Does my peacock eel need a friend?

[mollybabes]

I have one, and it never comes out. At all. It stays hiddenall the time in a decoration, and the only way it comes out is if I make him by taking the decoration out of the water. He used to be in a 29 gallon tank with all small fish (danios, algae eaters, and baby mollies) and a rocky substrate, and he would bury himself in the rocks, and I could see his head. He would also come all the way out only at night, when the light had been off in the tank as well as in the room the tank is in, and if there had been no noise (like the tv) for a while.
Now he is in a 60 gallon tank with med. sized fish (giant danios, mollies a swordtail, a small weather loach, knight goby, gouramis,rosy barbs, algae eaters, clown loaches and black tip sharks) and a sandy substrate, and he never comes out at all. He's been in this tank for over 3 months, and I've never seen him bury himself in the sand. I am considering switching to gravel again because I don't like the way my plants are doing with the sand, or how my filter is working with it.
So, I was wondering if getting him a friend would make them come out more. If anyone has any other tips as to what I can do to make him come out more as well.

Thanks!

[dethjam316]

i have 2 "eels", a zig-zag and a tiretrack. neither comes out very much, and i've had both for over a year now...the zig-zag for more than 1 1/2 years. the tiretrack is much more frequently seen burrowed in the sand (the tank they are currently in is 3/4 sand, 1/4 medium gravel), while the zig-zag's hiding spot is currently a bit of a mystery. sometimes i don't see one or the other (or both) for days or weeks!

mine get along fine. that said, most of the info i can find on the net suggests that all spiny eels are territorial, that they will not usually get along with conspecifics or closely related other spiny eels. luckily, my eels tend to ignore each other most of the time. they are RARELY seen hiding out together. so in any case, i don't think there is much you can do to get yours out into the open more often. they prefer to remain hidden...especially during the day, as the only time mine are ever out swimming around is late at night, well after the tank lights have been turned off (much likes yours). in the past, my eels have been kept in all-gravel or all-sand, and together or apart. they still hid the same proportion of the time.

so in conclusion...i don't think it makes too much of a difference. they will still tend to burrow around and find hiding spots wherever they can. it's in their nature, and it's what i believe keeps them happiest and healthiest in captivity. i don't think buying another will solve your problem, but it might make matters worse. i'd suggest that mine are the exception. in fact, my eels will likely not be able to stay together as they get older and larger anyway.

so if you want to change to gravel, go ahead, as long as it's not a large gravel. a small or medium size will might help your plant and filter problems, and i don't think it will effect the eel too much.

[Andy16]

Mine was nocturnal, so if you turn the light on in the middle of the night, you will see it a while, unless it shoots back into the sand.

They usually hide all day, i never saw mine eat.

[dethjam316]

mine ONLY eat live food....brine shrimp and black worms primarily, with the worms being the favorite. if you feed live black worms late at night, the chances of seeing some hot eel action dramitically increase.