i am thinking bout getting a dinosaur bichir but dont know an ything bout them. i would like to get some gouramis to go with it. sound good or bad? if bad what fish goes well for it? is it a brackish fish?
pullins125
dinosaur bichir great choice have 1 myself and prolly getting others....when it gets big it may try to eat the smaller species of guoramis but it shouldnt eat the larger ones i dont think....it needs a minimum of a 55 gallon tank...and no it is not a brackish fish....it wont be big enough to eat angelfish i kno that
It should do fine with cichlids. THey will most likely eat anything that can fit in its mouth. They should be fine in a pH of around 7. Just so you know, they are called Senegal Bichirs( Polypterus Senegalus). Petsmart usually labels them Dinosaur Bichirs
I was just doing some research about Senegal Bichirs and there are many people that argue about what size of tanks they should be kept in.
I heard anything from 2,000 Liters to 55gallons.
I wanted to get one for my 75 gallon tank but backed out of it cause I dont think it would be the right size for his living conditions. I would recommend at least a 90-125 gallon tank so that he can thrive.
Also if you put him in there with you Cichlids they can a really good competition for his food. Senegal Bichirs can be bullied by the speeds of Cichlids going for their food so you should watch out what kind of fish you go in the tank with them or they will have problems getting food.
These are only my opinions Im not an expert in this but had some experience and reading materials to base this of from.
Hope this helped
I heard anything from 2,000 Liters to 55gallons.
I wanted to get one for my 75 gallon tank but backed out of it cause I dont think it would be the right size for his living conditions. I would recommend at least a 90-125 gallon tank so that he can thrive.
Also if you put him in there with you Cichlids they can a really good competition for his food. Senegal Bichirs can be bullied by the speeds of Cichlids going for their food so you should watch out what kind of fish you go in the tank with them or they will have problems getting food.
These are only my opinions Im not an expert in this but had some experience and reading materials to base this of from.
Hope this helped
Well you can keep it with fast cichlids...
What my friend does in his main display tank is throw the floating pellets in for his cichlids and then toss massivore(a quick sinking carnivore pellet) in the tank, especially where the bichirs hide around. The cichlids may pick off some of the falling pellets, but generally dont bother them once they have hit the substrate. And I would agree that a 55 gallon tank is on the small side for an adult bichir.
What my friend does in his main display tank is throw the floating pellets in for his cichlids and then toss massivore(a quick sinking carnivore pellet) in the tank, especially where the bichirs hide around. The cichlids may pick off some of the falling pellets, but generally dont bother them once they have hit the substrate. And I would agree that a 55 gallon tank is on the small side for an adult bichir.
well i have been just talking to a guy that had one and its starting to attack fish that are twice its size so they are pretty aggressive, so you might want to to watch that with your oscars.
I had Tiger Oscars that were around 9-10 inches and they can be really aggressive back to what bothers them.
Just wanted to let you know before you got some injured fish in your tank or even worse dead ones
I had Tiger Oscars that were around 9-10 inches and they can be really aggressive back to what bothers them.
Just wanted to let you know before you got some injured fish in your tank or even worse dead ones
that comes to say each fish has its own unique personality lol
My eel is a show guy happy as it can be and my buddies same eel is shy as it can be.
Same fish different personalities but be warned of that.
My eel is a show guy happy as it can be and my buddies same eel is shy as it can be.
Same fish different personalities but be warned of that.
G
"cichlids" is too broad of a term to definitively say yes a bichir is ok with cichlids.... you have cichlids that range from an adult size of under an inch and a half, all the way up to cichlids that get a good 4 feet. With that you have varying aggression levels from peaceful to down right hateful.
IME bichirs do well in a semi-aggressive environment, as long as they have a place they can hide, as well as ample food. these fish do not have great eye sight, so feeding them in a semi-aggressive to aggressive environment usually entails hand feeding, or prong feeding (or something similar).
As far as tank size, these fish grow relatively slow in the big picture, and do not move around a whole lot. They do not produce at ton of waste, so a 55 would suffice, but bigger is ALWAYS better. The senegal bichir stays in the smaller end of the bichirs, but others can get 2 feet or more, and obviously need a larger environment.
IME bichirs do well in a semi-aggressive environment, as long as they have a place they can hide, as well as ample food. these fish do not have great eye sight, so feeding them in a semi-aggressive to aggressive environment usually entails hand feeding, or prong feeding (or something similar).
