FAQs on Tire Track Spiny
Eels
Related Articles: Spiny Eels,
The
truth about spiny eels; A closer look at these popular but problematic
oddballs
by
Neale Monks, Husbandry of
the Barred Spiny
Eel,
Macrognathus panacalus
by Marco
Lichtenberger,
Related FAQs: Spiny Eel
Identification, Spiny Eel
Behavior, Spiny Eel
Compatibility, Spiny Eel
Selection, Spiny Eel
Systems, Spiny Eel Feeding,
Spiny Eel Disease, Spiny Eel Reproduction,
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Tire track eel with what I thought were scrapes
9/28/13
I have a one year old approx foot long tire track eel. He lives in a 125
with a group of rope fish a Senegal and three juvenile pair of
Eartheaters.
The tank has two hob filters and two sponge filters due to the eel and
the Geo's need for clean water. The parameters are all spot on.
<Meaning what, precisely? Tyre-Track eels are best kept in neutral to
slightly basic, moderately hard water; some would say slightly brackish
conditions are useful too.>
The tank has been running for two years no problems.
My eel takes to pushing rocks around and making a ruckus. So we put
bigger rocks we thought he wouldn't be able to move. And even siliconed
them together with aquarium safe of course. But he woke me up the other
night flinging rocks around and the next morning he had a white patch an
the end of his nose and a patch on his side that looked like scuffs. I
put him into a 40g hospital tank to be sure I can keep the tank star
clean as to prevent infection. Now there is a spot of red in the center
of the scrape on his side. Just looks like the scraped skin came off.
He is very active and friendly still not acting weird n any way but that
he isn't eating. But I don't know if that is cus of the move or not.
I have treated him with a half dose off furan 2 because I was unsure if
he needed or would be sensitive to medication. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Timbra
<Antibiotics are generally safe with Spiny Eels (certainly safer than
copper and formalin) and should be used promptly where indicated. Spiny
Eels often get damaged in tanks with rocks and gravel; they should be
kept in tanks with smooth ornaments (ceramic tubes are great) and either
very fine gravel or (ideally) sand. Once their skin is damaged,
secondary infections are very common -- and often fatal. The addition of
tonic salt at about 2 gram/litre seems to be useful and is often
recommended. Ropefish and most cichlids will tolerate this just fine. Do
read:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/v4i3/Spiny_Eels/Spiny%20Eels.htm
And follow the links. Most problems with Spiny Eels are best avoided
rather than treated. Cheers, Neale.>
Tyre track eel 9/30/13
This is my buddy we have been chatting about. As you know the Internet
is almost useless when researching these guys to any major extent. He
was sold to me as a tire track but I have always been skeptical of
whether that is right or no. I have another eel the same size that is
the typical dark brown reddish tire track you see and he just isn't the
same. Any input?
Thanks a ton.
<Ah yes, it is one of the species sold as "Tyre-Track Eel" but precise
species could be difficult to pin down. Often we call this fish
Mastacembelus armatus, but another species, Mastacembelus favus, is very
similar in size and shape, but with somewhat different markings. There
are likely some other similar species, subspecies and/or regional
variants. On the plus side, they're all very similar. Big (to 70 cm),
predatory (made the mistake of keeping one with Swordtails!), somewhat
jumpy (prone to escaping from aquaria), and arguably best kept in very
slightly saline conditions (1-2 gram tonic salt/litre of water).>
P.s. that was the first day and he actually is looking much better.
Still no appetite though. Well see.
<Indeed. Does seem to be an external bacterial infection. If at all
possible remove to an aquarium without any ornaments or sand except for
a ceramic pot, but failing that, do medicate appropriately (Maracyn 1
and Maracyn 2 would be a good combination) and keep water quality
excellent.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Tyre track eel 9/30/13
Thanks for the info. It's much appreciated. That was the morning I woke
to find him sick. He had since been moved to a bare bottom hospital tank
with his pot. His course of meds is almost done and the spot on his nose
is gone and the one on his side is all but gone. And his appetite is
back with a vengeance lol. Thank you again for your help. You are a
credit to the hobby.
Timbra
<Thanks for the kind words, and hope this fishy friend gets well soon!
Neale.>
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Cloudy eyes in my tire track eel, no data
9/5/12
I Just purchased a medium sized tire track eel about three days ago. The
second day I noticed that her eyes were very cloudy then today I noticed
they were puffy.
<Mmm, water quality? Often Mastacembelids have their sensitive eyes
scraped in being netted, moved...>
She is still swimming around, and she actually ate half a night crawler
yesterday which surprised me because I know they are hard to get to eat.
