gravel in a bichir tank?

[kido]

do you guys think it would be a good idea to put gravel in a tank with bichirs? i've got a 16" congicus and a 15" endlicheri in with a motoro stingray and a peacock bass in a 180 gal and i'm planning to add gravel in a bare bottom tank.. but i recently heard of some bichirs dying to due gravel being caught in their throats when they feed.. has anyone had this experience with their bichirs?

[beblondie]

You'd be safer to use sand or fine crushed gravel to avoid problems with ingestion-Anne

[Fruitbat]

Personally I've always used standard aquarium gravel in my bichir tanks and to this point (after 40+ years of fishkeeping) haven't had any problems. There is no question, however, that bichirs do occasionally ingest gravel while they're feeding and there are well-documented cases of this causing problems. I'm still going to stick with gravel substrate, however.

-Joe

[neoprodigy]

i would uses sand or bare....

[yummyyan]

use fine sand, they luv it.

[kido]

thanks :)

i couldn't find sand with the color i like here, so i'll probably look for fine/small granuled gravel instead..

[guppy]

I like fine grade gravel or coarse sand, it even works for burrowers.

[Cohazard]

I have smallish gravel in my 180 that has 3 bichirs. They're still juvies so when they bite on a pice of gravel they just spit it out.

I've been contimplating removing the gravel before they get to adult hood to prevent any mishaps.

[jay]

i dont think the motoro ray wouldlike the gravel