Hi, I have a 5 inch Umbee going into a 300 gallon tank soon and I was wondering if he could have any tank mates, I was thinking a bichir might be a good idea because some types can get quite large. Thanks
Umbee and bichir together?
- Thread starter Jonathann04769
- Start date
I cant speak on how the umbee would react. Interesting question im looking forward to seeing what others say.
As for the bichir it will completely ignore the umbee. I would stick to lower jaws though. They are the larger growing species and less likely to become a meal. Endlicheri, lapradei, PBB, congicus, and the various sp.s
You could do an ornate they get a decent size. Id stay away from teugelsi even though get get long they stay pretty slim. Weeksii ate slow growers. The rest of the upperjaws stay too small imo.
Also get one thats a decent size. Id aim anywhere from 10 inches and up. Once they hit the 12 inch range they slow down and at that size your umbee is safe from predation as well. I keep a 6 inch heterospilus with 18+ inch bichirs with no issues
As for the bichir it will completely ignore the umbee. I would stick to lower jaws though. They are the larger growing species and less likely to become a meal. Endlicheri, lapradei, PBB, congicus, and the various sp.s
You could do an ornate they get a decent size. Id stay away from teugelsi even though get get long they stay pretty slim. Weeksii ate slow growers. The rest of the upperjaws stay too small imo.
Also get one thats a decent size. Id aim anywhere from 10 inches and up. Once they hit the 12 inch range they slow down and at that size your umbee is safe from predation as well. I keep a 6 inch heterospilus with 18+ inch bichirs with no issues
Wouldn't risk it, Umbee are highly territorial and 300g is barely enough space to fit a full grown one. There is a good chance they will tolerate each other as juveniles and young adults, but the umbee will eventually grow tired of the bichir's presence and will attack it. If you over stock your tank to prevent territories from being formed then there is a better chance of having both the bichir and umbee survive in the same tank, but it could also very easily turn into a blood bath as well.
Of course this is based on the umbee being a male. If the umbee you put in is a female there is a higher chance of co-existence if the bichir is just large enough to not get bulling but small enough to allow the umbee to grow without getting eaten if they both grow at a relatively even rate (unlikely since bichirs are usually nocturnal and thus are less likely to be fed properly). A female umbee has a better chance of co-existence because they generally only reach a foot in length. Generally speaking size is king whenever an hobbyist considers co-existence because under non-breeding and feeding circumstances smaller fishes will never bother larger fish if there is enough room. Thus, a 300g is perfect for a female umbee and any bichir that grows over 12".
If you are dead set on getting a life long tankmate for your umbee then it really comes down to the fish's personality. A hyper aggressive fish will ensure nothing can live with it while a more tolerant fish may only attack cichlids. Just for reference my female umbee was also bought at around 4". However, despite her small size, when I put her into a 180g to grow out (I had nothing else on hand at the time) she dominated the other cichlids who were well over a foot in length. Of course afterwards she never bothered them outside of feeding but on that first day she firmly established herself as top dog. She lived to be 4years old and 14" TL and since she was top dog with an attitude I had to let her keep the 180 all to herself all her life. So if you really want an umbee with a tankmate just remember not even the females are 100% safe :^)
Of course this is based on the umbee being a male. If the umbee you put in is a female there is a higher chance of co-existence if the bichir is just large enough to not get bulling but small enough to allow the umbee to grow without getting eaten if they both grow at a relatively even rate (unlikely since bichirs are usually nocturnal and thus are less likely to be fed properly). A female umbee has a better chance of co-existence because they generally only reach a foot in length. Generally speaking size is king whenever an hobbyist considers co-existence because under non-breeding and feeding circumstances smaller fishes will never bother larger fish if there is enough room. Thus, a 300g is perfect for a female umbee and any bichir that grows over 12".
If you are dead set on getting a life long tankmate for your umbee then it really comes down to the fish's personality. A hyper aggressive fish will ensure nothing can live with it while a more tolerant fish may only attack cichlids. Just for reference my female umbee was also bought at around 4". However, despite her small size, when I put her into a 180g to grow out (I had nothing else on hand at the time) she dominated the other cichlids who were well over a foot in length. Of course afterwards she never bothered them outside of feeding but on that first day she firmly established herself as top dog. She lived to be 4years old and 14" TL and since she was top dog with an attitude I had to let her keep the 180 all to herself all her life. So if you really want an umbee with a tankmate just remember not even the females are 100% safe :^)
Never kept a bichir with an umbee but IME bichirs have been all but ignored by even my most aggressive cichlids. They’re about the only thing I consider putting in an aggressive set up.