Zigzag Spiny Eels?

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KathyM

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Does anyone know anything about the smaller (eg. Zigzag) species of spiny eels?

I've seen some for sale and my online mate (who keeps them) pointed me to them. However, she's not online at the moment so I can't grab her for more advice on their care.

Can anyone tell me what they can live in with, and what size tank they need (specifically the "Zigzag" ones)?

It's just they're being sold in 2s, and I don't know if they can be kept together and which tank (my Rio 300 or Dan's 2ft or both) they'd be suitable for. The seller says they only grow to 15cm but I'd like to hear it from someone else.

:good:
 
The smaller spiny eel species like zig zags like to be kept in groups, the more you have the more comfortable they are in their tank. 15cm sounds about right for the size and a 300 litre tank would be more than ample for 2 or 3 of them, the 2 foot i fear would be a little too small though. As for tankmates no tiny fish like neons and nothing overly boisterous like Cichlids that will frighten them, best things are fish like peacefull barbs and larger tetras, corys etc etc.
 
Thanks CFC - I think that rules them out for us then as I have 2 Rainbow Cichlids going in the Rio and I was kindof hoping they'd be small enough to live in Dan's if they weren't suitable with them. Thanks for your help.

Kathy
 
Although 'zig-'zag' could mean anything, if you've ever looked through the eel photos on Fishbase then there are millions that could, and probably have been, described as 'zig-zag'.
 
3 feet should be long enough for anything under the size of a peacock, including peacock eels.
 
Thanks :)

I was wondering if anyone knew which species this listing is? This is a different one to the one I mentionned in previous posts. I suspect it's a Tyre Track Eel but when I've looked on Mongabay it's not clear if they could be Macrognathus aculeatus as you're relying on the acuracy of the people who's images are listed in the Google search for images.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280048780578

Thanks

Kathy



Hmmm same seller has Tyre Tracks for sale and they're very different. :S
 
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I'd guess it is Macrognathus taeniagaster:

http://64.95.130.5/Photos/PicturesSummary....mp;what=species
http://64.95.130.5/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=26798

As CFC has said, Macrognathus spp. seem to be sociable, so if you can, get more than one. Definitely keep in a tank with sand, not gravel, as Macrognathus spp. seem to be especially prone to skin infections because of their (usually) smaller size than things like fire eels and tyre-track eels (Mastacembelus spp.).

One quick note about the name Macrognathus aculeatus: this is almost always applied to the wrong fish in the fishkeeping hobby. Macrognathus aculeatus is a species with oblique light and dark bands along the flanks. It is hardly, if ever, traded as an aquarium fish. Macrognathus siamensis is the eel to which that name is usually applied, and is the common spiny eel with the pinkish-brown body and the series of eyespots on the dorsal fin.

Cheers,

Neale
 
I didn't look at the African species because they're so rare in the hobby... silly me. :blush:

Anyway, this is the Fishbase picture of that species:

http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/PicturesSum...mp;what=species

One thing about African spiny eels -- they are reputed to be more aggressive (territorial) and more predatory (on fish) than the Asian species. The Rift Valley species in particular seem to feed primarily on small and juvenile cichlids. On the other hand, at 15 cm this species can't be much of a threat except to tetras and guppies. Fishbase does say it "occurs in rapids and fast flowing waters over rocky substrate" so I suspect you will need a "mountain stream" type aquarium rather than the usual sort. Lots of water movement, high oxygen, minimal nitrates, etc. Might be rather nice actually, with African glass cats, blockhead cichlids, and Congo tetras for example.

Cheers,

Neale
 
Thanks Neale - lots of information there that I had no idea about (not surprisingly as I'm completely new to these species).

I think I'll have to have a think about it. The two Zigzags are still the most tempting but CFC said cichlids are a nono and I have two 3" Rainbow Cichlids. They're very peaceful, I wonder if they could be an exception - however my backup plan was Dan's 2ft tank, and the other nono CFC mentionned was the tank size. Something I'll have to have a ponder on, but all suggestions welcome.
 
I'd agree with CFC about spiny eels and cichlids, at least to begin with. Once they're settled in and feeding, then adding a peaceful cichlid or two shouldn't cause any problems. The bigger problem with spiny eels isn't so much territorial fish but nocturnal fish that would steal their food. I'd suggest a large spiny eel kept with (say) a jewel cichlid would do much better than the same spiny eel kept with a large synodontis such as S. angelicus: it can deal with aggression by hiding, but it can't do much about starvation.

IMHO, spiny eels tend to avoid trouble, so assuming the cichlids weren't spending their time looking for fights, they should settle down together. I've certainly kept kribs with a young tyre-track spiny eel and had no problems On the other hand, I'd agree with CFC about mixing spiny eels with, say, mbuna or some of the Central Americans.

Cheers,

Neale
 

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