Care
The Fire Eel is known from sluggish waters including inundated floodplains and the slower-moving reaches of rivers. Here, this nocturnal bottom-dweller stays partially buried in the substrate during the day, emerging at night to feed on benthic insect larvae, small fish, worms, and some plant material. The Fire Eel makes a great addition to the peaceful fish community where there are no small fish present. The aquarium should be spacious and furnished with a soft sand substrate so that these diggers can wallow and bury themselves. Provide plenty of hiding places amongst plant thickets, bogwood, smooth rocky caves, PVC pipes and so on. Larger specimens are capable of undermining the decor, so do ensure everything is well supported and secure - many aquarists like to place the decor on the base of the aquarium prior to adding substrate around it. Indian Almond Leaves (Terminalia catappa) are also very much appreciated as 'leaf litter', but these must be replaced on a regular basis as they gradually decompose. Lighting should be diffused with the use of floating plants, and it is also a good idea to use a blue moon light timed to come on just before the main lights go out, so that you can view the antics of these nocturnal creatures under their preferred dimly lit conditions. Although they tend to stay buried for much of the day with just their snouts protruding from the cover, they do become very active at night. Fire Eels are not particularly aggressive, but adults will take small fish overnight, so tankmates must be chosen with care. Suggested companions could include large gouramis, good sized peaceful botiid loach species, knifefish, Geophagus spp., Severums etc. The Fire Eel can be rather territorial with its own kind, so is best kept singly. However, groups of 5 or more can be kept in the same aquarium if it is exceptionally spacious and there is an abundance of visual barriers amongst the decor. A larger group will ensure that no one fish bears the continual brunt of any territorial aggression. Clean, well-filtered water is absolutely essential, but keep water movement gentle. Make certain that the aquarium has tight fitting coverslides and no gaps left where equipment feeds into the tank (holes can be blocked tightly with oversized chunks of filter sponge) as these fish are great escape artists.
Feeding
Must be given frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, daphnia etc. Larger specimens will take bigger frozen foods such as Mysis shrimp, chopped krill, prawns, lancefish etc. Dried foods are rarely accepted.
Breeding
The Fire Eel has been bred in the home aquarium, but it is a rare occurrence and details are scarce. The parent fish were over 20" in length, with between 800-1200 eggs deposited in plants. Water parameters were neutral, with the temperature set at the high end of the preferred range. The fry are said to be very delicate and require excellent water conditions and minuscule foodstuffs, taking care not to over- or under-feed.
