are my bichirs slow growing or what!!!

[lix.ma14]

I've alway noticed that my bichirs never grow!! i've kept bichirs for over a year and thought i was quite an expert but now i feel like a noob!! My first ever fish that i personally cared for was albino bichir which I got at 3 inches. That was one and a half years ago. the scary thing is, he only grew a mere inch and a quarter!!
what is wrong!! My mom swears that he's actually shrinking in size!!! my albino eats the most and has the fattest stomach. Would the slower growing be a factor of diet, paracites or ginetic??? OK guys bear with me. i feed my bichirs a steady diet of sinking worm pellets and markey shrimp. is that a good diet?? Could it be because of intestinal worms that cause a slow growth. i fed my bichirs unquarintined feeders about a year ago. never since. My delhezi bichir is also a super slow grower. I got him at 4 inches roughly a year ago and now he's not even 5 inches!! i've heard that bichirs grow an inch a month. please don't flame me!!

boy, I feel a noob...

 

[broken]

If I am seeing what I think I am seeing in your avatar its because you keep your fish on a table instead of your tank lol.

But seriously though, I don't know anything about bichirs.

 

[mike_sema]

1in in a year seems really slow, but I have never owned a del so I really can't be much help.
But try feeding tilapia, all of my polys have grown alot with this.

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[Hao]

You should check your water conditions.

 

[Oddball]

A varied diet including good grade sticks along with cut raw shrimp, crayfish, clam, mussel, fish, earthworms, etc. will provide all ingredients to grow polys to proper size. Add to that proper and regular maintenance (especially frequent water changes) to reduce wastes that the fish's immune system will have to fend off instead of putting energy towards growth and development.

 

[golcondorus]

What are your water parameters, also tank size, temperature, tankmates and how often you feed. Most importantly water parameters and water change regime? That would give us more info to go on


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[SickSauce]

tank size and Vary diet helps alot. My senegel Bichir grew 4" from 5" in less than a year

 

[Infblue]

as far as albino senegal goes, i can tell you they don't have the fastest growth, and they don't really grow that big either. I think I've had like 7 albinos over the years, and only two have somewhat decent growth, one of which reached 10" and fat. it's likely just bad genes from mass farming, selective breeding and inbreeding.

 

[Chub_by]

In a bit over a year my sen grew from 3.5" to 7-8"

 

[JamesF]

My two dels went from 5 and 6" to 11 and 12" in a year. Even two of my retros are starting to show a growth spurt, putting on around an inch in the last month.