Compatibility: 18" Endli and 10" Ornate??

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In all I have Bichirs in 4 tanks:

1. One 18" Endli (in ~200G)
2. One 10" Ornate (in ~30G) : "Under observation"
3. One 8" Delhezi (in ~55G)
4. Four 5" Endlis and One 4" Ornate (in ~30G)

I think the growth rates for the larger bichir are going to slow down soon allowing the smaller ones to catch-up.

I'd move the four smaller ones into the 55g to try get them growing a bit faster. I've noticed polys seem to have growth spurts when moved to bigger tanks. I grew out 4 dels from about 2", started in a 12g, then into a 30g, then into a 70g, then into a friends 1200 litre tank, and every time they were moved they had a spurt. Same for my ornate going from an 80g to a 160g to a 210g. Bigger tank + more food + more water changes = bigger bichirs. Not sure how big they'll need to be to go with an 18" endli thats used to living alone though...
 
I put the 10" Ornate in the 200G with the 18" Endli for a few minutes to get an exact idea of relative sizes. The Ornate looks TINY as compared to the big fat Endli. I moved the Ornate out after a few minutes.

I'd move the four smaller ones into the 55g to try get them growing a bit faster. I've noticed polys seem to have growth spurts when moved to bigger tanks.

I will do that the coming weekend. The 8" Del seems to be quite docile and is currently sharing the tank with a couple of 3" YoYo loaches without any issues.

The 4"-5" babies (4 Endlis and 1 Ornate) should not have a problem living with the 8" Del in the 55 Gal.

Not sure how big they'll need to be to go with an 18" endli thats used to living alone though...

The 18" Endli isn't alone. The tank has a 2ft+ Silver Aro, 3 1ft+ Ocars, 1 1ft Jag and even a 7" Common Pleco.

The attacks on the GTs happened when I moved from feeding them daily to feeding them once every two days. I think that might have been the trigger.

In any case, I have several months before I think about putting these bichir in the same tank.


Thank you,

(Also, I am uploading a video to YouTube right now.)
 
i've got ornates probably in the 12 - 14" range, and some dels and some endli (probably between 10 and 12") and a tiny senegal. and i have NO aggression issues. they are all active, swim all around the tank, some have claimed certain logs as their hiding place.. some share other hiding places. but i've NEVER seen any aggression between the bichers, except one time the little senegal wouldn't get out of one of the big bichers' way and he got nipped, but no damage done. i've seen the cichla chase the little senegal around but he's smarter than they are and can get into spaces that they can't.

maybe there is something to that crowd of bichers in the tank together.. only the ornates have ever been the only bichers in a tank together, but they were tiny guys when i got them and they had no issues at all with me adding the dels and endli and the little senegal (2 years ago?).
 
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