My first Polypterus Senegalus

[Vcygnus1]

I had an empty 55 that just finished cycling, so.. I went to my LFS and guess what they had a dragon eel! Immediatly I knew it wasn't an eel but a bichir but wasn't sure what type so I got him and a black ghost knife. So I got home and they both eat Live brine shrimp,bloodworms and the usual foods. I am glad to finally have my own little "monster fish". :grinno:


P.S. the ghost is about 4 inches and the bichir is about 5

[Fruitbat]

Congratulations on the pickup!

The 'dinosaur eel' is indeed Polypterus senegalus. They are generally a very active species of bichir and will max out at about 12 inches and live in excess of 20 years. It should get along reasonably well with your Black Ghost Knife.

-Joe

[cenecker]

"dinosaur eel" "dragon eel" - why do they think they have to give stupid names to sell it?

[Vcygnus1]

The ghost and bichir share an area witch(sp?) is secluded by driftwood. It is cool watching them interact. The ghost knows where the bichir is and follows him but when food hits the water the ghost leads the bichir.

Also what tankmates would be suitable that I can keep long term?

And the people name them eels so people respond to them. Would you, just starting out in the hobby buy something called Polypterus Senegalus as your first fish for your ten?LOL

[sandtiger]

Both fish grow very large...the black knife growing larger then the bicher. I personally would not keep the ghost in a 55g. I suppose you could always eat it if it got to large, thats what at least a few members seem to do. Or kill it is some other manner.

[beblondie]

''Also what tankmates would be suitable that I can keep long term?
heres the 2 qualifiers to your question
non agressive
and big enough not to be eaten
Tankmates will also depend on the size of your tank but here are some possibilities
Tankmates
Below is a partial list of possible tankmates for the small to midsized bichirs species.Parameters I used are based on size, temperment and availabilty . And i believe is a good starting point for you to do further research before purchasing -Anne
CATFISH
Dusky Pimelodid-Pimelodus blochii
Giraffe Catfish-Auchenoglanis occidentalis
Dwarf giraffe Catfish-Parauchenoglanis macrostoma
Giant Whiptail Catfish-Sturisoma aureum
Synodontis alberti
Synodontis angelicus
Synodontis pleurops
Synodontis decorus
Synodontis eupterus
Synodontis notatus
Synodontis brichardi
Synodontis nigrita
Synodontis flavitaeniata
Synodontis soloni
Liver Catfish-Heteropneustes fossilis
Black Lancer-Bagrichthys hypselopterus
PLECOS
Bristlenose-Ancistrus dolichopterus
CHARACINS
Silver dollar-Metynnis argenteus
Distichodus notospilus-Distichodus notospilus
Congo tetra-Phenacogrammus interruptus
Black-Barred Myleus-Myleus schomburgki
Filament tetra-Bryconaethiop microstoma
EELS
Peacock Eel- Macrognathus aculeatus
CICHLIDS *(see note)
Two-Spot Cichlid-Cichlasoma bimaculatum
Tilapia joka-Tilapia joka
Oscar-Astronotus ocellatus
Severum-Cichlasoma severum
Kribensis- Pelvicachromis pulcher
Sparkling Earth Eater-Satanoperca acuticeps
Blue acara-Aequidens pulchrus
Balzani's Earth Eater-Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Blood Parrot Cichlid-Hybrid no scientifc name
Blue-Eye Cichlid-Cichlasoma spilurum
Festivum-Mesonauta festivus
African Peacock Cichlid-Aulonocara nyassae
Balzani's Earth Eater-Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Bandit Cichlid-Aequidens geayi
Blockhead Cichlid-Steatocranus casuarius
Callolepis Cichlid-Cichlasoma callolepis
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid-Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Keyhole Cichlid-Cleithracara maronii
Port Acara-Aequidens portalegrensis
Uaru- Uaru amphicanthiodes
LABYRINTH FISHES
Ctenopoma .acutirostre-Ctenopoma .acutirostre
Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus-Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus
Ctenopoma kingsleyae-Ctenopoma kingsleyae
CYPRINIDS
Variegated Shark-Labeo variegatus
Bala Shark-Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Red-Finned Cigar Shark-Leptobarbus hoevenii
Tinfoil Barb-Barbodes schwanefeldii
Chinese Algae Eater-Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Clown Loach-Botia macracantha
MISC.
African mudfish-Phractolaemus ansorgei
Black Ghost Knifefish -Apteronotus albifrons
Elephantnose-Gnathonemus petersii
African butterfly-Pantondon bucholzi
African Knifefish-Xenomystus nigri
hope that helps -Anne

