are silversides a healthy staple diet for ornate bichirs?

[sdraiders619]

They are the only thing my 7 inch ornate bichir will eat, I also just ordered seachem garlic guard to soak the food in, is it OK if I soak all his meals in garlic or should I vary it?

 

[Chub_by]

Vary it. They contain thiaminese which is ok ocasionally but not as a sole food. Try getting him on shrimps and tilapia.

 

[bottles]

If your ornate will take dead fish, it should also take prawn, shrimp and other fish filets.
I don't believe that true silversides (from the atherinopsidae family) have thiaminase. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I feed silversides regularly, and I'll cut back on them if they do; not 100% sure.

 

[sdraiders619]

I meant should I vary the times I soak his food in garlic? And thanks for the quick responses

 

[Chub_by]

If your ornate will take dead fish, it should also take prawn, shrimp and other fish filets.
I don't believe that true silversides (from the atherinopsidae family) have thiaminase. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I feed silversides regularly, and I'll cut back on them if they do; not 100% sure.

Possible. People fuss too much about Thiaminase anyway.