Tanganyikan Eel - Red Gills + Bottom

[Jakezori]

I just bought a 5" Tanganyikan Eel and I love the guy. He is incredibly shy, but beautiful. I have a couple questions though. First, why are the poor guy's gills red and what is the little sack like thing under him.

A bit unrelated, how could it be that my tap has a ph of 7.4 and my qt tank has a ph of 8.4 when I didn't add anything? (There is some limestone in the tank, but not much.)

Anyway, my sincerest apologies for the horrible pictures. 174094174095

[toddnbecka]

No clue what's going on with the belly, but it looks badly emaciated. Red gills may be ammonia burn, parasites, or simply irritated by something in the environment. Most Tang spiney eels prefer to burrow in the substrate just like their Asian relatives. Not being able to take cover will only increase the stress on the fish. Try feeding frozen bloodworms, if it lives you may be able to switch it over to NLS pellets.

[blue2fyre]

I agree he looks very thin. Tanganyikan eels are all wild caught and it looks like he's had a rough transport. I would try to get him eating ASAP. Try blood worms and if that doesn't work try some live black worms. Mine goes crazy for both. The limestone is most likely causing the high PH which is good. These guys come from a lake with a PH as high as 9. Once eating he should be fine. I'm not sure on the species, (I have an elipsifer) but mine has been really easy to care for and even switched to pellets on his own.

[Jakezori]

I'll get on the bloodworms asap. He's not eating other stuff. The pet store wasn't exactly good to him. The water he is in is 100% cycled, clean, and PH friendly for him, so I guess he is just stressed or still hurt from the LFS.

Thanks

[Jakezori]

Bloodworms = success

I'll continue to feed him bloodworms, but I don't want him to get hooked on goodies (unless he can just live off of only bloodworms). Suggestions? Also, he will be in my 29 until he gets a little bigger and then hes getting moves to the 90 gallon. Any ideas on tank mates for the 29/90?

[blue2fyre]

Keep feeding blood worms everyday for a while and he'll be fine. You can try other frozen foods along the way. Mine ate only blood worms for the first few months I had him and he was fine. He didn't care for frozen krill but likes frozen brineshrimp and live black worms.

For tankmates other Tanganyikans are the way to go. Mine lives with some shell dwellers and calvus and doesn't bother either. They tend to mind their own business.

[Jakezori]

Any big Tanganyikans that would play nice with him?

How big is your eel? He doesn't eat the shellies?

[blue2fyre]

Mine is 8" long and I've had him since last July. He doesn't bother the shellies since it's easier to just wait for me to give him food. They have really small mouths. They will eat eggs and possible fry though mine left newborn endler fry alone. I started with my eel in a 29 gallon then upgraded him to a 40 breeder. Once large enough he'll go in a 80 gallon.

For larger tankmates it would depend on the size of your eel. Like I said before calvus and comps are a good choice and they eventually get to be 5-6 inches. Trets would be an option, leulupi, cyps, brichardi ect.

This would be mixing lakes but I would think some malawi haps would be fine.

[Jakezori]

Thats awesome! I forgot how small there mouths were haha. You should post a pic of the guy.

What I really want is to have him with a Frontosa (in a 125), but I'm not sure how it will work out. My thought is that if I raise him with a mpimbwe or a 7 stripe it will be fine, but I don't want the eel to get slurped up like a noodle. Realistically I think it would work if the eel is big enough and there are some other "distractor" fish for the front, but I'm not sure. The only reason I am thinking this far ahead is because if I could have him with a front I want have to raise him with the front.

[toddnbecka]

I had a pair of plagiostoma eels that lived on frozen bloodworms with frozen brine shrimp as an occaisonal treat for variety for several years. They spawned multiple times, but the male ate the eggs. They were housed in a 29 until I lost them due to a power outage.
A front would eat the eel.

[blue2fyre]

I think it would depend on the species. Some stay small and some get bigger. I think yours is a Mastacembelus tanganicae, which is one of the smaller types meaning a front would eat him. I have seen larger species like elipsifers kept with fronts and it seemed to work. It would be a rick though.

This is the most recent picture of my eel. He's slowed down growing and has started filling out. Most interesting fish I have ever owned.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=173461&d=1302449986&thumb=1

Here's an older picture of when he was about 6" long
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=135898&thumb=1&d=1283883628

[Jakezori]

Thanks for all of the help everybody, especially you blue2, your eel is absolutely awesome.

[blue2fyre]

How's he doing?

[Bodenhimer]

How big do these get??

[bvanzant2]

Does any one know where to buy the mastacembelus plagiostoma? (online preferably)

[toddnbecka]

Atlantis in NY has them more often than anyone else, and definitely the best price when they're available: www.cichlids.net (http://www.cichlids.net)