The Fire eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia), also known as the red striped spiny eel, is a large, intelligent freshwater fish popular in the aquarium trade.
Key Characteristics
• Appearance: Dark brown or grey body marked with bright fiery red or orange lateral stripes and spots that intensify as the fish ages.
• Size: Grows up to 33 to 40 inches (1 meter) in the wild, though often slightly smaller in captivity depending on tank size and care.
• Not a True Eel: It belongs to the spiny eel family (Mastacembelidae) rather than true eels.
• Behavior: Nocturnal and bottom-dwelling; they like to burrow into fine sand substrates and hide under driftwood or rocks during the day.
Care and Requirements
• Tank Size: Requires a very large aquarium (typically 100 to several hundred gallons, with adult setups needing extensive length) because of their large final size. Local availability can be checked via specialty suppliers such as Aqua Empire.
• Water Parameters: Prefers tropical temperatures between 72°F and 82°F (22°C to 28°C) with a neutral to slightly soft/hard pH range.
• Diet: Carnivorous; they eat live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, earthworms, blackworms, and small shrimp. They generally ignore dry flake or pellet food.
• Tank Mates: Best kept with peaceful, similarly sized fish. Avoid small fish or shrimp that fit inside their mouths, as they will hunt them.
SKU: RT-789
