Tank setup
A minimum 200L aquarium suits Spiny Eel. Match décor to natural behaviour — plants, rockwork, or open swimming room as needed.
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Freshwater Fish
Other Community Fish
Uncommon
Spiny Eel
Macrognathus siamensis
Macrognathus siamensis
pH
6.5 - 7.5
Temperature
24° - 28 °C
Max size
30 cm
Min tank
200 L
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What to know before you buy.
A peacock-spotted burrowing eel that spends daylight buried in sand. Requires a soft substrate, a very tight lid and small meaty foods; will eat fish small enough to fit.
Select a tank to see how this species fits.
Everything you need to keep Spiny Eel healthy in a South African setup.
A minimum 200L aquarium suits Spiny Eel. Match décor to natural behaviour — plants, rockwork, or open swimming room as needed.
Keep pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–28°C. Stable parameters matter more than chasing perfect numbers — acclimate new arrivals slowly.
Spiny Eel is carnivore — frozen and live foods. Feed a varied diet appropriate for freshwater fish — quality flakes, pellets, or frozen foods sized to the mouth.
Spiny Eel is generally nocturnal, secretive, escape artist. Observe during feeding and at lights-out for true temperament.
Pair with similarly sized nocturnal, secretive, escape artist tankmates in freshwater fish. Avoid fin-nippers or species that outgrow this fish.
Breeding notes for Spiny Eel vary by line and water chemistry — ask your local shop about proven pairs in SA.
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Price tracking started 18 Jul 2026 — chart builds as listings are updated
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Species that typically work alongside Spiny Eel in a similar setup.
Australian Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia splendida
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Dario sp. ‘Myanmar’
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Epiplatys annulatus
Boeseman's Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia boesemani
Bluefin Killifish
Lucania goodei
Golden Wonder Killifish
Aplocheilus lineatus
Giant Gourami
Osphronemus goramy
Kissing Gourami
Helostoma temminckii