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i saw this huge fir eel at my wholesaler. it didn't even fit inside the pipe. well n.e way it was only about 6-8 inches. so are they aggressive or no.

Only way they would be aggressive to other fish is that the other fish could fit inside its mouth, or the Fire Eel has established a territory in the tank he feels he needs to protect. All in all, from my experience, they're just big friendly eels that eat alot .

Also, they grow to the largest of size of all Dottyback/Spiney eels.

Last edited by 1tankneverenuff at 28-Mar-2005 20:11

j.w i might pick him up next time if he is still there. i would add him to a tank where he is the smallest.

Then you should be fine. But, he NEEDS a hiding place for sure. He's mainly nocturnal. Also, how large is he and what size tank will he be in?

He can/will get large...as much as 40", so be prepared.

yep. i have one of those tubes for the fishes like the black ghost. i guess adding pipe wouldn't be a bad idea also. he will be in a 75 g or i might not get one. i thought it would look cool.

It would be awesome, but he needs a huge tank. He's the largest of all freshwater Dottybacks by far...

what is a dotty back?

Dottybacks are not TRUE eels. More like half eel half fish. They have two pectoral fins as well as a small caudal fin, and an elongated anal and dorsal fin that span at least 1/3 of their lower part of their body. This includes Peacock, Striped Peacock, Starry Night, Fire, Tire Track, Zig Zag, all Tanginyikan eels and even some saltwater such as the Green Wolf eel. If you ever get a chance, go to an LFS that has one of these types of eels in stock and you will see all the physical characteristics I described that make them different from your true saltwater eel (Snowflake, Green Moray, etc...).