How come my bichirs never friggin grow!!!

[lix.ma14]

Ok, say that the fish are stunted. What if I now start changing the water more regularly and I feed them varieties of food. Will they start growing again. They are still 'babies"

PS: my weeksi still has it's external 'lungs" for almost one year now! Is that a problem?

 

[Hao]

Ok, say that the fish are stunted. What if I now start changing the water more regularly and I feed them varieties of food. Will they start growing again. They are still 'babies"

PS: my weeksi still has it's external 'lungs" for almost one year now! Is that a problem?

Most likely they won't start growing again.

 

[anarekist]

i do a 50% water change every other day (over stocked) and i also feed my bichirs a variety of food, bottom dwelling wafers, algae wafers, carnivoir and massivor all haikari. cichlid bio gold sinking pellets, salmon, tlapia, shrimp sticks, some are even versatile enough to eat granuals. i want to go further and give em worms and shrimp more but thats such a hassle i havent really given em those too much.

my point is maybe you just need to step up the keeping to an all time consuming level lol

 

[yama]

Good post. anarekist thx for tht tip on growth rate of uppers. To lix.ma14 I find tht pellets as a staple are cool however i get the most growth when I go whole fish and or fish fillets, beef heart lite on tht one and fish organ meat. It will increase your water changes but the bichir seem to frenzy on the fish organ meat and fish parts. I mean they seem to grow overnite on whole fish NO JOKE. I like tht mike-sema is feeding convicts. i need to do this as they I am sure are better for the fish than golds or rosies. I also do raw chicken breast here and there as kevin said. It can be messy so I target feed tht. Stay in the game!!! Try sum or all of these alternatives see wat works best for you. I highly recommend feed whole fish tho. You could find some small enough @ an international market or breed your own and gut load with omega one or hikai. I do this to my bug prey for me lizards. Good luck and keep us posted. Just my 3cents

 

[yama]

I also dnt think they are stunted. Just stay with it and feed a variety and make whole fish as well as pellets ur staple. I am most certain you will see a change. However the more often you feed the more water you will have to change. Also would not hurt to add a bo-wheel or two 350-400or an extra canister if you have the loot.

 

[JamesF]

You need to increase your water changes if you want really good growth. Your tank is stocked fairly well. 30% weekly isn't enough. Increase to two 30% water changes per week, or go with 50% weekly.

 

[Rome]

You need to increase your water changes if you want really good growth. Your tank is stocked fairly well. 30% weekly isn't enough. Increase to two 30% water changes per week, or go with 50% weekly.

Unless you do water tests you have no idea what to do wc at. My African tank literally can go a month until nitrates get too high above 40. Dovii tank not even a week.


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[King-eL]

30% water weekly is not enough. Reason why ur fish is not growing as the pheromones in the water is way too high. Fish produce pheromones as a self defense against out growing the environment they live in. The smaller the volume the higher the chance of the pheromones to rise up. Doing more water change reduces this but you cannot completely remove it as the fish will continue to produce them anyway just keep doing water change. I say for keeping juvenile fish I do 75-80% water changes. Temp at 85-86F to make their metabolism high to digest food fast so they can eat more again. Food dont just stick to pellets. I found pellets only diet dont really make them grow fast. Whole fish with min protein of 40% are good.

 

[lix.ma14]

wow guys!! you guys are huge help!! Thanks

 

[lix.ma14]

are market shrimp good for growth or is fish alot better cuz I feed them shrimp but (again) they don't grow.

this is what I am going to do from now on:

feed them once a day with either,

.market shrimp

.massivor pellets

.talapia

.sinking worm pellets

. hikari algae pellets

.chicken

water change 50% once a week.

do you think they will have a giant leap of growth in a month? what else should I add?