Your Oldest Bichir??

I'd really love to be able to say in 20 years I've had my polys since I was 21 lol, that seems to be the consensus online that their life span is in that range, although I bet it could be longer given the right environment and not being moved around a lot. What's your oldest? (What size did you get it at, how long have you had it best estimation etc)

Right now my oldest poly is my Ornate, I've had him for over 3 years from a tiny fry less then 2 inch to the 9 inch beast he is now. I was lucky enough to meet someone who's or wild ornates had bred and I was the first one to get one from them so I picked the best looking, eating, and plump one they had haha. So for him I know the exact age, if he would eat pellets more regularly I bet he'd be bigger by now but he's finicky being spoiled by live blackworms since birth

But my 15 inch Ropefish is estimated to be 5-8 years old so he would be oldest member of Polypteridae.

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baconmeupscotty said:

I got my first in Oct '12 at about 2 inches so I'd say he's close to two. I'd be interested to know how old my wc ones are; they were already 8 inches when I got them shortly after they came stateside. Maybe 2-3 years old? I imagine their growth in the wild is at a similar rate.

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I'd imagine so, maybe even a little faster as they are mainly scavengers when that small, it could also pertain to getting big enough to avoid lessen the chance of being eaten. I'm absolutely going to dissect and find that age bone in my wilds so I know for sure how old they were (when they pass... Which I hope isn't going to be for at least a decade).

rodger said:

I have an Endlicheri, about 18", that was imported in 1995. I have never asked how big it was then. I have only had it about a year. This fella can eat some damn big fish! He ate a nice 4" Distichodus Lusoso, a couple 5" Dempsey's and a 4" Convict yesterday. I can't keep any of my small poly's around him. I am afraid he will chomp them down.

Edit: He just ate the Convict yesterday, not the other.

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Damn!! Sounds like he can down tankmates with the best of them never saw a lusoso in person but I know 5 inch Dempsey are pretty thick at that size. My ornate ate a 4 inch Senegal when he was 7 inch which surprised the hell out of me. Since then I'm very careful with what sizes I mix with, being extra careful with my f1 teugelsis from Rapps. They're about 5-6 inch now but I'm still afraid my ornate at 9-10 inch might get em. Other then that my only other incidents like that with bichir have been my ornate eating an arcara threadfin that was 4 inch when he was like 7 inch he looked like he was about to burst!


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