Buttefly fish and Bichir

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grmanrocks

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2006
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Fishville
i have a ornate bichir and would like a few tankmates for the fello. ive been thinking about african butterfly fish. has anyone tried this before? do they get along?
thnx
 
They should be fine together as long as the size difference isn't to big. The ornate may eat them. Therefore on the long term it's not adviseble.
 
While I don't have an ornate, I do keep BF fish with 4 other species of "upper jaw" bichirs successfully.

A couple of my bichirs are easily large enough to eat the BF fish if they so chose. Many is the time I've witnessed the bichirs come up for air right along side a butterfly. Neither fish seems to pay the other any mind at all.

Been together a number of months now.
 
I think it woul dbe worth trying... just keep in mind that the birchir may try to eat the butterfly fish, but chances are that he wont. If it makes you feel any better, I plan on trying this combo myself when I set up my birchir tank.
 
i don't have an ornate, but i have a pretty old and sizable senegalus with a male butterfly and they don't seem aware of the other's existance. like everything else, happy when kept with a full belly. that seems to do the trick ;)
 
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