Senegalus Polypterus Growth

[Tifftastic]

I also experienced a similar growth pattern. I adopted an injured little sen, missing both pectoral fins from fighting during shipping, that grew from less than an inch to 6 inches in a month or so. Like you, I fed a variety of foods. In the next year he grew only two inches or so. He was 9 inches at 2 years when I had to give him up, due to unwanted circumstances. Loved the little guy.

 

[Sha tha Aquarist]

Experimented with this a little bit... Turns out that even if your fish wont eat all of them. He or they will definitely just kill all of them. This might work in a heavily planted 500g aquarium, but anything less than a 125g wont work. Maybe if the predatory fish is small, and the prey is small, and the tank is massive, however *scratches head*. So yeah, if the fish are consistently in fear, they wont breed, if the predatory fish is aggresive, it will kill all the other fish. What a predicament...

 

[framcosco]

From 1.5" to 6 in a month is fast, but not too much out of the norm. It should definitely slow down now or at least not grow nearly as fast length wise. As far as the guppy feeding deal. It really depends on how big of a tank you are going to try this with.

1.5"s to 6"s not too far from the norm?? Really?

 

[framcosco]

But at this age it could turn into a male in a few months. If you got it little only about a month ago there is still time for it to develop into a male so I would wait a little longer (6 months-8 months) and check back to be sure it stays a female or becomes a male.

Bro, please explain.......these are not clown fish.... how can a MALE bichir turn to a FEMALE bichir or VICE VERSA!!!????

 

[framcosco]

Hello fellow MFKs. I just wanted to tell you all about something I noticed about my senegalus bichir's growth. About a month ago, on May 24, I bought a 1.5 inch bichir that looked like a worm. After 1 month, however, he/she (believe it's a he) is now around 6 inches and is thicker than my middle finger! I feed (him) live earthworms from compost, frozen flounder fillet, shrimp pellets, chicken and beef liver, and even fish flakes! Basically (he) eats anything I put in the tank. Has anyone else noticed such spuratic growth from their bichirs? I also would like some advice on a feeder guppy system where the guppies live and breed in the same tank as the bichir, and the bichir eats the guppies whenever he is hungry. I know I want the system to be densely planted, so that the guppies can have a chance to escape and so that the bichir can hunt unnoticed. Any ideas? Thanks!

If your sen grew from 1.5"s to 6"s IN ONE MONTH.... congrats!! never seen that before. I've had sens, endlis, dels, etc. at that size & was never successful at growing them out that fast. But just because I couldn't doesn't mean someone else can't.

 

[Dr.B]

1.5"s to 6"s not too far from the norm?? Really?

Yeah not too far from the norm. Senegals are for the most part pretty fast to that 4"-5" range from small sizes, especially if well fed as described by the OP.

 

[Dr.B]

Bro, please explain.......these are not clown fish.... how can a MALE bichir turn to a FEMALE bichir or VICE VERSA!!!????

A female will not turn into a male genetically, but as far as we can see, their anal fins from birth always look like a female's anal fin. Only when they mature does the Male's anal fin thicken up and begin to look different from a female. I also never said a Male could become a female. I was only explaining how the anal fin could look female, but then a couple months later resemble a male's by process of maturation of the anal fin.

 

[Binge]

Just from trying to add other fish to the tank with my sens In the past I would say a seperate breeding tank for your guppys is a must. Perhaps set up a 29 gallon beside your sens tank with a water bridge guppys may travel through on thier own. You may need to move a few over on your own occasionaly if not enough of them get curious. But it gives the guppys safe breeding ground

I baught 30 giant danios figuring they would get a couple... in a week i had 13 with 3 sens in the 125g tank. Danios are way faster then guppys and far more eratic.