Bichirs eat my stock?

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toehead11183

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 4, 2006
3,538
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Memphis, tn
I have a 280 (6'x3'x2't). Want to add some delhezi or senegals ( both around 8-10") but worried about them trying to eat my current stock of 2.5" clown and yoyo loaches, 10" fire eel. Also have some large doradids and blood parrots

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It should be ok if you get smaller bichirs. I have bichirs with 5+" loaches.


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I have a 12" ropefish and a 6" polypterus retropinnis with 3 4" yo yo loaches...
 
If you don't want anything happening to your loaches then I would remove them. Even with their sub ocular spine, they are a nice streamline tidbit for larger bichirs. I personally wouldn't risk it.
 
In my experience, it seems like most predatory fish are much less likely to view bottom dwellers like catfish and loaches as food, as opposed to mid-to-surface minnow/perciform fish. For instance, my 5 inch senegal began stalking down some 2.5 inch killifish immediately, while he showed zero interest in the bumblebee catfish or kuhli loaches which were also around 2.5 inches.
 
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