As far as tank size, these fish grow relatively slow in the big picture, and do not move around a whole lot. They do not produce at ton of waste, so a 55 would suffice, but bigger is ALWAYS better. The senegal bichir stays in the smaller end of the bichirs, but others can get 2 feet or more, and obviously need a larger environment.
well here once again i am torn if I want to buy a Bichir to put in my tank with my peac_**************** eel and albino choclate pleco.
I dont want any of them to get hurt or feel threatened but im still confused some of yal say its a good idea others warn me to stay away im SO CONFUSED, SHOULD I BUY ONE IS IT SAFE TOO!!!!
I dont want any of them to get hurt or feel threatened but im still confused some of yal say its a good idea others warn me to stay away im SO CONFUSED, SHOULD I BUY ONE IS IT SAFE TOO!!!!
i got mine. he is in with a leporinus 5", buffalohead 3", and ctenopia 4". no problems at all. getting another to put with some peac0cks, firemouths, and convicts. should worj good. but a little advice frogman, move tetras before the bichir gets big, just my opinion. i put in 5 rosy minnows and the bichir ate 3 of the 5 and mine is still young. i can tell they get aggresive.
my first post! hi! .... ya, so on to bichirs. i have 2 senegals (dinasour eels) and have pretty much researched the hell out of how to responsibly keep them. ill be glad to help you out and ill highlight important points for ya as im sure this will be a good yet long read.
Eating: a diet of something like hikari sinking carnivore pellets or massivore pellets will be a nice staple diet. you can supplement every few weeks with some fresh diced fish fillets from your grocers freezer if you like. just dont get salmon, its too oily. whiting and cod are good. they are "opportunistic predators" so they wolnt deliberately be mean and try to eat tank mates, it just sort of happens. they have bad eye sight and hunt by smell, so if they get a scent they will take a "test bite" to see if it might be food, whether the other fish is actually too big to eat or not. its not uncommon to find a cory cat or something with a missing tail fin due to being kept with a senegal bichir. ~ and i dont suggest keeping them with cichlids since i have heard of cichlids relentlessly tearing at the bichir's tail, its so big and feathery they cant resist. then again i have heard of bichirs being mean to cichlids.
feeding regimen: they may be fed as little as every other day or up to 3 times a day depending on how fast you want it to grow. power feeding (3 times a day) combined with 50% water changes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will encourage massive amounts of growth very quickly.
Tank conditions: tank size for one senegal by itself should be at a bare minimum (and still be responsible) 36" long and 12" wide (senegals do not actually get 12" long, 10" a safe bet in the home aquarium. remember those max growth lengths are from the largest ones ever caught in the wild, fish dont get that big in captivity). a 55 gallon or 40 breeder can hold 2, maybe even 3. they are messy eaters and poopers so a good filter, or two, is needed. ***** must have a sand or dirt bottom ***** senegals do not always bite what they intend to bite. i have heard of even 7" senegals dieing because they accidentally swallowed a peice of gravel and it couldnt pass through their system. its a horrible feeling to have a fish and grow it up to that size only to lose it to something and simple as a single piece of gravel. sand is a good way to go.
yes i realize im writing a book here
they dont like bright lights so make sure there is low lighting in the tank. leave the water level a couple of inches short of the top of the tank so they hae room to breath... they will occasionally go to the surface and take a breath. they have special lungs that allow for use of gills like a regular fish and temporary surface breathing. for this reason they can withstand water conditions that are less than perfect making them harder to kill by accident than normal fish. though i do not recommend letting the water become dirty. water flow- make sure the tank is relatively calm. this will aid in them finding their food since they hunt by smell.
tank mates: dont not keep with: plecos, sorry, i know you have one but they are commonly known amongst bichir owners that plecos will suck on the senegals scale and cause open wounds. other bad tank mates include but are not limited to: any fish small enough to fit into its mouth, cichlids ( i have seen a picture of a senegal with half of a cichlid hanging out of its mouth, the cichlid lived cause it was to big to swallow but the senegal tryd anyway), any thing that has a mouth big enough for a senegal to fit into and has a predatory nature. good tank mates: other senegals and a few other bichirs including the delhezi. there is a long list of "good tank mates" but it is all in theory. they may work out, they may not.
water conditions: no specific pH is needed. they adapt. just cycle your tank and keep nitrate levels low and you'll be fine. so long as the ph doesnt swing outside the range of 6 - 8.
thats about all the really important things i can think of right now. if you have any more questions right now just ask. oh, and one last thing.
