# Spiny Eels with Afican Cichlids



## whalebite (Jan 11, 2017)

So as I have been rearranging my tanks I was thinking of moving my Pundamilia nyererei in with my Spiny Eel. It is a Mastacembelus frenatus that is about 5.5-6 inches long. I have kept it with Cyps, but you can keep them with most community fish. I have wanted to put the eel in with my Lake Victoria Cichlids for a little bit. I know people keep spiny eels with African cichlids a lot, I don't know how they all turn out. The eel is a pretty dainty thing right now, but I have seen a similarly sized yellow-tail eel in with some big haps that where much longer than it. I have heard cichlids tent to leave eels alone, and I have found they tend to leave most bottom feeders alone, my big Red Zebra hasn't really bothered my yoyo loaches I keep with him, but he did try an fight a featherfin syno. The male nyereri is the fish I am concerned about, he is starting to put on mass, but is still not a very big cichlid (maybe 2.5-3 inches at this point). He however is kept with plenty of smaller BNP and a petricola or petricola dwarf and although will chase them if in his way, he tends to ignore them and bother the female nyereri. The other fish don't look chewed up on their fins of bodies. My concerns are feeding the eel with I do with a turkey baster, and having the cichlids competing and chasing the eel away, or giving an injury to the eel, such as bitting off the nose or a chunk out of the tail, which again I haven't seen on BNP or my small catfish. Should I take the risk?


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I wouldn't risk it because it would be extremely difficult for the eel to compete for food and would probably end up being a target.


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## whalebite (Jan 11, 2017)

I eventually want to keep the spiny with the vics, but it is still a rather small. Which is my hesitation, although the Nyereri have been not been very aggressive towards any fish I have housed with them.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Nyererei are usually very aggressive...if I wanted an eel I would design a tank just for the eel.


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## whalebite (Jan 11, 2017)

Cichlid Aggression is what I am most worried about. eels can be fed in cichlid tanks using a glass bottle, the cichlids cannot get in so the eel can feed in piece. Although I have preferred target feeding over this, I am certain that glass bottle feeding works. Regardless I have decided not to keep the eel with haplicromines, at least until it reaches a more impressive size, however I still probably won't.


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