BGK Tank Mates.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Geez, yea, i never had an angelfish before, so its hard to tell saltwater from freshwater. How many would you recomend with a BGK, Senegal Bichir, a Blue Severum, & 3-4 yo yo loaches (If i can find them)?

^^If i use the Seachem stability, do i need to remove the filter and just let it circulate, or leave the filter in there so it collects stuff like floating residue from the sand and such?

Again thanks for all the help, may sound annoying, but im trying to ensure the safety and health of my BGK...
 
6-8 would be a good number.

Nope, keep your filter and heater running. Add a source of ammonia for the week you're adding Stability. The instructions are on the bottle in regards to that, just follow them to the letter.

Nope, it's okay. Ask away.
 
Just want to make sure I have everything down now..


1 BGK, 1 Senegal Bichir, 1 Severum, 3-4 YoYo Loaches (If I can find them), 6-8 Angelfish..


Dim lighting, lots of plants (?) and lots of caves/logs/hiding spots. I’m not too sure about adding pool filter sand (As suggested in another thread) to the tank for the bottom, so I’ll just buy some normal sand from PS...


I have the idea of food down pretty good, will they also eat like, strips of fish flesh and such, if I drop them in there?
(I have had this problem in the past, but how will I make it so that the BGK and Bichir gets the food they need, without other fish coming in and trying to eat it first? What is the bichirs main diet as well? I have seen pics of them eating other fish, so should I just feed them that same that I feed the BGK?)


Also, would it be ok to put a Root System in the middle, or should I leave the middle open for swimming room?
 
You can put things in the middle, just as long as they don't take up too much room. You just want a nice obstacle to break the line of sight, so that fish can hide from each other relatively easily. Fake plants are okay, just place most of them against the backs and sides, and a small clump in the middle from the back towards the front to set up natural boundaries.

Bichirs are carnivores. I suggest you feed prepared food, something like Massivore, or sinking cichlids pellets from Hikari. My BGK ate those very readily. They can all be fed the same food, just as long as you make sure everyone gets enough. It won't be any trouble with the BGK... it might be a little harder to feed the bichir. Maybe you could find a pipe only he can fit into, and put food in there, and let him find it on his own.
 
Will BGK eat feeder minnows? If so maybe i can drop 2 in or so and the BGK and Bichir ccan chomp on those while the others eat flakes or pellets..?
 
They probably will, but it's not a good idea unless you quarantine them for a month beforehand. Feeding live feeders just isn't a good idea. If you drop enough food into the tank, the angels and severum and BGK will be able to grab enough to eat, while enough will fall into the gravel for the loaches and bichir. You'll just have to learn the balance between too much and not enough food for this combo.
 
I think you're waaay overthinking this. BGK's are pretty hardy and can be housed with a variety of fishes. Mine will eat anything that lands near its hiding spot (including shrimp, fish fillet, peas, and any pellets). I keep it with several bichirs, including a senegalus. Also, my GT and geophagus don't bother it at all. Neither did my TT eel before it jumped.

You have a lot of options, and you can always change things if they bother your BGK. But overall you shouldn't have any unusual problems. Enjoy!
 
alright, thanks guys, i think i have it all down now.. my main worry is overfeeding and the BGK being killed, but you guys have settled that worry, thanks for all the help.. if i cn think up anything else ill ask..
 
Cool. I'm surprised that the Petsmart near you doesn't have yo yo loaches. Mine usually have them in stock. Also, shoaling fish like yo yo loaches tend to be more active and visible in groups of 5 or more. They are very colorful and have nice patterns on them. They are one of the faster growing loaches and get up to 6 inches. Yo Yo Loaches and cory cats will do a great job in eating left over food from the bottom. Petsmart should have green cories which grow up to 4 inches. That's big enough to live with you knife and senegal bichir.
 
They may have them, its been a while since we've gone, the other shops may though, one shop has some pretty wild looking fish.. and according to them, rare ones too... ill try and get 5 of them.. possibly 6..

I was thinking that i'll add my BGK & Bichir first, at the same time, then after a few weeks add the others a few at a time, to make sure they get along with the new additions... after all, this tank is for the BGK first, the Bichir second, and the rest last..
 
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