Bendy Bichirs?

[Spiritofthesoul]

Before you start flaming, please note that this is just a hypothetical question
and I am by no means subjecting my bichirs to such things

I'm wondering, would it be possible to keep a bichir in a tank which width is much smaller than the length of the bichir?
For example an 2ft bichir in a 1.7~1.8 width tank.

My thinking is that since they are "bendy" due to their snake-like bodies, they shouldn't have any problem turning around in a tank with such a short width. The only thing they can't do is chill out facing the tank.

Your thoughts?

 

[Chris E]

As long as the tank had sufficient length I wouldn't see any theoretical reason why it couldn't be done.

 

[Yellow_Perch]

yea why not rope fish are ok in tanks like 55G so it should able to do this..

 

[tokyogasmask]

IMO, all fish should have AT MINIMUM their body length as tank width.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

because some bichirs like endli can get quite thick .
I wonder what is the degree of bending a full grown can take

 

[tokyogasmask]

My full grown Endlis would most definatly have problems turning in a tank with a width less than it's length.
As would my larger laps and Bichir Bichirs.

 

[Cholly]

Ropes not a problem. But bichirs get a LOT thicker, as it has been noted. I'd say it's probably possible, at least if the width is close to it's length and there's enough length and water volume, but it would be less than ideal. It's one reason I don't have anything bigger than a senegal right now. I have an 85, but it's six feet long, the width is the same as a standard 55.

 

[Morledzep]

i don't know.. my bichers are quite active.. they don't just chill on the bottom of the tank and do nothing. they seem to enjoy swimming around with the cichla. and they wouldn't be able to do that in a tank that the width was less than their length. there is no "chill" in my bichers.