keeping african cichlids with a fire eel

[luminia9]

Still got my two peacock eels in the tank, and the cichlids are giving them a hard time. Found another tank for them, but now I'm thinking of adding a new eel to the mix. Considering a fire eel or a tire track eel. Had a fire eel before, didn't work out - it wouldn't eat and eventually passed away. LFS has both fire and tire tracks available, so I'm torn. What are your thoughts on this?

[floriks]

Considering your cichlids' pH requirements, I'd advise against getting another eel. African cichlids thrive in high pH environments, whereas eels don't. What's the size of your tank, by the way? Many eel species grow huge. I've observed that eels tend to be relatively inactive, often burying themselves in the substrate and waiting around, which makes them easy targets for your cichlids.

Synodontis catfish make a far more suitable choice for a bottom dweller in an African cichlid tank. They may not be as unique, but they generally adapt well to the water conditions. A tire track or fire eel can grow up to 2-3 feet long, so you'd need a massive tank to accommodate them.

[axonix9]

I've got a fire eel in with my sa cichlids and it's been a breeze, no issues whatsoever, I reckon it's because he's a decent size, about 60cm, and the cichlids just give him this weird look like they're not sure what to make of him. He's actually quite active, swims around most of the day, and I love how he zooms in and out of my hands when I'm near the tank, top-notch fish, really.

[luminia9]

Considering your cichlids' pH requirements, I'd advise against getting another eel. African cichlids thrive in high pH environments, whereas eels don't. What's the size of your tank, by the way? Many eel species grow huge. I've observed that eels tend to be relatively inactive, often burying themselves in the substrate and waiting around, which makes them easy targets for your cichlids.

Synodontis catfish make a far more suitable choice for a bottom dweller in an African cichlid tank. They may not be as unique, but they generally adapt well to the water conditions. A tire track or fire eel can grow up to 2-3 feet long, so you'd need a massive tank to accommodate them.

I've seen fire eels do well with cichlids, so I'm not sure what to think. My tank's a 55 for now, but I'm planning on upgrading to a 125 or even a 200 gallon in the next year or so. The eels at my LFS are really small, just an inch or two long, and my cichlids are still babies. I've noticed my peacock eels hide all day now, but they didn't when they were alone - I feel bad for them, they're getting picked on. I love freshwater eels, so I'd really like to keep one, but I'm not sure why my cichlids don't pick on the fire eels. I do have a 10 gallon shrimp tank that I could temporarily put a fire eel in until it gets bigger, but I don't really want to keep it in such a small tank.