Bichir with aggressive cichlids.

[Covetous]

So I've actually never kept a Bichir at home. But I've always admired the ones we get in the shop. The owner keeps a large saddled bicher in the 500 with aggressive fish. (Giant gourami, peacock bass, midevils, jags, ect ect) and he never seems to get bothered.

My question is, is this typical? Or is he just getting lucky due to the size of his tank?
Would this work for smaller tanks? Say a 180 or 210? Would it work with other large aggressive cichlids?

 

[magpie]

There are people here who mix them... I don't have experience with it yet but am planning something like what you're talking about. I'm going with some of the milder cichlids though. But there are definitely options. Since they occupy different levels of the tank and are shaped differently I think that's why it can work.

 

[Covetous]

Yeah, plus his fish are always after each other and leave the Bichir alone. But then again I don't plan on overstalking and having beat up fish like he does either lol. So I was just curious others opinions.

 

[kno4te]

J jaws7777 and DMD123

 

[DMD123]

I have a buddy who keeps large ornate with amphilophus (red devil, midas, etc.) and has had great success. The cichlids pretty much just ignore them but this is also a big tank, at least 240+ gallons going by memory.

I have kept milder cichlids with my polys and no issues. The most aggressive on my milder cichlids was a 12.5" regani and all it ever did was do a mouth push to move a poly out of its area. Even my big 14" pearsei will do that to get to a pellet. Otherwise most of the times the polys are totally ignored.

 

[Covetous]

Good to know others are having success with it.

 

[Polyaddict86]

My friend give me a nigerian lap before cause his jack dempsey beat the crap on the bichir. So it really depends on the cichlids aggression. Poly cannot defend them self so just watch how it goes if you end up buying some poly.

 

[DMD123]

My friend give me a nigerian lap before cause his jack dempsey beat the crap on the bichir. So it really depends on the cichlids aggression. Poly cannot defend them self so just watch how it goes if you end up buying some poly.

Im thinking the JD was in small tank and no other cichlids?

I had a little convict who was an absolute terror. He was a solo male in a 56g tank and he had a habit of picking the fins off all the bristle nosed plecos in the tank I was trying to grow out with him.

 

[Polyaddict86]

Im thinking the JD was in small tank and no other cichlids?

I had a little convict who was an absolute terror. He was a solo male in a 56g tank and he had a habit of picking the fins off all the bristle nosed plecos in the tank I was trying to grow out with him.

Im not sure what he other fish in his tank, but i know he has other cichlids, and once he saw my bichirs he bought one and it was a disaster.

 

[Covetous]

Im not sure what he other fish in his tank, but i know he has other cichlids, and once he saw my bichirs he bought one and it was a disaster.

Yeesh. Yeah it would be rough to drop 50$ on a ornate or something and then watch it get torn up ha.