THE END
lol good novel huh?
and ill highlight important points for ya as im sure this will be a good yet long read.Eating: a diet of something like hikari sinking carnivore pellets or massivore pellets will be a nice staple diet. you can supplement every few weeks with some fresh diced fish fillets from your grocers freezer if you like. just dont get salmon, its too oily. whiting and cod are good. they are "opportunistic predators" so they wolnt deliberately be mean and try to eat tank mates, it just sort of happens. they have bad eye sight and hunt by smell, so if they get a scent they will take a "test bite" to see if it might be food, whether the other fish is actually too big to eat or not. its not uncommon to find a cory cat or something with a missing tail fin due to being kept with a senegal bichir. ~ and i dont suggest keeping them with cichlids since i have heard of cichlids relentlessly tearing at the bichir's tail, its so big and feathery they cant resist. then again i have heard of bichirs being mean to cichlids.
feeding regimen: they may be fed as little as every other day or up to 3 times a day depending on how fast you want it to grow. power feeding (3 times a day) combined with 50% water changes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will encourage massive amounts of growth very quickly.
Tank conditions: tank size for one senegal by itself should be at a bare minimum (and still be responsible) 36" long and 12" wide (senegals do not actually get 12" long, 10" a safe bet in the home aquarium. remember those max growth lengths are from the largest ones ever caught in the wild, fish dont get that big in captivity). a 55 gallon or 40 breeder can hold 2, maybe even 3. they are messy eaters and poopers so a good filter, or two, is needed. ***** must have a sand or dirt bottom ***** senegals do not always bite what they intend to bite. i have heard of even 7" senegals dieing because they accidentally swallowed a peice of gravel and it couldnt pass through their system. its a horrible feeling to have a fish and grow it up to that size only to lose it to something and simple as a single piece of gravel. sand is a good way to go.
yes i realize im writing a book here
they dont like bright lights so make sure there is low lighting in the tank. leave the water level a couple of inches short of the top of the tank so they hae room to breath... they will occasionally go to the surface and take a breath. they have special lungs that allow for use of gills like a regular fish and temporary surface breathing. for this reason they can withstand water conditions that are less than perfect making them harder to kill by accident than normal fish. though i do not recommend letting the water become dirty. water flow- make sure the tank is relatively calm. this will aid in them finding their food since they hunt by smell.
tank mates: dont not keep with: plecos, sorry, i know you have one but they are commonly known amongst bichir owners that plecos will suck on the senegals scale and cause open wounds. other bad tank mates include but are not limited to: any fish small enough to fit into its mouth, cichlids ( i have seen a picture of a senegal with half of a cichlid hanging out of its mouth, the cichlid lived cause it was to big to swallow but the senegal tryd anyway), any thing that has a mouth big enough for a senegal to fit into and has a predatory nature. good tank mates: other senegals and a few other bichirs including the delhezi. there is a long list of "good tank mates" but it is all in theory. they may work out, they may not.
water conditions: no specific pH is needed. they adapt. just cycle your tank and keep nitrate levels low and you'll be fine. so long as the ph doesnt swing outside the range of 6 - 8.
thats about all the really important things i can think of right now. if you have any more questions right now just ask. oh, and one last thing.
THE END
lol good novel huh?
good information, I have been interested in getting one but am still doing the proper research before I do the purchase
ya, if i had planned better i probably wouldnt have gotten any of these cause iv got to upgrade my tanks for growing fish and its just too much money to take care of these monsters plus others, i also have another species of bichir called a delhezi. they get to about 12" (14" is the "max"). however just one wouldnt be too bad since all thats required is a 30 gallon. and a delhezi and a senegal can be kept together in a 40 breeder since it has extra width.
no one would be bad in a 30 gallon a 12-14 inch fish in a 30 gallon and ive seen a few that past the 14 inch mark i wouldnt put a senegal or delhezi in a 30 or 2 in a 40 these guys like the extra space
12-14 inch fish in a with a tank that is 12 inches wide
2 10 inch plus fish in 3 feet tank no way
i have one of these guys in a grow out 30 gallon until it gets bigger then goes into the 120 but i couldnt imagine keeping one of these guys in there for life i fill bad for it already
12-14 inch fish in a with a tank that is 12 inches wide
2 10 inch plus fish in 3 feet tank no way
i have one of these guys in a grow out 30 gallon until it gets bigger then goes into the 120 but i couldnt imagine keeping one of these guys in there for life i fill bad for it already
i meant 1 senegal -and 1 senegal alone- in a 30 gallon... it is a minimum tank size. yes a delhezi gets too big for a 30. and if youve got pics of a 12" or 14" senegal id like to see that.
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
