Albino Senegal Not Growing

[Cfremont23]

Hi everyone this is my first time using this site and I have a albino senegal bichir (It may not be, my LFS tends to mess up names) that just won't grow i've had it for about 6-9 months when it was about 1 1/2 inch and i've fed it little pieces of freeze dried krill everyday to every 2 days and i hasn't grown an inch. Does anyone know whats wrong?

 

[Rocksor]

If it doesn't eat a lot, you won't see significant growth. As long as it is eating, and doesn't have a sunken in belly, it's fine. I have a delhezi for 2 years and it has shown very little growth due to it having a favorite hiding spot and rarely eating (maybe once a week even though food is provided everyday). I removed the favorite hiding spot. It's only recently that it has shown signs of eating quite a bit. It might have to do with my P. retropinnis not being a hog in the last few months.

 

[Cfremont23]

If it doesn't eat a lot, you won't see significant growth. As long as it is eating, and doesn't have a sunken in belly, it's fine. I have a delhezi for 2 years and it has shown very little growth due to it having a favorite hiding spot and rarely eating (maybe once a week even though food is provided everyday). I removed the favorite hiding spot. It's only recently that it has shown signs of eating quite a bit. It might have to do with my P. retropinnis not being a hog in the last few months.

Eating isn't the issue he rips it out of the tongs. When I got it I got 2 of them and the other grew like crazy but then when I moved him into 125 he swam into the fan of my aquaclear wavemaker. But since i got it i've had multiple bigger bichirs go through the tank with the albino. Could it possibly have been a dominance thing that made it not grow?

 

[Rocksor]

Stress will reduce ability to grow. Being an inbred albino further reduces chance of growing because it can have runt genes.
Have You dewormed with both Prazipro and levamisole/flubendazole?

 

[Cfremont23]

Stress will reduce ability to grow. Being an inbred albino further reduces chance of growing because it can have runt genes.
Have You dewormed with both Prazipro and levamisole/flubendazole?

I've never dewormed any of my fish. Should that be something I start doing?

 

[Hendre]

I would usually be concerned about worms, but seeing that it's tank raised the possibility is reduced. Does the fish have a sunken belly? Please post photos

 

[Cfremont23]

I would usually be concerned about worms, but seeing that it's tank raised the possibility is reduced. Does the fish have a sunken belly? Please post photos

 

[Hendre]

The fishes belly looks full. This is indeed odd. Try to diversify the diet with pellets and small pieces of cut fish.

 

[Cfremont23]

The fishes belly looks full. This is indeed odd. Try to diversify the diet with pellets and small pieces of cut fish.

ok I'll try that, but he's only 2 1/2 inches

 

[Rocksor]

ok I'll try that, but he's only 2 1/2 inches

Lying down like that can still hide a concave belly. That's what happened with my polli and retropinnis. A shot of the underside would definitely rule out a concave belly.