<Actually; not this species>
I took my water to be tested at three different places and each one told
me the same thing, "your water is perfect, nothing is wrong with the
ammonia, nitrates, or the PH." I called the store where I got her and
told them the situation and they told me, and I quote, "that it is
probably a change in PH and her eyes were burned".
<Need values, not subjective statements>
I told them that I had my water tested three times and that nothing was
wrong and they said "Well bring the water here and we will test it for
you." What that tells me is that they are just trying to cover
themselves, so now since I can obviously rule out help from them, I am
turning to you guys for advise on what to do. She is a beautiful girl
and I would hate to lose her so I'll do anything. The place I got her
from kept her in a tiny ten gallon tank with two other tire track eels
and a catfish of some sort, and yes they actually had them on gravel! I
have a non abrasive sand in my tank so she can't hurt herself, but I
know that she had some abrasions on her nose when I got her home. I am
at a loss for what to do at this point, any advise you can give me will
be extremely helpful and appreciated. I have attached some photo's of
her below just so that you can see what she looks like.
<.... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/spinyeeldisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Cloudy eyes in my tire track eel 9/5/12
I have already read all of these, and none of that is happening to her.
Its just her eyes.
<I see>
I was told today that it could be a fungus
<Not likely a true fungus... much more likely a bacterial infection...>
so I started treatment, but I'm not so sure because she has no other areas
that concern me. What would you do?
<Nothing treatment wise. IF this were a wholesale/producer operation w/
many animals involved I might treat w/ soluble Oxytetracycline and a bit
of aquarium salt. BobF>
add Figure 8 Puffer to
tank? 11/10/10
Hi, Crew,
I have a 90 gallon low-end brackish tank, sg fluctuates between 1.003
and 1.005. I inherited a disparate group of fish about a year ago that
I've been trying to accommodate. In this particular tank, I have
one archer (Toxotes jaculatrix), a tire track eel and a fire eel. The
eels are both 8" long. The eels seem to tolerate the salinity--do
you think this will be OK long-term? Conversely, do you think the
archer will be happy in this level of salinity? The archer seems very
happy at the moment (it's probably about 1 year old). I realize
I'm compromising a bit from either side of the salinity scale with
these fish. Next, I have a scourge of Malaysian trumpet snails in this
tank. I am toying with getting a figure 8 puffer for the tank because
1) I love puffers and I understand figure 8's are low-end brackish
and less aggressive than other puffers; 2) I don't see much in the
tank at any given moment except for the archer because the eels hide;
3) I would like to control the snail population.
Is this a bad idea?
Thanks for your help in advance. I appreciate your time.
Laura
<Hello Laura. Tyre-track Eels will certainly do okay at up to SG
1.005 at 25 C, but Fire Eels I'm less certain on, and I'd tend
to nudge the salinity down to about 1.003 at 25 C. The Archer
shouldn't mind, and that'll still be salty enough for a wide
range of species, both true brackish water fish and salt-tolerant
freshwater fish such as Brown Hoplo Catfish, Horseface Loaches and
virtually all of the livebearers. Now, as for Figure-8 puffers, while
this might work, I think you'll be disappointed at the impact
they'll have on Melanoides snails. You'd be much better off
with Assassin Snails, Clea helena, which should acclimate to SG 1.003
without problems given they're members of a marine snail family,
though I've never tried it
myself. They're cheap enough that trying them out won't be
expensive. Allow 3-4 Assassin Snails per 10 gallons if you want them to
exist in sufficient strength to depress Melanoides snail numbers. The
thing with puffers in general is that they won't eat snails if
softer, easier food is on offer -- and that can sometimes mean the fins
of other fish. Plus, the small size of Figure-8 puffers makes them easy
prey for adult Archer Fish, Tyre-track Eels and Fire Eels. Obviously an
adult Fire Eel will need a tank bigger tan ninety gallons, so you may
be planning to rehome him as/when he gets above a certain size. But an
adult Archer fish could swallow a Figure-8 puffer in one gulp! Do not
underestimate how predatory Archer fish -- sure, they enjoy eating
insects, but they are dedicated fish-eaters as well. Finally, do
understand that Melanoides snails are not in themselves harmful, but
they are indicators of aquarium conditions rich in organic matter. It
may well be that your tank is less clean than you think, and you're
overfeeding your fish far more than you suppose, and if you have a lot
of algae, then adding fast-growing plant species might make a
difference. Treat snails as a symptom, not a problem, and it's much
easier to effect a long term
solution. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: add Figure 8 Puffer to tank? 11/10/10
Thanks, Neale!
