FW EEL

Most aquarium hobbyists keep a range of popular freshwater or marine fishes and invertebrates. But in recent years, there’s a new and exciting kid on the block in the world of fishkeeping: freshwater aquarium eels.

The freshwater eel is a fascinating animal that is increasingly finding a place in many home aquariums around the world. There are many different types of eels, some of which aren’t eels at all, but fish. Eels come in different sizes, from the small 11-inch Peacock eel right through to the enormous 8-foot electric eel that might suit you if you’re an experienced fish keeper with a very large aquarium.

Feeding

Freshwater aquarium eels are carnivorous, and they’re actually fairly straightforward to feed.

What To Feed Your Freshwater Aquarium Eels

In nature, freshwater eels eat crabs, shrimp, amphibians, and fish that are small enough for the eel to swallow. Generally, the larger the eel, the larger the prey it can take. So, bear that in mind if you’re going to keep your eel in a community tank.

Aquarium-kept eels can be fed live foods, such as shrimp, feeder fish, and Thai micro-crabs. Eels will also take frozen meaty foods, but be sure to thaw the food first in a small amount of tank water. Sinking pellets that are formulated for carnivorous fish and eels can be fed, too, as a supplement to the eels’ staple meaty diet. Fresh fish can make a protein-packed addition to the menu.

To add variety, try including fresh or frozen bloodworms, earthworms, and blackworms.

Tank Size

Aquarium eels vary in size, but we don’t recommend keeping any species of eel in a tank of fewer than 35 gallons.

As a good rule of thumb, you should allow 10 gallons of water per one 15-inch eel. So, a larger species of around 25 inches will need a bare minimum of 20 gallons of water to be comfortable.

Decorations

Eels are bottom dwellers, and most species appreciate having somewhere to hide. So, you should include caves, rocks, overhangs, twisted roots, and driftwood in your setup. You can also include a piece of plastic or terracotta piping that the eels will use as a hiding place.

Again, to replicate the eels’ natural well-vegetated environment, dense, heavy planting is the way to go. Java fern, American Eelgrass, and Elodea are all good species to use, and you should include some floating plants that will help diffuse the lighting in the aquarium.

During periods of activity, eels do appreciate plenty of space to swim, so don’t clutter the tank with too much décor.

Water Temperature

Most popular freshwater aquarium eels are tropical animals that need a water temperature of between 72° to 82° Fahrenheit.  

Water Hardness And pH Range

Water hardness of between 5 and 15 dKH with a pH in the range of 6.5 to 7.5 suits most eel species.

Lighting

Regardless of what eel species you’ve chosen, all need low lighting to feel comfortable and safe. If the lighting in the aquarium is too bright, you most likely won’t see much of your eel, as it will be hiding away until the lights go out at night.