. All advice is appreciated.

 

[8inary]

Why not both!

I have a 2.5ft fire eel, and a 15" tiretrack and various spinny eels. If....If! I had to chose, I would go with the fire eel...heres my vid

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY

 

[MyraAlam]

Why not both!

I have a 2.5ft fire eel, and a 15" tiretrack and various spinny eels. If....If! I had to chose, I would go with the fire eel...heres my vid

<a href="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY" target="_blank">http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY</a>

I would gladly go with both but would they get along? I've heard stories of tiretracks not liking other eels around, not sure how accurate these are though- fill me in. Another thing to consider is is there actually enough room in this tank for both a fire eel and a tiretrack eel? Keep in mind that the cichlids may may breed. It's not my intention but I'm slightly paranoid about it happening nonetheless. If this were to happen, I want them to be able to have their own territory, not rush off to kill everyone who gets in their way. Personally I love them both, I've heard that tiretracks have more of a personality than fires though...but that fires are more beautiful. Thanks for the vid, that fire eel look gorgeous

 

[0x0000ff]

Why not both!

I have a 2.5ft fire eel, and a 15" tiretrack and various spinny eels. If....If! I had to chose, I would go with the fire eel...heres my vid

<a href="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY" target="_blank">http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY</a>

I would gladly go with both but would they get along? I've heard stories of tiretracks not liking other eels around, not sure how accurate these are though- fill me in. Another thing to consider is is there actually enough room in this tank for both a fire eel and a tiretrack eel? Keep in mind that the cichlids may may breed. It's not my intention but I'm slightly paranoid about it happening nonetheless. If this were to happen, I want them to be able to have their own territory, not rush off to kill everyone who gets in their way. Personally I love them both, I've heard that tiretracks have more of a personality than fires though...but that fires are more beautiful. Thanks for the vid, that fire eel look gorgeous

If the Cichlids breed, the fry will be eaten.

If you need to choose, the Fire Eel is a beautiful fish but (depending on species) the Tire track Eel has much more personality.

 

[MyraAlam]

Why not both!

I have a 2.5ft fire eel, and a 15" tiretrack and various spinny eels. If....If! I had to chose, I would go with the fire eel...heres my vid

<a href="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY" target="_blank">http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGa8d9L1SY</a>

I would gladly go with both but would they get along? I've heard stories of tiretracks not liking other eels around, not sure how accurate these are though- fill me in. Another thing to consider is is there actually enough room in this tank for both a fire eel and a tiretrack eel? Keep in mind that the cichlids may may breed. It's not my intention but I'm slightly paranoid about it happening nonetheless. If this were to happen, I want them to be able to have their own territory, not rush off to kill everyone who gets in their way. Personally I love them both, I've heard that tiretracks have more of a personality than fires though...but that fires are more beautiful. Thanks for the vid, that fire eel look gorgeous

If the Cichlids breed, the fry will be eaten.

If you need to choose, the Fire Eel is a beautiful fish but (depending on species) the Tire track Eel has much more personality.

Since it's not my intention to breed them, I'm not really out to salvage all the fry. I just don't want a massive war to break out in the tank.

Hmmm...would you say there's room for both? Would they tolerate one another?

Oh, and is it alright if the substrate is fine gravel rather than sand?

 

[0x0000ff]

Some people will tell you that fine gravel is not good enough, however from my own experience and what can be seen in many display tanks they are happy and healthy with fine gravel.

What is most important is floating cover, it is almost impossible to believe the difference in behaviour between a well covered tank and a bare one. The eels are far more confident and tolerant, and hide much less.


I've never owned a Fire Eel myself, they are prohibitively expensive in Australia; however I currently keep 2 tanks dedicated to this wonderful family of fish and firmly believe that if you can build them a happy home they will reward you with a surreal display of personality in motion.


There are at least 3 species traded as Tire Track eels. Many people misidentify them all as M. Armatus, but I believe the more common specimen is a different species.


