Zebra Spiney Eel

[fishfishfish]

do u guys/gals think i could get a zebra spiney eel with my malawi once my 55 gal is set to go?stocking will change a fair amount(PROFILE)

 

[Gankutsuou]

I don;t see a reason not to, unless one isn't enough, like with peacock eels whome enjoy company.

 

[fishfishfish]

i remember some1 tellin me i couldnt because of the lack of food the fish would get,but couldnt i due the tube trick?

 

[Gankutsuou]

what I have set up are fairly noncompetitive mates.

Senegal (has to sniff it out)
False flying fox (only eats a bit cause he has algea pellets all day long)
Syno. Featherfin (I almost never see him eat... but he's still big... he's getting something somewhere...)
Bamboo shrimp (now I have 4~!) and obviously, I don't think they munch on bloodworm....
Candy stripe pleco (actually likes a lil meat, but is small. In fact, I worry about him getting eaten... I'll probably put him in the 10 with the betta once I re-establish it)

and then the 3 eels (got a new one today since my water has gone back to normal with the cloning. This new filter is great. and the mature media added into the stack helps a lot I bet.)

MAN is he a fatty. I've never seen a peacock eel this fat.

But generally, they;'re noncompetitive.... I'd say if during your normal feeding time, if things are hitting the bottom, they'll be ok. If you're that worried, turn of the lights for 10 minutes and then dump in all the food at once.

 

[fishfishfish]

what are u feeding them?will they take flake or freeze dried krill or large cichlid sticks?

 

[Gankutsuou]

I use frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp.

The only flake that ever hits the tank is crushed in an eyedropper for the bamboo shrimp.

 

[fishfishfish]

i keep those on hand all the time.i feed both to my puffers

 

[Gankutsuou]

but the question is, when you feed the current stock, how often does food hit the floor, and for how long does it stay? If it's 30 seconds, it should be fine.


Edit: I would go with 2 striped peacock eels. Love them. they get after food better if you get them in the right condition also. More colorfull too. They also enjoy water wisteria. they weave in that more than they do the sand.

 

[fishfishfish]

well will they be more active if i get 2?

 

[Gankutsuou]

very much so with peacocks. I perfer 3 even.
they do hang out, go around each other, and do forth, more so ever than apart.

and, if you do any live plants, make it water wisteria. they love hanging in the stuff.

 

[CFC]

No spiney eels with Malaiwi Cichlids.

Spiney eels need a diet of protein rich foods such as bloodworms and other small benethic aquatic organisms, Malaiwi Cichlids cannot cope with protein in their diet and will develop Malaiwi bloat which is a often fatal condition which occurs when too much protein is eaten and starts to rot down in their extended bowel.

Now for a bit of basic biology. Malaiwi Cichlids have evolved to graze on algea which is abundent in the clear sun drenched waters of Lake Malaiwi, to deal with this high fibre vegetarian diet they have developed longer bowels which allow the algea to be in the body for longer so that as much nutrient is extracted from it as possible. When high protein foods are eaten they too spend a longer period in the bowels but protein starts to break down faster than fibre and releases harmfull bacteria into the fishes gut. This causes the condition known as Malaiwi bloat for which there is currently no medicinal cure for.

 

[cichlidcrazy]

I think it can be done, i myself have a 12"fire eel in with my malawis he has been in there about 6 months the way we get round the feeding is to hand feed the eel that way everybodys happy .I think fire eels are a great addition to a malawi set up and have just recently (saturday) purcased another one for our 5ft malawi set up and he/she is settleing in just fine.

 

[fishfishfish]

CFC,i couldnt use a pipe and feed them one at a time?

 

[CFC]

Risk what you like, theyre your fish.

 

[fishfishfish]

wait isnt there a spiney eel in lake malawi?