can bichirs live in aquariums with gravel???

[King-eL]

Hello,

i'm keeping my bichirs since 14 years with gravel and lost in this time only two individuals - a senegalus by constant overfeeding and a endlicheri by bacteriosis two days after buying him.
An important point may be the size of the gravel and the geometry of the surface of those single particles. Aware from this black vulcanic gravel of glass-like consistence and razor-sharp edges when keeping any vertebrate bigger than 4cm! This will not only cause interiour injuries, also injuries of the slime-coat ( that will open the door to the super-deadly bacteriosis!) !!!
My bichirs have "learned" to spit out everything that is no food - even with pellets of similar size ...

That 1st pic is funny. Looks like it's teasing us. It would be nice to edit it and put a cigar in it's mouth.

 

[packer43064]

My senegal will spit the gravel out.

 

[TerryR]

I like a bare bottom but my birchirs can access the gravel in the filters, if they have a varied diet they shouldn't clog up with gravel. Do wild birchirs have access to gravel?

 

[Angler]

Yeah, listen to Uwe.

Yes, you could lose a bichir due to gravel swallowing, but it is about the same likelyhood as losing another fish such as a cichlid to gravel swallowing.

 

[TheHze]

I have lost a small ornate on gravel but other than that all my other 3 in my tank with gravel are fine... so its a risk but not a rule i would assume

 

[paopanlilio]

can bichirs live in aquariums with gravel???
Yes.

can bichirs swallow gravel and choke or become blocked up?
Yes.

do you want to take the risk?
.......

X2

 

[David R]

mine are doing well with gravel.

Thats what the Irishman said when his horse died, "oh christ, its never done that before".....

if they have a varied diet they shouldn't clog up with gravel. Do wild birchirs have access to gravel?

I imagine there would be some stones in their habitat, but there are no aquarists paying lots of money for them and getting upset when they die.