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I was at the fish store today and they have a new fish called a Fire Eel. It's black with an incredibly bright stripe running down it. It's a beautiful creature and of course, i instantly wanted it. I have NO experience with eels and have never read anything on one. What kind of tank do they need? How big of a tank? How big do they get? Are they hardy? Thanks!

1. They need a non-planted aquarium with round #2 gravel and large flat rocks to crawl under.
2. They need a 180g Aquarium at least, more is better of course. (At least 3feet wide.)
3. They get 40inches long.
4. They are relatively hardy.
5. They will eat any fish that can fit in their mouths.
6. They will jump out of your aquarium if you have ANY gaps at all in your hood.

Last edited by john.stone at 03-Dec-2004 18:15

They don't need a 180 gallon tank...

Since they are relatively slender fish, and since they are almost never swimming around in the open, a 90 gallon would be a perfect specimen tank, and would look spectacular if it had lots of rocks and maybe planted with some large Anubias.

These fish easy to tame and not very picky, so you'll have lots of fun handfeeding them. They will come and take food right out of your fingers, but sometimes they will bite your hand to (but don't worry, they don't have teeth in their jaws so it doesn't hurt at all). They relish foods like krill, shrimp, and earthworms.

They are also peaceful with any fish that can't fit in their mouths, but to fully enjoy them it would be best to keep them in a species tank.

If you like the look of these eels but do not have a tank that large, you could get a zigzag eel (a close relative of the fire eel), which only grows to 12" long and can be kept in a 35 gallon species tank.






Last edited by Cory Addict at 03-Dec-2004 19:44

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Clearly out of my range right now. Just thought i'd inquire about it. I currently only have a 33 gallon tank and can't see myself purchasing anything larger than a 55 gallon in the near future. Just not ready to put that kind of money in to fish at this point in my life. Too bad because the fire eels are gorgeous fish!

If I was buying Fire Eels, I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 6 feet x 2 feet x 2 feet aquarium, simply upon account of their size. And, given that they are such wonderful fish, I'd want to give them the best I could afford, which at the moment puts them right out of my league I'm afraid ... Liverpool Museum used to have three in a huge picture aquarium with a bogwood tangle that made it look like a piece of Borneo rainforest transplanted to the UK ... but that aquarium was around 1,000 gallons, and I don't think many people here would be able to justify the cost of a setup that size! Although I suspect Shini might add this to his wish list for the future

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

you could get a zigzag eel (a close relative of the fire eel), which only grows to 12" long

Zig-zag/tyretrack eels can and will hit 20"-24" long. I would not keep a fire eel in under a 120 gallon, as when they are 40" long, they are as thick as your forearm.

i was thinking of going with a fire eel in a 29 with just him and maybe one other, figured he'd have enough room, but they get way big. i'd say anything 55 and under is too small. however, something like a spiny eel or yellow tail peacock (not quite the same as a regular peacock/spiny eel) would be ok in a 55 or smaller tank. they get like a foot long at best. and they are pretty, atleast i like mine. not considered a good beginner fish, but i've had no problems keeping mine alive for a month+

I would keep a tiretrack, I've had one for about 8 months I keep it in a 60g tank with many (semi-large) tankmates. He doesn't bother the fish at all and grows fairly slow. Doesn't come out much though, mostly likes to stay in the dark under a rock or in an ornament. But its really fun to watch him eat the feeder guppies. Hes a real hunter.

Fire eels will not reach 40" in the home aquaria, even in the most optimal of conditions. I would agree with cory that a good 100 gallon would suit a full grown fire eel just fine. In SW San Diego, The fire eel there was in like a 1000+ gallon display tank and yet it only reached about 30 inches in length.