I use duckweed as my floating cover. It grows very quickly and when I have too much I give it to my girlfriends goldfish - they love to eat it.

 

[MyraAlam]

Some people will tell you that fine gravel is not good enough, however from my own experience and what can be seen in many display tanks they are happy and healthy with fine gravel.

What is most important is floating cover, it is almost impossible to believe the difference in behaviour between a well covered tank and a bare one. The eels are far more confident and tolerant, and hide much less.


I've never owned a Fire Eel myself, they are prohibitively expensive in Australia; however I currently keep 2 tanks dedicated to this wonderful family of fish and firmly believe that if you can build them a happy home they will reward you with a surreal display of personality in motion.


There are at least 3 species traded as Tire Track eels. Many people misidentify them all as M. Armatus, but I believe the more common specimen is a different species.


I use duckweed as my floating cover. It grows very quickly and when I have too much I give it to my girlfriends goldfish - they love to eat it.

Thanks a lot for your advice I'm guessing you're pro-tiretrack then? Do you think it's a bad idea to combine different eel species? Some people tell me it works whereas others say it's a disaster...

 

[Davo86]

to be honest with any Eel, the problem will be finding one that is at a large enough size that the other fish (aro especially) can't outgrow it and then see it as food. Eels are very slow growing compared to a silver arowana

 

[MyraAlam]

to be honest with any Eel, the problem will be finding one that is at a large enough size that the other fish (aro especially) can't outgrow it and then see it as food. Eels are very slow growing compared to a silver arowana

This is something which I'm very worried about, not just in relation to the eel but in relation to all the fish in this tank. Everyone apart from the eel are pretty fast growers, but how fast is fast? In that case, I suppose a fire eel isn't a good idea at all since they grow so slowly. (Tiretracks are a bit faster, but obviously not as fast as an aro.) Should the eel idea be abandoned completely?

What I need is a fast-growing bottom dweller who won't be made into lunch by the aro.

 

[simonas]

I keep both in seperate tanks

My fire eel is about 2o inches and my tyre track about 6

I once kept two similar size specimens yrs ago and the fire eel aggression towards the tyre track I have seldom witnessed in an aquarium, it was very vindictive and killed the tyre track as i was too late to get him out

Me personaly I much prefer the fire eel mine has bags of personality and follows me round the tank like a dog and only hand feeds

 

[8inary]

ive got to echo simonas' response, the fire eel to me has bags more personality, and i speak having got all 3 eels. I know my fire eel is larger then the tire at 2.5ft, the tire is circa 15" and several small spinney eels. the fire eel is lovely, and harmless, he is a big softy and i hand feed him prawns whilst stroking his silk like body, the tire track is a little more skittish and hides more, he always stays at the other end of the tank 'near 1000ltr tank' so there is distance between the two, whilst the smaller spinney eels move where ever they want.

fire eel all the way for me

 

[cheesy feet]

Fire eel for me, prefer the colours and I think it'll stand out more on white sand

 

[MyraAlam]

Fire eel for me, prefer the colours and I think it'll stand out more on white sand

But will it become lunch? That's the worry point...I don't think they grow too fast...

 

[cheesy feet]

Eh, sorry, will need to read the thread.Was just replying to the original q

Fire eel for me, prefer the colours and I think it'll stand out more on white sand

But will it become lunch? That's the worry point...I don't think they grow too fast...

Never had one so I can't comment yet, but I would invest in a grow out tank

 

[MyraAlam]

Eh, sorry, will need to read the thread.Was just replying to the original q

Fire eel for me, prefer the colours and I think it'll stand out more on white sand

But will it become lunch? That's the worry point...I don't think they grow too fast...

Never had one so I can't comment yet, but I would invest in a grow out tank

Thanks cheesyfeet, it's something we'll be considering. In the meantime though, we're trying to find another bottom dweller. Refer to my other thread.