Bichir Q's

[Ninjouzata]

Have made this thread as am not getting responses anymore on my other thread (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?564107-75g-Help)

How does having a canopy on the tank work? I would like to know if it's something beneficial to have with bichirs since have heard they like to try and escape. -- From reading the primer it sounds like having a canopy doesn't do much as you still need to do something with vinyl straps..? Can someone elaborate please, I am not a DIY person at all

How does the substrate affect the bichirs coloration? And in what amount of time? I was thinking of doing part of a tank with light sand and the other part with black. I want them to have the best coloration they can have though.

Also wondering if they have been known to bite. I think I read of at least one person getting bitten by their bichir. What's it feel like/how dangerous is it to me & the bichir?

It seems like a lot of the ones I've seen on here are wild, how do you handle this when you get them? QT? Do they need to be given some sort of meds while in QT to make sure they aren't carrying anything? -- I have read on the stickied primer about salt bath & then QTing with anti-parasite meds. I'd still like to hear from ya'll and see if maybe you recommend a different med than what is on the primer.

Was also reading that there are different patterns/coloration between captive & wild? I want to try and get the best looking ones I can find but not sure how to go about that. I imagine that's partly why everyone has multiples of the same kind, since they all have something different about them.

Thank you to whoever responds!

 

[tlindsey]

Go to forum for polypterus, and read some of Be blonde threads you gain lots of info

 

[Ninjouzata]

Go to forum for polypterus, and read some of Be blonde threads you gain lots of info

I posted this in the polypterus section, and I read her primer. It only answered some of the questions I have. Thank you though!

 

[Dr.B]

Have made this thread as am not getting responses anymore on my other thread (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?564107-75g-Help)

How does having a canopy on the tank work? I would like to know if it's something beneficial to have with bichirs since have heard they like to try and escape. -- From reading the primer it sounds like having a canopy doesn't do much as you still need to do something with vinyl straps..? Can someone elaborate please, I am not a DIY person at all

How does the substrate affect the bichirs coloration? And in what amount of time? I was thinking of doing part of a tank with light sand and the other part with black. I want them to have the best coloration they can have though.

Also wondering if they have been known to bite. I think I read of at least one person getting bitten by their bichir. What's it feel like/how dangerous is it to me & the bichir?

It seems like a lot of the ones I've seen on here are wild, how do you handle this when you get them? QT? Do they need to be given some sort of meds while in QT to make sure they aren't carrying anything? -- I have read on the stickied primer about salt bath & then QTing with anti-parasite meds. I'd still like to hear from ya'll and see if maybe you recommend a different med than what is on the primer.

Was also reading that there are different patterns/coloration between captive & wild? I want to try and get the best looking ones I can find but not sure how to go about that. I imagine that's partly why everyone has multiples of the same kind, since they all have something different about them.

Thank you to whoever responds!

For the canopy part most poly keepers like to keep lids on our tank because polypterus are known to jump if given the opportunity. A lot of people like to make very elaborate canopies to accommodate their polys needs to breath but keep them in the tank. IMO all you really have to do is keep the water about 1-2" lower than the top of the tank and keep a solid lid on that your polys can't knock off.
The substrate makes their colors vary. There are a couple main ones that affect their colors and patterns. Black draws out a greenish type coloration in the upper jaws and makes their almost their whole body get darker than on other substrate. I personally have had polys on Pool Filter Sand for a couple months, Black sand for a couple months, and bare bottom for about a month, and gravel for about 6 months. IMO Black sand made my polys look very green and brought out very nice patterns and colors. However my experience is with upper jaws. Lower jaws (however I have not kept on yet, and this is according to other people who have kept them) seem to do better on reddish sand. I've herd that greenish sand brings out colors while reddish sand brings out patters. IMO I have had upper jaws on Black sand and would definitely do it again. A white sand usually doesn't get them to their potential coloration. When I had my polys on white sand they looked very washed out and the ones that weren't washed out looked absolutely amazing on black sand. So sand color matters, but it's really only a personal preference type thing.
I'm not sure if anyone has been bitten, but I know that Mike was cleaning his tank or moving decor or something and one his polys got scared and in it's mad dash away accidentally hit him with his finlets. I think there was another person that had a similar thing happen to them, I just can't remember their name. I don't think that it's extremely dangerous but the one poly that did it to him was I think 20 something inches long. So if you have smaller polys than it's not really that big of a worry. If you have larger polys and are afraid of something like this happening to you, I would just go to the dollar store or something and get a grabber to use for anything in your tank.
I think that the QT process is different depending on who you ask. My QT is look at them in the bag for external parasites, then when they are done acclimating and are in the tank I usually throw some food in there a couple days later to see if they'll eat. Now if they don't eat that is far from a bad sign but it's certainly something to keep a mental note. If I miss something I usually treat the tank. I don't do the most thorough QT process mainly because when I order I usually order in about 4-5 polys each time. So It's hard to get every single parasite if there are ones. Another is because I get my polys from JA and I know for a fact that they QT and do a very good job at it. That doesn't meen that if the place you get your polys from QT's theirs doesn't keen you should at least look for anything abnormal.
For some there are different patterns and that mainly because in the wild their patterns and color have a purpose. In captivity their patterns and colors are pretty much just for looks. However that doesn't meen a CB can't have just as good or better patterns than a WC.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Wow, thank you for such a wonderful response Dr. B!

