Is There An Eel That Would Fit A Freshwater Community Tank

[theycallmeadam]

i have a 55gallon freshwater tank with a community of non-aggressive fish +1 semi agg. there are a few varieties of molly, platty and tetra, green tiger barbs, half a dozen cory's (albino, spotted and dalmatian), 2 albino bushynose plecos, and a redtailed shark. id love something a bit more adventurous to add in and an eel is the closest thing to an answer ive come across. what im trying to figure out is what my best options are. given that this is the oddball institute, i thought at the very least id get an eel answer and at most, also a few suggestions of options besides eels.

 

[Man of fish]

I don't think an eel is suitable to your tank tbh, but maybe some kuhli loaches? Loom eelish I suppose but not aggressive and grow to about 4-6 inches.

 

[nmonks]

No. None of the commonly traded eels are easy to keep. Spiny Eels are difficult to feed and the smaller species at least MUST have a soft, sandy substrate like silica sand, NEVER gravel (many have tried keeping them with gravel, but sooner or later the Spiny Eels get damaged and die from bacterial infections). Ropefish can work in community tanks, but they are gregarious (keep in groups of 3+), need fresh/frozen foods (not flake/pellets), and will be nipped by things like Tiger Barbs. Horseface Loaches are easy to feed, but they're big (around 20 cm long) and again MUST have a soft, sandy substrate.

Most of the other eel-like fish are either predatory, grow too large, or require brackish water.

Your tank is pretty well stocked as it is. The Red-Tail Shark will cause some upsets as it matures, and the Tiger Barbs are fin-nippers unless you have a lot of them. I'd concentrate on providing the best conditions you can for the livestock you have, and not worry too much about adding anything else.

Cheers, Neale

i have a 55gallon freshwater tank with a community of non-aggressive fish +1 semi agg. there are a few varieties of molly, platty and tetra, green tiger barbs, half a dozen cory's (albino, spotted and dalmatian), 2 albino bushynose plecos, and a redtailed shark. id love something a bit more adventurous to add in and an eel is the closest thing to an answer ive come across. what im trying to figure out is what my best options are. given that this is the oddball institute, i thought at the very least id get an eel answer and at most, also a few suggestions of options besides eels.

 

[Stealth77]

Hi, late reply I know but I was wondering if you knew of the tandanus catfish, I am assuming you don't live in Australia so I don't know if you have easy access to this fish because they are a native Australian fish, I have kept them in a community tank before and while they do get big for a community tank they are a very peaceful fish that if kept well fed should not eat your smaller fish for some time, although they will eventually out grow your other fish it should take a year of so.

 

[adam98150]

I have 3 eels in a 70 litre, plenty of sand and filtration, foliage .. undergrowth. Upgrading to a 160l in a week. They get along great with my pygmy cories.

 

[GoldMedalRibbon]

First.. I would like to say that I do agree with nmonks/Neale.
They are offering you some sound advice there BUT if you are dead set on adding more to the tank then
what about Discus?


Be warned though.. they are expensive fish and they are capable of eating smaller fish in the tank.
Getting younger/smaller discus won't help because they will grow and you'll have the same problem. I've also read that younger Discus are more difficult to care for than older Discus so
As a good rule of thumb, never purchase a discus unless it is at least four inches--their size is measured from their nose to their tail fin.

There are many colors you can choose from so they will definitely add some color to the tank.
Like all Cichlids, they can be aggressive but normally settle down once the pecking order is established. They do like living in schools and there will be an "alpha" of the pack who keeps all others in line. Please refer to the picture links I have provided.


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Taken from Wikipedia:

Discus (Symphysodon spp.) are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fish native to the Amazon River basin.[1] Discus are popular as aquarium fish.

Like cichlids from the genus Pterophyllum, all Symphysodon species have a laterally compressed body shape. The sides of the fish are frequently patterned in shades of green, red, brown, and blue. The height and length of the grown fish are both about 20–25 cm (8–10 in).

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The minimum tank size for your Discus fish aquarium should be 55 gallons with a temp of 80-84 F.

make sure that the tank doesn’t have excessive water flow, as this disturbs the discus fish.

Discus love bloodworms. Use freeze-dried which are 100% parasite free. They don't seem to notice a difference.

(taken from an article by JoshDay.com) With frequent and regular water changes, a steady temperature of 80-84 F, and a balanced diet, you're in the gravy. Once the fish pass the introduction and week or month-long acclimatization period, I've found them to be as tough a fish as any other. Once you understand the nitrogen cycle and know your way around your tank, then you should be ready for discus.
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(information from outside source)

Many hardcore discus keepers will chastise you if you keep discus in a community tank. Do not listen to them as it can be done, and it can be done successfully. Good tankmates for discus are cory cats, otos, cardinal and black neon tetras, and other fish that can stand the high temperatures discus need.

bala sharks, clown loaches, a royal pleco, and a black ghost knife. All get along fine. Quick word of warning: plecos have been known to attach onto discus and suck off their protective slime coats. I've never personally seen this, but it can happen, so mix and match at your own risk...

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http/www.discusfishpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/discus-care.jpg

http/1.bp.blogspot.com/_DTGEcBi-w0g/TM0uTHqrsaI/AAAAAAAAAoI/jaSA9XxcRJE/s1600/discus-fish2.jpg

http/www.discusfishpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Discus-Fish-Aquarium.jpg


These links are used for pictures ONLY. I am not promoting the websites that they belong to, truth be told, I haven't even looked at the websites that they come from. These were found using google image search.
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I used to take care of discus when I worked at a pet warehouse that had saltwater and fresh water fish. I have a 100 gallon tank right now and I plan on putting some Discus in it soon if everything goes according to plan.

 

[sadguppy]

I have 3 eels in a 70 litre, plenty of sand and filtration, foliage .. undergrowth. Upgrading to a 160l in a week. They get along great with my pygmy cories.

I'd be surprised if the cories survive long term! BTW don't know if others can chip in but 70l far far too small for one eel and 160l too small for three...

 

[adam98150]

Hopefully the cats won't disappear, but they're a trio of Macrognathus Circumcintus, one of the smaller spiny eels.

 

[onidrase]

discus would be a horrible choice for this tank. So would eels.

Most eels are boring anyway. They just bury themselves and attack anything that they think they can eat.

 

[triggerfish38]

What about a black ghost knife or other knives

 

[Ninjouzata]

A 55g is not suitable for any knives that I know of except the African brown knife (?) and even then I'm not sure. Also this thread is old

 

[HHH]

Yea id also advise against eels and discus the eels for the reasons others gave above and discus becuase they require more warmer temps than most fish would be comfortable in. With also the need for pristine water and the fact that they are messy eaters. If you would really like an eel like fis h i would also suggest a kuhli loach. They need to be in groups 3 or more though and you might not see them much

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'd be looking at the stocking you have and figure out just what it is you're trying to do there. It's all over the place and not in the right numbers.