Freshwater Aquarium Eels
While most of the people believe eels to be highly aggressive creatures, many aquascapers appreciate them for their intelligence and long term memory. They believe that the creature may be hard to keep. But it’s well worth it, especially when compared to the uniqueness, it can add to a fish tank. Consider adding some freshwater aquarium eels to your tank!
But, of course, before you can become the proud owner of this snake-like aquatic animal, you need to find an optimal species that can survive in your fish tank. We have prepared a list of some freshwater aquarium eels that you can use to find the best species for you. Have a look:
Freshwater Aquarium Eels – Options
Peacock Eels
If you like colors and are looking for an eel that can add a glimpse of beauty to your tank, peacock eel is the best choice. The eel is light greenish-brown in color and has a peacock plumage pattern throughout the body. It will have four to six markings that will look very appealing is optimal aquarium light.
The eel is an excellent choice for beginner level aquascaper. It is non-aggressive and can non-territorial, which means you can pair more than one of these eels in the same tank and also pair it with most of the non-aggressive types fish. Moreover, its full growth size is around 12 inches, so you won’t need a very large tank for it. Something with s capacity of 35 to 55 gallons of water will be enough.
The only thing that you need to worry about is the flooring material and the vegetation level of your tank. This freshwater aquarium eel is a bit shy and likes to spend most of its time in vegetation. Therefore, you should have at least 2 inches of non-abrasive gravels and a lot of plants in your tank.
Other than that, you will also need to ensure that the water temperature and pH of the tank stay between 73 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 6.5 to 7.5, respectively. The hardness can range between 5 to 15 gH, but the oxygen level should remain constant. You might have to change 20-30% of tank water weekly and also ensure a strict feeding routine of 3 to 4 offerings per week to maintain this oxygen level.
Fire Eels
If you have a large tank, consider fire eels for your freshwater aquarium eel. The eel is the largest spiny eel that can grow nearly three feet in length. The species is generally non-aggressive and won’t mind the external environment of the fish passing by, but it can act sometimes. For instance, if you add more than one fire eels to the same tank, they will get aggressive and may even attack each other.
The eels may also not respond well to certain fish species, especially the small once that can fit its mouth. However, the species pose no danger to the owners. In fact, the species is known to remember its owners and recognize them so you can actually hand-feed your fire eels.
Coming back to fire eel’s habitat needs, the species will need at least 55 to 180 gallons of water depending upon the age and size. The temperature of this water should stay between 73 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. While the pH and hardness should be between 6.5 to 8 and 5 to 15 gH, respectively. You will also need to lay a gravel layer of more than 2.5 inches. The eels like to burrow itself inside the eel. Moreover, since the fish is omnivorous and doesn’t come out in high light, you might also have to plants a decent number of plants in your tank. Some stone caves are also a good idea as it prefers to stay inside during the day.
Tire Track Eels
The tire track eel gets its name from the tire mark like pattern on its sand-colored back. The species is a semi-aggressive type eel that can reach upto 2.5 meters in length. You will need a fairly large tank with a capacity of at least 125 gallons to keep them.
The species is known to be very shy in the initial stage. It may spend most of its time hiding during this time. It will need a thick layer of gravel or sand for this purpose. You can also consider placing some rock caves and PVC pipes in the tank. Once the eel gets confident, it will start to show up on the surface and will grow so rank that you might see it snatching food from other fish.
However, it has a strange habit of eating anything that fit its mouth. Its best if you don’t keep small fish in your tank, or it will snack on them. Tire track eel is also highly territorial and doesn’t like to have another freshwater aquarium eel in the same tank.
If you want to have more of them, try to place them all at the same time or within 3 to 4 months. Once this eel learns to stay alone, it won’t tolerate the presence of any other tire track eel in the same tank. Even if it has more than enough space.
Talking of its living environment, the species generally live in running water. It will need water movement in the tank. The water temperature had to be between the 73 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pH of 6.5 to 8 will be good enough. As for the harness, it can range between 5 to 15 gH.
Other than these conditions, you can also consider adding s bit of salt in the water. While the species can survive without salt, it can help you to reduce the risk of parasites, which is an issue with this eel.
Freshwater Aquarium Eels – Conclusion
There are other species of freshwater aquarium eels too. Suchh as redfish, coolie loach, and even electric eel that you can consider. However, these eel species are a bit more aggressive, and the once like electric eel are even dangerous for beginners. Therefore, try to stick with these three species. They will make you a proud eel owner without much risk, hassle, or tricky work. Once you have decided on your freshwater aquarium eels you may want to consider adding some freshwater aquarium plants to your tank.
Alternatively, if you decide that eels aren’t your favorite, you could always consider taking on a freshwater aquarium stingray or even a Hermit Crab!