I sure wasn't thinking about the Archer going after the Puffer, so
thanks for that! (I actually saw the Archer eat one of the snails the
other day, but I figured that was an anomaly.)
I'll check out Assassin Snails. Luckily I don't have algae in
this tank, but I am trying to find the right amount of food/feeding
times for the eels.
I've probably been overfeeding the eels. They seem so temperamental
and unpredictable. I understand they shouldn't eat every day and
will sometimes go for a couple of weeks without eating, but this makes
me nervous! I don't want them to starve. I probably just need to
calm down about it!
By the way, I searched but couldn't find how long it takes for a
fire eel to reach full size--do you know?
Thanks again,
Laura
<Hello Laura. Fire Eels growth rate varies with age, but specimens
under a year old can add about an inch in length per month. Growth
slows down a bit after that, but you can expect yours to be at least a
couple of feet long within 18 months, and nearer three feet by the end
of the second year. If the Fire Eel was stunted for whatever reason
while it was younger, it will grow quite slowly, and may never reach
its full size, fish growth rate being determined by age, not the need
to reach a certain size. This is why some people find their Fire Eels
get really big, really fast while others find their Fire Eels quite
slow growing fish. A bigger problem will be aggression: all the
Mastacembelus species are territorial, and Fire Eels and Tyre-track
Eels are unlikely to coexist in a relatively small tank, Fire Eels in
particular being notoriously grumpy fish. Look out for unusual white
marks on their bodies indicative of fighting. Sometimes juveniles get
along well, even sharing caves, but do be aware than this situation may
not persist. When feeding predators, the "art" is providing
enough that their bellies are gently rounded, but not obviously
swollen; if the latter is the case, you fed too much in one sitting!
Earthworms are the best food for Spiny Eels, but they sometimes escape
into the sand, and when they die there, you'll get lots of nitrate
and phosphate in the water you don't want, as well as food for
Melanoides snails. Best to feed little but often, rather than gorging
the fish a few times per week. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: add Figure 8 Puffer to tank? 11/11/10
Thanks, Neale, this is very helpful indeed. I think I may start looking
to re-home the fire eel now.
Laura
<Glad to help. Cheers,
Neale.>
Questions about tire-track
eels 10/10/08
I have a tire track eel who loves his bloodworms. His tank mates also
enjoy those instead of the brine shrimp and other goodies I feed them.
Yesterday, I decided that hand feeding the eel would be a better idea
and he readily took the frozen cube. What I'm worried about - when
I look at him closely, the end of his long nose has what looks like a
stinger or curved needle (sort of like a fine thorn) at the end. Can or
will it hurt my fingers/hand should he accidentally stab me with it
when I hand feed him.
<This will not hurt, its quite soft tissue. I've never been bitten by
a larger spiny eel and guess it will not hurt much, either. In contrast
to some African members, the Asian spiny eels dont have teeth on their
palatines and the vomer is toothless, too.>
I had previously written about tank mate compatibility, asking about
your thoughts on adding tiger barbs. The fish I had concerned over
eating them didn't really care. The eel ate 5 out of the six over a
two day time period. He had never eaten live food, but eating tiger
barbs whole and alive were apparently a great meal to him. There is one
lone barb who he eyes, but leaves alone. It strikes me as odd that he,
or his tank mates, haven't finished the final barb off.
<Yes, they can easily swallow fish of the size of a tiger barb and
larger ones once they are grown. Tiger barbs like all minnows and carps
are no good food fish for your eel. To fatty and containing a vitamin
destroying enzyme. Earthworms are loved by spiny eels in
general.>
Is there a way to tell the gender on an eel? I'm just curious on
how an eel reproduces.
<Yes, but its difficult. Adult females exhibit a larger protruding
anal tube, called urinogenital papilla, used to lay eggs. You'll need
some experience an a very calm specimen to determine sex this way for
sure. Females are generally larger (greater girth) than the males. If
you got two adults of equal age next to each other it is possible to
tell if they are of opposite sex and who is who. For breeding also see
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/v4i3/Spiny_Eels/Spiny%20Eels.htm
and the FAQs, at least for smaller spiny eels its possible.>
One of my Plecos, who is rather large seems like sucking on the eel
once in a while, and the eel lets him. Is this normal?
<Yes, their skin mucous seems to taste well. Too much sucking
theoretically can harm the eel, so he needs to have the possibility to
bury or hide himself if he wants, too. Also, if you see any sores or
discolorations Id separate them.>
Thanks and have a great weekend. Skye.
<Will try, have a great weekend, too.