This tank will have a lid, but not sure how/if I need to be weighing it down with something. It'll be a 75g and am planning for a delhezi, palmas palmas, and palmas buettikoferi, so smaller ones, I think?

I absolutely adore the green coloration on them so definitely going for black! Something I was wondering though is I was thinking to do black, with a middle area of lighter sand.
Would this affect their coloration having that patch, even if they lay on the black sand?

Ooh ouchies! I had read about the finlets in the primer, was more thinking of their teeth as I didn't really think of them getting spooked, glad to know, will try to be extra careful when moving things in the tank.
I am not scared at all, more concerned about them, especially if they were to take out a chunk of skin from a bite, no idea how well their tummies would take it.

Glad to hear about JA's QTing as planned to get mine from there. I'll definitely try to look them over though, just not exactly sure what I'd be looking for. Is it usually quite obvious?

Thank you again for such a great response, I feel silly writing so little in return but you pretty much explained clearly everything I was wondering about!

 

[Dr.B]

Wow, thank you for such a wonderful response Dr. B!

This tank will have a lid, but not sure how/if I need to be weighing it down with something. It'll be a 75g and am planning for a delhezi, palmas palmas, and palmas buettikoferi, so smaller ones, I think?

I absolutely adore the green coloration on them so definitely going for black! Something I was wondering though is I was thinking to do black, with a middle area of lighter sand.
Would this affect their coloration having that patch, even if they lay on the black sand?

Ooh ouchies! I had read about the finlets in the primer, was more thinking of their teeth as I didn't really think of them getting spooked, glad to know, will try to be extra careful when moving things in the tank.
I am not scared at all, more concerned about them, especially if they were to take out a chunk of skin from a bite, no idea how well their tummies would take it.

Glad to hear about JA's QTing as planned to get mine from there. I'll definitely try to look them over though, just not exactly sure what I'd be looking for. Is it usually quite obvious?

Thank you again for such a great response, I feel silly writing so little in return but you pretty much explained clearly everything I was wondering about!

For the sand I would honestly either keep it one solid color or mix all of it together. I have not seen results of have divided parts of sand but if you wanna try it go ahead and post pics of your fish because I'd like to see the result coloration. And to weigh down your lid I would just put bottles of chemicals (like your water changing chemicals) or something laying around that what I do it with.

 

[Ninjouzata]

For the sand I would honestly either keep it one solid color or mix all of it together. I have not seen results of have divided parts of sand but if you wanna try it go ahead and post pics of your fish because I'd like to see the result coloration. And to weigh down your lid I would just put bottles of chemicals (like your water changing chemicals) or something laying around that what I do it with.

Hmm..I think I'll leave the sand part up to my dad then! Oh, what about the background, does that affect their coloration?
Are the chemicals really heavy enough? Or are they not that strong when they attempt to jump out? -- I am not saying you're wrong, since it seems to have worked for you, just curious!

Thank you again!

 

[Dr.B]

I don't think the background affects it as much but I think it may help with the coloration a little. As far as the lid I have a 2" gap in between the top of the tank and water line so if they try they'd need more momentum. Another reason is my kids are glass so they have a little bit of weight to them so a heavy top and some random stuff to pile on top of it and you should be pretty good.

 

[Ninjouzata]

I don't think the background affects it as much but I think it may help with the coloration a little. As far as the lid I have a 2" gap in between the top of the tank and water line so if they try they'd need more momentum. Another reason is my kids are glass so they have a little bit of weight to them so a heavy top and some random stuff to pile on top of it and you should be pretty good.

I'm all for helping with coloration! I'm just not sure what kind to use though since most of the fish are darker..so if I go with a dark background, I'm going to have a hard time seeing them. Thinking of using blue, or one of the backgrounds that has lush green plants.

Ooh, the lids that are coming with the tank are not glass I don't think. I suppose I could put books or some stones on the lids, but am worried about damaging them.

Thank you again! Should hopefully be getting the tank & filter soonish so I can start cycling. Now I need to start looking at what plants we should get.

 

[Dr.B]

I'm all for helping with coloration! I'm just not sure what kind to use though since most of the fish are darker..so if I go with a dark background, I'm going to have a hard time seeing them. Thinking of using blue, or one of the backgrounds that has lush green plants.

Ooh, the lids that are coming with the tank are not glass I don't think. I suppose I could put books or some stones on the lids, but am worried about damaging them.

Thank you again! Should hopefully be getting the tank & filter soonish so I can start cycling. Now I need to start looking at what plants we should get.

yeah just put some books or rocks on them that did it for me. And for the background theres some really cool rock backgrounds that look very natural.