[sauroid]

i'd pick tankmates that would occupy the middle and upper part of your tank and wouldn't bug the senegalus and the bgk. something like a small group of spotted silver dollars (Metynnis maculatus) or pink tailed chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus), or even the new barb Puntius denisonii (they grow to 7").

[freeform]

congrats dude.

[zhuangsw]

The ghost and bichir share an area witch(sp?) is secluded by driftwood. It is cool watching them interact. The ghost knows where the bichir is and follows him but when food hits the water the ghost leads the bichir.

Also what tankmates would be suitable that I can keep long term?

And the people name them eels so people respond to them. Would you, just starting out in the hobby buy something called Polypterus Senegalus as your first fish for your ten?LOL

thats cool, congrats on getting a senegal =)

since they are bottom feeders, keep fishes that are either middle or top dwellers.

for middle, there is the siamese tigers
for top u can get a arowana, a sliver would be nice since USA doesnt allow asians.

so you can have a tank of dragons and tigers! cool?!

[DRaGoNoVA]

''Also what tankmates would be suitable that I can keep long term?
heres the 2 qualifiers to your question
non agressive
and big enough not to be eaten
Tankmates will also depend on the size of your tank but here are some possibilities
Tankmates
Below is a partial list of possible tankmates for the small to midsized bichirs species.Parameters I used are based on size, temperment and availabilty . And i believe is a good starting point for you to do further research before purchasing -Anne
CATFISH
Dusky Pimelodid-Pimelodus blochii
Giraffe Catfish-Auchenoglanis occidentalis
Dwarf giraffe Catfish-Parauchenoglanis macrostoma
Giant Whiptail Catfish-Sturisoma aureum
Synodontis alberti
Synodontis angelicus
Synodontis pleurops
Synodontis decorus
Synodontis eupterus
Synodontis notatus
Synodontis brichardi
Synodontis nigrita
Synodontis flavitaeniata
Synodontis soloni
Liver Catfish-Heteropneustes fossilis
Black Lancer-Bagrichthys hypselopterus
PLECOS
Bristlenose-Ancistrus dolichopterus
CHARACINS
Silver dollar-Metynnis argenteus
Distichodus notospilus-Distichodus notospilus
Congo tetra-Phenacogrammus interruptus
Black-Barred Myleus-Myleus schomburgki
Filament tetra-Bryconaethiop microstoma
EELS
Peacock Eel- Macrognathus aculeatus
CICHLIDS *(see note)
Two-Spot Cichlid-Cichlasoma bimaculatum
Tilapia joka-Tilapia joka
Oscar-Astronotus ocellatus
Severum-Cichlasoma severum
Kribensis- Pelvicachromis pulcher
Sparkling Earth Eater-Satanoperca acuticeps
Blue acara-Aequidens pulchrus
Balzani's Earth Eater-Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Blood Parrot Cichlid-Hybrid no scientifc name
Blue-Eye Cichlid-Cichlasoma spilurum
Festivum-Mesonauta festivus
African Peacock Cichlid-Aulonocara nyassae
Balzani's Earth Eater-Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Bandit Cichlid-Aequidens geayi
Blockhead Cichlid-Steatocranus casuarius
Callolepis Cichlid-Cichlasoma callolepis
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid-Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Keyhole Cichlid-Cleithracara maronii
Port Acara-Aequidens portalegrensis
Uaru- Uaru amphicanthiodes
LABYRINTH FISHES
Ctenopoma .acutirostre-Ctenopoma .acutirostre
Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus-Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus
Ctenopoma kingsleyae-Ctenopoma kingsleyae
CYPRINIDS
Variegated Shark-Labeo variegatus
Bala Shark-Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Red-Finned Cigar Shark-Leptobarbus hoevenii
Tinfoil Barb-Barbodes schwanefeldii
Chinese Algae Eater-Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Clown Loach-Botia macracantha
MISC.
African mudfish-Phractolaemus ansorgei
Black Ghost Knifefish -Apteronotus albifrons
Elephantnose-Gnathonemus petersii
African butterfly-Pantondon bucholzi
African Knifefish-Xenomystus nigri
hope that helps -Anne
gd effort!!! :cheers:

