think they will survive?

OMG you have a baby clown loach ...whos band doesnt connect!!! Id pay good money for that fish! All my loaches have spots. Have NEVER found a loach like that one, although ive looked and looked.


Back to the eel. WOW hes nice. How big does he get? So hes a meat eater? is he aggressive? my son would LOVE one of those. (since dawn said no to the rope fish)

Thanks a ton for going thru all the trouble posting pics, i enjoyed them

 

Airona if I'm not wrong they get pretty big, over 10'' I guess, could be mistaking tho

 

Distribution:
The Zig Zag Eel was described by Lacepède in 1800. They are found in Asia: Pakistan to Viet Nam and Indonesia. They have been found in still waters but primarily inhabit moving waters, such as rivers and streams with sandy to pebbly bottoms. They are nocturnal and will sometimes partially bury themselves in the substrate during the day, coming out at night to feed on insects larvae, worms, and vegetation. They are used as a food fish in their native countries.

Status:
The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
The body of the Zig Zag Eel is elongated with a long snout. Both the dorsal and anal fins are extended and joined to the caudal fin. Its background coloration is a tan to light brown and it has a dark horizontal stripe running through the eye.
Along the entire length of the body it is patterned with a series of irregular dark markings, but the pattern is only on the upper two thirds of the body leaving the lower portion mostly plain. These markings have a 'tire track' or 'zig zag' appearance which has been used as a common name for this fish as well as several other species of spiny eel.

Size - Weight:
These fish can grow as long as 35 inches (90 cm), though they will not generally exceed about 20 inches" (51 cm) in captivity.

Care and feeding:
The Tire Track Eels are primarily carnivores. Like all spiny eels they prefer a diet of live and fresh frozen foods such as brine shrimp, black worms, earthworms or bloodworms. Some Tire Track Eels can be trained to eat freeze dried brine shrimp or bloodworms but this is not something that can be counted on. They will also eat small fishes so make sure their tank mates are too large to be able to fit into their mouths.
If their tank has a sand or fine gravel substrate, they may burrow into it. Make sure they have plenty of hiding places so they will feel secure in their new home. This species of spiny eel can eventually grow to be quite large so plan accordingly. That cute little 4 inch fish could grow close to 3 feet long! Keep small specimens up to 6 inches in a tank that is at least 36 inches long and about 35 gallons. Larger specimens will need an even bigger area, tanks that are 48 inches in length or longer and 55 gallons and up will be necessary. Provide a tight fitting lid as spiny eels are escape artists. These fish respond poorly to copper based medications, so these should be avoided.

Social Behaviors:
They are a nocturnal species but are generally peaceful and shy. They mostly ignore other tankmates although they may eat fish that are small enough to fit into their mouths. Some species of spiny eels can get territorial and aggressive with their own kind so a general rule of thumb is to keep them singly unless you plan to breed.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
Zig Zag Eels will spend most of their time on the bottom of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Temp: 72 - 82° F (22 - 28° C)
Hardness: 15 dGH
pH: 6.5 - 7.5

Sexual Differences:
Sexual differences are unknown and it is almost impossible to identify the sexes, though a mature female may be more full bodied.

Breeding/Reproduction:
The Zig Zag Eel has not been bred in captivity. Only a few spiny eels have been bred in the aquarium, possibly because they are generally kept singly rather than in a group where a male and female can find each other. Though it is not documented what makes them spawn, trying to emulate the bounty of the flood season can help stimulate breeding behavior. Feed more and higher quality food than you normally would and providing an influx of clean water. Their courtship lasts for several hours, where they chase each other and swim in circles.
The eggs are deposited among floating plants. They are sticky so will adhere to the plants and then hatch in 3 to 4 days. The fry becoming free swimming a few more days after that and should be fed nauplii. The fry are something of a challenge to raise as they are susceptible to fungal infections. Regular water changes and the use of an antifungal water treatment can help.

Availability:
The Zig Zag Eel is commonly available and reasonably priced. Be aware when purchasing that the Zig Zag Eel is often misidentified in its common name as the Tire Track Eel Mastacembelus favus. As these two similar looking eels attain a much different adult size it is important to know which eel you are purchasing. The Tire Track Eel can grow to about 28" in length while the Zig Zag Eel can reach up to 36".

Author: Clarice Brough, CFS

 

I actually the think when he seems fit he'll eat the tetras.

 

If i can find one, im gonna give it a try. If he grows to quickly ill put him in my main tank...which should be fine at full size.

Hopefully ill find one thats only two to three inches long

 

Only problem with them is that they constantly hide. I had one years ago that got to almost 2 feet but would really only see him when it was feeding time. Very nice pattern on the body though. It would eat anything that fit in his mouth. Unfortunetly he trid to eat a cory cat and it got logged in his throat. He died a few days later. I don't think that is a zig zag eel in those pictures however. The pattern is not right on the body. Maybe it will change once it gets bigger.

 

My bad mine was a tire track eel. I just looked at some pictures. Yours is the zigzag alright. He seems to come out in the open a lot. They should have a sand substrate though I believe.

 

I removed your duplicate post

 

np, anytime