Marco.>
Earthworms 'N' Eels - 03/07/2006 This is just a note
for those eel lovers or those wanting to embrace the eel so to
speak. <.... I might pet one, but hugging is maybe not
quite in my plans.> A couple of years ago I bought 4 eels for my
hundred gallon aquarium. Two fire eels and two tire
track. Sadly someone left the lid on the tank askew and I
lost one a couple of weeks ago. <Aww! So
sorry to hear this!> It was about 18 inches long. I still
have three left that are about that size, one is a good 23 inches
long. They share the aquarium with a sun catfish, a drift
wood cat, a tiny (but extremely swift) zebra loach, a very fat clown
loach which I bought at the same time (he's a good 10 inches long)
a spotted perch, a dojo and a pair of spotted catfish that act like
they're on crack. I love my eels but let future eel
owners be warned, they'll eat you out of house and
home. They pick at flake food in the morning, ah but at
night they go through 3 of the large cubes of frozen blood
worms and whine for more. I'm thinking that
someday in the future I will find just one very enormous eel in that
tank, all other fish having become snacks. Do you know if
eels might eat fishing worms?
<Yep. Especially at that size. I recommend
culturing your own, to be sure they are in good health and
nutrition. Google "vermiculture". You
can start with worms in your own yard, provided you haven't used
any pesticides, herbicides, etc.> I'm curious but haven't
tried offering any. <I'm sure they'd love
'em. Try small worms, not big fat Nightcrawlers.> I
was kind of hoping that the larger worms might just fill the tanks up a
bit quicker. Luckily I can say that none of them have had an
ailment in the years I've had them. (knock on wood) and I don't
want to encourage anything a live food might bring in.
<Agreed.> So if you have any information on earthworms for eels
please let me know. It would be much
appreciated. <I say give it a try - I've seen
even smallish (<8" or so) spiny eels take small worms.>
Thanks Jo <All the best to you, -Sabrina>
Purchasing some spiny eels I was thinking about purchasing
some spiny eels from an online store. Is it wise to have a striped
peacock, a Zig Zag, and a fire eel all in the same tank? <Not
problematical in terms of them getting along, feeding/foods, having
different habitats if this is what you mean> Also, the site I was
planning on ordering from said that spiny eels eventually needed 29
gallon tanks... but I read about people having to put them in 100
gallon tanks, what's the minimum size I can have for one and does
it affect what size of tank I need if I have one of each of the
aforementioned spiny eels? <Mmm, at least a hundred for the Fire
Eel... gets quite large over time, in good health... the others could
live in 29 gallon systems (well-covered!). Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/matacembelids.htm
and the Related FAQs (linked, in blue, at top)> I read
that the eels will eat crustaceans, so I assume a blue crayfish would
be a bad tank mate... Is it wise to order
online? Or would you suggest going to a local breeder or
distributor? Thanks in advance. <Both sources could
work... or be trouble. The spiny eels are quite tough if cared for
well, and doomed if not... Seeing them ahead of purchase is definitely
a bonus, better start if you can find, order them locally. Bob
Fenner>
Ghosts, Knives and something else So how many of each Corys
and/or loaches? <Say four to six Corys or three or four loaches. But
as I said the loaches will get too big in time. You may have to trade
them in at some point. And what are your thoughts on a tire track eel?
<A tire track eel will get over 2 feet. Recommend min tank size is
over 100 gallons. Don> Nicole
Boiled Eel.. >Hi, >>Hello. >Wow incredible site.
>>Thank you. >My sister has a tire track eel and it's
sick, it has boils (?) on its back. That's how she described it to
me. >>Sounds like ulcers, an open sore is my take on
it. This isn't good, though. >What might it be and
how can we fix it? >>We see ulcers of this type most commonly on
goldfish. It's called septicemia (see here: http://www.fishbase.org/Diseases/DiseasesSummary2.cfm?discode=809
) >Do you have any good references for info on curing disease/sick
tire track eels? >>Not specific to tire track eels, but you can
also search for treatments for SCALELESS fishes. >I read on your
site that if it has sores it's likely to die soon? >>Maybe
not so soon, but these afflictions can be very difficult to deal
with. It should NOT be treated in the main display, however.