[Vcygnus1]

Thanks for all the help guys (especially beblondie) I went to the petsmart and they had some even littler ones! Suffice to say I now own a 2 incher also. I was afraid the big one would eat the little un' but he ended up liking it. So now I think I am going to get either severums or some silver dollars. Polypterus are the coolest fish I have ever owned and would like it to go smoothly, so I feed them mysis shrimp and blood worms. Can I feed them squid and krill? I am getting beefheart for them also. Is that enough variety for now?

Sorry for the long post, figured i could get all the q's out at once lol.

[beblondie]

''Can I feed them squid and krill?''Yes you can just remember to rotate the items on the menu.When they get a bit bigger add some ghost shrimp to the tank.It was amusing to watch.Mine just followed the shrimp around not to sure what they were for a good 15-30 but they figured it out lol-Anne

[FormulatedFire]

they give them stupid names so the average guy can pronounce the fish he wants and doesnt have to studder and feel bad when he tells his friends what he purchased.....same reason why we same humans or people instead of our scientific name

[beblondie]

''Dinosaur eel'' is pure marketing plain and simple.Long before they were classified
scientificly as polypterids they were reffered to as ''lobe finned pike'' and before that ''bichirs''-Anne
WHY BICHIR?
When Europeans (French) discovered the genus Polypterus in 1809 it had already been known along the Nile since the time of the pharoahs. The local peoples referred to them as bichirs (unknown pronunciation and spelling). While unable to come up with an exact meaning for the word it was most likely a descriptive term (''whip'' has been suggested) for this type of fish.

The French most likely pronounced it as phonetically as possible to the orginal native word and came up with bee-sheer as a pronunciation and spelled 'bichir'. Since this would be the name of these fish for
several years until they were scientifically described and put into the proper family it became an accepted common name.

However the correct English pronunciation is up for grabs. Several dictionaries all have their own pronunciation including the below:
bee cher
beech er
biker
*****er
bi cher
Also known by the common name lobed fin pike
The name Polypterus : poly=many + pterus=fins and is pronounced po-lyp'-terus.

[Vcygnus1]

excellent points. What would you guys buy a dinosaur eel or a polypterus senegalus if you went to petsmart for your 10 gallon tank? I belive, after having these wonderful creatures you should know what you are buying.

[Vcygnus1]

Just a follow up. I was watching my fish and ironicly the little bichir picks on the big bichir. It is funny to watch though. The little one waits for him to get food then he takes it out of his mouth and runs away quick enough to where the big bichir can't eat him. Needless to say the big one is going back.

P.S. i chose the little one because one he is more energetic,two by the time he gets five inches I would like him to at least not be afraid of me

[zhuangsw]

Just a follow up. I was watching my fish and ironicly the little bichir picks on the big bichir. It is funny to watch though. The little one waits for him to get food then he takes it out of his mouth and runs away quick enough to where the big bichir can't eat him. Needless to say the big one is going back.

P.S. i chose the little one because one he is more energetic,two by the time he gets five inches I would like him to at least not be afraid of me

cool! i have 4 of them, 2 normal grey eye senegal and 2 short body albino senegal.

they are really active whenever they smell food in the water, and yes u can feed them anything meaty.

from feeder fishes, to live/frozen worms, frogs and market prawns. they really like floating goldfish pellets though, but my albino's do eat my arowanan pellets. coz it has much higher percentage of shrimps and smells better, compared to normal cheap goldfish pellets which is mostly flour.

[Vcygnus1]

I just got back from the fish stores and they said they would only take the little one. I also got some feeder shrimp, feeder fish, 3 3+ inch swords(babies will be good quality live food), and a little pictus cat. I am happy that I now have a little movement in my tank.