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Fire Eel
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii
📍 Southeast Asia
A large and visually stunning spiny eel from Southeast Asia, displaying a dark brown body with distinctive red-outlined yellow spots and stripes that become more vivid with age, reaching up to 36 inches. It is a burrowing fish requiring a deep, soft substrate and a very large tank (100+ gallons for adults), and will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth.
Care Guide
Diet
Fire eels are carnivorous and require a varied diet of high-protein foods including frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, small fish, and quality sinking pellets. Feed 2-3 times weekly, adjusting portions based on tank size and individual appetite. Juveniles may require more frequent feeding than adults.
Behavior
Fire eels are nocturnal and spend much of the day burrowed in substrate, becoming more active at dusk and night. They are solitary and territorial, displaying semi-aggressive behavior toward tankmates, particularly smaller fish they may view as prey. They are generally peaceful toward larger, faster fish but will hunt anything small enough to swallow.
Breeding
Breeding fire eels in captivity is extremely rare and poorly documented. They require very large tanks (150+ gallons), specific water conditions, and significant maturity to attempt spawning. Most captive specimens are wild-caught, making successful breeding nearly impossible for hobbyists.
Tank Mates
Similar size and nocturnal behavior; both bottom-dwellers that avoid direct conflict
Fast-moving, appropriately sized, and active enough to avoid predation
Large schooling fish that occupy mid-water; may work in very large tanks but monitor closely
Large, robust fish that won't fit in eel's mouth and occupies different water column
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, flashing against substrate, labored breathing
Raise temperature gradually to 28-29°C, use quality ich medication, perform 25% water changes every 2-3 days
Bacterial Infections
Torn fins, open sores, cloudy eyes, lethargy, loss of appetite
Improve water quality, use broad-spectrum antibiotic medication, maintain pristine tank conditions
Parasitic Infections
Excessive mucus coating, scratching against substrate, weight loss, visible worms
Use anti-parasitic medication, perform frequent water changes, quarantine affected individuals
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, discoloration at fin edges, progressive fin loss
Improve water quality, perform daily 25% water changes, use fin rot medication if severe
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Water it likes
- ph
- 6.5–7.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)