>She's very found of this eel as she says it has a lot of
personality! >>I'm sure it does, and if you can, search
further on http://www.fishdisease.net/ as well as
looking for freshwater fish forums and sites. Because these
infections can by caused by many bacteria, treatment is rather like
"blasting" with antibiotics. Marina >Thanks,
Cindy
Tiretrack Eels 10/14/03 They have not had an appetite for 3
weeks and I am getting worried so please can any one that is an expert
on them please help me. <I really could use more
info. These are Tiretrack eels? How long have you
had them? What kind of food have you
offered them? How big is their
tank? What are their tankmates? Have you tested
the water? How often do you change the
water? After you answer all of these questions I'll be
much better equipped to help your fish. Just to let you
know, the only food I have ever seen my eels eat is live
Tubifex/black/bloodworms.> and if there is a phone # I
could call to give more detail please tell me. <I'm sorry, we
have no phone service. Emails to this address is the best we
can do.> thanks Jeff <Your Welcome, Pufferpunk>
My zigzag eels mated, babies? >I just received a call at
the office from my wife and my 7 year old daughter, informing me that
we have at least a couple of 1/2" long zigzags in the 90 community
tank. Hopefully I can catch 1 or 2 before they get sucked into the
filter or eaten by the local residents. >>Fish you
*didn't* know were in the system? >Any advice? Should I try and
locate/relocate the nest if the rest of the eggs have not hatched? I
don't see too much advice. >>Boy, you're not
kidding! I'm having a devil of a time finding info, too.
>If anyone is trying to breed these eels, here is the environment:
90 Gallon AGA 40W Daylight Tube Smooth small river rock type gravel
Artificial plants, tall and short Several caves made from slate, as
well as many other nooks and crannies. Light on from 6:30AM to 8:30PM
PH 6.6 Temperature: 77F Hardness: I forget the number, but
it is VERY low. (long island, NY soft, acidic water) Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0 Nitrates: < 5ppm Tank Location: Den
where 7 and 9 yr old kids fight and play Nintendo. :-) Besides the 2
zigzags (about 6"), the tank has: 1 Black Ghost Knife (6-7")
1 Fire Eel 9" 5 Congo Barbs 2" 4 Pearl
Gouramis 3.5" 5 Red Serpae 1.25" 1 Fat 6" brown (turning
yellow) Oranda (don't ask) 1 Male Golden Gourami >>This is a
toughie, to get the little ones out (who have survived being eggs and
larvae thus far) you'd probably have to tear apart the
tank. Truthfully, I think that if Mom and Dad have gotten
down already, they're going to go at it again. I,
personally, would wait and see. Maybe provide some tubes
long enough and thin enough that only *they* can get into, to help
along their chances of survival. Otherwise, I'd leave
them be, unless you wish to remove Mom and Dad to their own breeding
tank. If you do that, this may upset their readiness to
breed, but if you carefully recreate same conditions, and add the
benefits of no food competition and start offering live foods (try to
remember if you had done any large water changes, any changing tank
parameters, etc. to help figure out what induced spawning) chances are
you'll get lucky again with these fish. >Thanks for your help
and keep up the great work! >>Quite welcome, and best of
luck! Marina
My zigzag eels mated, babies? >Hi Marina, >>Good
morning, Bruce. Thank you for your advice. I only saw one of the little
guys, less than an inch long and very wispy. About all I could find on
their breeding is that they lay about 800-1000 eggs. Based
on the size, I would hazard to guess that maybe he was a month old.
>>Well, my thoughts are these: first, if *any* of the larvae have
survived those initial stages, that's a great sign. One
thing you don't want is to end up with a tank full of eels that you
can't house or find homes for. >Looking back, I cannot think of
anything out of the ordinary. I have an eclipse 25 with 2 blue diamonds
and 20 or so Neons that get a 50% water change twice per week, so while
I have the hose out, I give the 90 gallon a 25% change. Filtration is a
pair of Eheim 2217's. I also have two air pumps, one on a wand, the
other on a stone as I keep the tank pretty well sealed due to having
eels. ;-) All of this is on a battery backup. As far as food goes, I
feed flake (Tetra Color) in the AM and late PM. After lights out, I
feed Hikari frozen bloodworms (the only ones that they and the fire eel
will eat) and beef heart. I will keep a log now of water stats, water
changes, and feeding. >>It can only help. And, if
there's someone else out there with the eels breeding, or a breeder
even, hopefully they'll pipe up and offer some more
information. In any event, I say if it ain't broke,
don't fix it. >BTW, your site is great and I have found it a
great resource. I am 44 now. When I was a kid I had a
few tanks. I got back into it when it was our turn to take
home the kindergarten goldfish about 5 years ago. Went out and bought
the eclipse, and then this February, the 90 AGA. My wife isn't a
fish fan, but my kids (both with special needs) love it, so she will on
occasion put some flake in! Once again, thank you for all of your
help and advice. I will continue to be a daily visitor to your site.
>>Very good to hear/know. Glad the site is of such
service, too. Again, best of luck,
Bruce. Marina
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