So my "tang" eel is doing great, he's growing like crazy and feeds on everything from live to flake foods. So far he's a great lil' fish (although I do suspect him of stealing a brood of calvus eggs...)
One thing I've noticed is that the N. leluepi DO NOT LIKE HIM!
When he comes out to feed, they attack him hard...Full mouth bites by some decent sized adult leluepi (3-4+). However, the eel dosn't seem to be botherd by this at all....The leluepi will be nailing him hard from the back of his head, all the way to his tail, and the eel just keeps on doing whatever he was doing before (usually searching for food!)...Not only does he completly ignore them, but he seem no worse for the wear...no teeth marks or torn spots...no visible wounds at all....
My theory....these spiny eels are adapted to steal eggs from cave and substrate spawning cichlids...in order for them to be able to do this, they have evolved a very tough "skin".....it also explains why I have had no more succsesfull broods since I added him...I don't think even the most vigilant calvus or leluepi could keep him out, he's just not bothered by their attacks....
any thoughts?
These guys are tough predators, i mean tough! They hunt mostly by smell an only have two weak points, their eyes and their nasal tubercles.
They are really fast healers, as are most spiny eels, and my tyre track and banded eels are unphased by cichlids.
Spiny eel's flexible snout and mouth mean that they can suck items from relatively small gaps, the reason i dont worry about protein pellets in the coral gravel lol.
Yes i think it highly likely that he would seek out high protein diets, especially as you have him on feeders, also you have no more hatchlings, a high protein diet will make this eel grow like crazy
After all if you was a mother lelupii and this thing has stolen your previous broods wouldnt you want to go postal on its spiny ass? :laugh:
Yep, Oddball, I think we are both thinking along the same lines then....
Great info bud! Everything you said seemed to go along with what I've either experienced or read about the fish...
I have to admit that this spiny eel has quickly become one of my favorite fish!...Once I have more fry grow out space (my current calvus brood is starting to get big enough to sell) I will have to seperate him and the calvus, as I fully intend to keep breeding my wild caught calvus trio....