In the following days I intend to buy 2 Senegal bichirs and 1 delhezi bichir for a 75 gallon tank that I am setting up. Is there any plant recommendations? Any recommendations for tank mates?
Bichir tank mates and plants
- Thread starter graylizard
- Start date
Anubius or Java Fern attached to rock could work. They don’t require a bright light.
I suggest a group of Congo Tetra but must be large enough to not be eaten. Avoid aggressive species such as cichlids.
I can’t seem to find any in my area. Im not to keen on buying anything online. Do you know of a good place that sells them? Is there any other species of fish that would also do well with a bichir?
I keep a goldfish with mine. No agression at all toward the bichirs. It's not overly active that it spooks them, and it eats leftover food if there is any. And of course it's too big to get eaten. My tank is around 74-75°F and it seems to do fine at that temp.
Like I said, Congo tetras. Also other fish such as leopard ctenopama, African butterfly fish, Tiger Scat, Silver Dollar. Any plants work - I have Jungle Vallisneria, Anubis’s, Java Fern, among others.
Thank you for sharing this information with me. I did read that silver dollars were good with bichirs and I’ve definitely seen those a lot more in the pet stores near me. So I will definitely probably look into the silver dollars more than the Congo tetras at this current point and then later down the road get Congo tetras. This information is very helpful. Thank you for all the help so far and I can’t wait to post hopefully about the bichir when I get it.
Congo tetras would make excellent shoaling fish for this tank. You may also want to try a severum and a leopard ctenopoma with an African Knifefish to finish out the stocking. Be sure to get the severum and ctenopoma small and grow them up without feeders if you try this mix.
I've had many leopard ctenopomas, and I have found them to be pretty mellow when I buy them small and grow them out on flake food and pellets. However, the first ctenopoma I ever owned was large when I purchased it, and it was raised on feeders. The fish was a bully, and I had to get rid of it. So, now, I will only buy them small and grow them out on flakes and pellets. I've never had a problem this way. Anyway, just some advice if you want to try this fish. They get on well with severums and bichirs if you grow them up together and avoid feeders, plus they look cool!
Edit: I forgot about the plant part. If you want live plants, skip the severum. It will shred your live plants.
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These are awesome fish, but I'm not sure I would try the scat in a 75 gallon. They tend to get large, and they like to be in schools. I'd probably recommend a 6' 125 gallon tank as a minimum for this fish to hold a group of 5-6 of them.
Silver dollars will eat plants. I currently have a group of 10 in my 300 gallon aquarium, and they shred plants, romaine lettuce, etc. You may want to try a half-dozen roseline sharks instead of the SDs. I've kept these sharks before and never had any problems with them. Plus, they look awesome if you want to have maybe six roseline sharks with 6-10 male congo tetras.
Roseline Shark Freshwater Algae Eaters - Arizona Aquatic Gardens
Temp: 60-77° F KH 4-10 pH 6.8-8.2 Max. Size: about 4″ Native to: India Not truly a shark but actually a very long barb! Unlike most other barbs, the Roseline Shark is a very peaceful fish that is a great addition to any larger community aquarium and are very easy to keep. Roselines should be […]
azgardens.com
From the site: " The Roseline Shark will eat some hair algae, BBA, and other algae types but may also feed on soft-leaved plants, but does not like anubias plants, swords or grasses. Heavily planted tanks is where this shark will survive best. Instead of eating those plants, it will use them for a refuge or territorial border. "