Tire Track Eel (Mastacembelus armatus)

Question
Hi,
My name is Tyler and I am really hoping you can help me. I currently have 2 Chinese Algae Eaters, Convict Cichlid, and 2 Green Terror Cichlids in my 20 gallon aquarium and i was looking on making a new addition to my tank, the Tire Track Eel. I was really hoping you could help me understand somethings such as: Can I use Aquarium salt with them? Will it out grow my aquarium? Food recommendations?
I really hope you can help me out:)
THANK YOU!

Answer
Hello,

I can help you with two out of three of your questions! You can use aquarium salt with nearly every freshwater fish, and yes- tire track eels are among the fish you can use it with. But as with any freshwater fish, never use too much of it!

For food, I recommend the same basic diet that you feed your other fish. However, if you don't already give your fish little treats of blood worms, brine shrimp or mysis shrimp you should. These can provide different nutrients then standard flake/pellet foods and are a welcome change for your fish. All of them come in frozen or freeze-dried varieties. I find the frozen one to be more popular with the fish because they are a little more 'moist'.

Unfortunately because I've never had a tire track eel I can't tell you how big they will get. If you really want one, then I would recommend getting one and if he grows too big it may be time to upgrade to a bigger tank. If upgrading is not an option, then you may want to stay away from any potentially large fish. The pet store you get your eel from may be able to tell you how big they grow.

I hope this helps!

Best of luck,
From Stephanie