Hello everyone,
I'm keeping a tank full of Bichirs, 2 albino senegal, 2 delhezi, and 1 ornate. All were aproximately the same size when purchased. These fish have been kept together and all appear to be female. Their diet has consisted of the odd guppy, but mostly diced frozen shrimp, an assortment of sinking pellets, and bloodworms when they were smaller.
Now here is the rub.... 1 delhezi, and the ornate are turning into monsters with thick bodies, broad heads, and pushing 8" or so. One of the albinos is not to far behind at around 7", also looking full and powerful. the remaining delhezi is about 5.5" while the last albino is around 5" and they are both slender and delicate looking, not maintaining the thick bodies of the giants and i feel like they are growing much slower.
Is there a reason that this variation in growth rates may take place in fish that are all kept together and of similar ages? How can I address this, and for anyone that has raised Bichirs, should I be worried about the biggest killing or eating the smaller albino and delhezi?
They are currently in a 70G tank with sand bottom and a collection of nooks and crannies for them to hide and search in. Other tankmates are a school of 10 very large Tiger Barbs and a Hoplo around 6"
I'm keeping a tank full of Bichirs, 2 albino senegal, 2 delhezi, and 1 ornate. All were aproximately the same size when purchased. These fish have been kept together and all appear to be female. Their diet has consisted of the odd guppy, but mostly diced frozen shrimp, an assortment of sinking pellets, and bloodworms when they were smaller.
Now here is the rub.... 1 delhezi, and the ornate are turning into monsters with thick bodies, broad heads, and pushing 8" or so. One of the albinos is not to far behind at around 7", also looking full and powerful. the remaining delhezi is about 5.5" while the last albino is around 5" and they are both slender and delicate looking, not maintaining the thick bodies of the giants and i feel like they are growing much slower.
Is there a reason that this variation in growth rates may take place in fish that are all kept together and of similar ages? How can I address this, and for anyone that has raised Bichirs, should I be worried about the biggest killing or eating the smaller albino and delhezi?
They are currently in a 70G tank with sand bottom and a collection of nooks and crannies for them to hide and search in. Other tankmates are a school of 10 very large Tiger Barbs and a Hoplo around 6"
