Bichir with Arowana, common pleco, and Bala Sharks?

[Masa_Rov]

Hi, folks.

I saw some young albino bichirs (polypterus palmas, I believe, but I will have to ask the owner of the LFS).

I was thinking of adding one to the tank where I have a silver arowana, a common pleco and bala sharks.

I read here that it should be fine with the aro (which right now is about 6"--perhaps a tad shorter). But will the balas or the pleco get pestered by the bichir?

The largest bala is 4"; the smallest, 3''. The pleco is either 7 or 8''.

The bichirs I was looking at were about 3 inches.

Is that too small for the aro?

Should I wait until the balas are larger

Thank you for any help you can give me with this.

Masa_Rov

 

[Koji]

Actually you shouldn't base on what's their size now to decide if they'll be good mates in there but go into their growth rate. Some fishes grows faster than others and thus you must know which will pose a threat to which fish in another months time or so.

 

[beblondie]

I'd let the bichirs growout some they could look tasty to the arrowanna.The real concern is the pleco bothering the bichir.Some common plecos are notorious for eating slimecoat off bichirs the removal of slimecoat is bad but worse is the damage to the bichirs scales a plecos rasping teeth can bring-Anne

 

[Masa_Rov]

Thank you, I should keep in mind especially with the arowana's fast rate of growth.

 

[Masa_Rov]

I'd let the bichirs growout some they could look tasty to the arrowanna.The real concern is the pleco bothering the bichir.Some common plecos are notorious for eating slimecoat off bichirs the removal of slimecoat is bad but worse is the damage to the bichirs scales a plecos rasping teeth can bring-Anne

Thank you for the advice. Should I then get a bichir that is, say, 6 or 7" (about the arowana's length and an inch or so shorter than the pleco)? Perhaps I should add that I had this particular pleco with several discus for about a year and it never bothered them.

 

[rayman45]

i would get 8 - 10 inch
just to be sure.
ime all arowanas grow fish

 

[Masa_Rov]

I found today a nice 4 1/2" bichir (polypterus palmas). It had been at this shop for about 3 weeks, and it eats readily frozen and freeze-dried bloodworm and shrimp. Tankmates are silver arowana, pleco, and balas. A biotope it is not!

 

[CDM]

Totally aggree with what Anne stated. So, it's already in your tank now? Just keep monitoring the pleco. It starts when sometimes other tankmates bite at the bichir, and leave wounds with internal fluids leaking out. The fluids would stimulate the appetite of the pleco, and attract pleco to suck the bichir. Once it taste the easy and nice food, it learns and won't stop after then. Btw, the albino bichirs are most probably albino senegals.

 

[Masa_Rov]

Totally aggree with what Anne stated. So, it's already in your tank now? Just keep monitoring the pleco. It starts when sometimes other tankmates bite at the bichir, and leave wounds with internal fluids leaking out. The fluids would stimulate the appetite of the pleco, and attract pleco to suck the bichir. Once it taste the easy and nice food, it learns and won't stop after then. Btw, the albino bichirs are most probably albino senegals.

Yes, it's been in the tank since yesterday afternoon. So far, it has been very active and it has been eating very well.

This particular pleco has been particularly good with other fish such as discus. I hope I am right when I think that it will not bother the bichir. But I will keep an eye on anything of the sort you mention. Thanks.

Masa