Dinosaur Bichir ?'s

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packer43064

packer43064

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2008
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Well I got my first Bichir today.:D:D He's about 3 inches. He's in a 55 gallon all to himself enjoying life. Have a few questions though about him.

1. What's the real name of this bichir. It said dinosaur bichir at petsmart, but what species would it probably be.

2. What do I feed these guys? I'm thinking like bloodworms and frozen stuff. I dropped in a thawed cube of bloodworms and he went up to it and like smelled/stare at it then nudged it and went off to exploring his new tank.:irked:

3. What can I keep with him, I have an Oscar that I would like to put in his tank, he's a little bigger than him though. You all think he would try and eat him, thinking he's a worm or something.

4. If I can't keep an oscar with him. I would like to just make it a bichir tank, how many of the same bichirs can I keep in a 55.

Thanx all.:grinno:
 
Its a cuvier bichir or a Polypterus senegalus. They eat blood worms and most predator pellets, i used to feed mine small night crawler once it reached around 5 inches. I wouldnt suggest putting the oscar in with it if the oscar can put it in its mouth then it will probably going to get eaten plus 55 gallon is a little small for an oscar need atleast a 75. If you want to make it a bichir tank then you should be able to put a couple of the smaller species in a 55 gallon.
 
That would probably work. The common name is senegal bichir.
 
i have a 3.5" oscar and 2 4" senegal bichirs in my 29 gallon tank along wth a pleco, they get along great, however, i am moving them into a 75 gallon in the next 2 weeks.
 
probably a senegal, upper jaw species grows up to about 12-15 " in the home aquaria..oscars are fish with a temper, i wouldnt put a senegal there unless they were both adults and of equal size

you couldkeep it with a silver arowana, since aro's occupy the top of the aquarium while bichirs are grazers and bottom dwellers
 
deangelo;2478156; said:
probably a senegal, upper jaw species grows up to about 12-15 " in the home aquaria..oscars are fish with a temper, i wouldnt put a senegal there unless they were both adults and of equal size

you couldkeep it with a silver arowana, since aro's occupy the top of the aquarium while bichirs are grazers and bottom dwellers
Click to expand...

senegal size is more like 10"-12" max, and a silver arowana would outgrow the 55 in a hurry. I'd agree with no oscar though.

2 of the smaller bichir species (senegal, delhezi, palmas etc) would probably be okay in a 55 and you could do something like congo tetras or another peaceful middle swimmer too. Anything too small might end up being a snack though, so keep that in mind. Check the polypterus primer sticky in this forum for feeding suggestions, but mine love Hikari Carnivore, bloodworms, beefheart, and salmon pellets.
 
wolfsburgfanatic;2478450; said:
senegal size is more like 10"-12" max, and a silver arowana would outgrow the 55 in a hurry. I'd agree with no oscar though.

2 of the smaller bichir species (senegal, delhezi, palmas etc) would probably be okay in a 55 and you could do something like congo tetras or another peaceful middle swimmer too. Anything too small might end up being a snack though, so keep that in mind. Check the polypterus primer sticky in this forum for feeding suggestions, but mine love Hikari Carnivore, bloodworms, beefheart, and salmon pellets.
Click to expand...



sorry forgot about the tank size but aros and bichirs go well together...or as you suggested other small bichir species would do well also, but i would suggest a tank upgrade of 100g or more, it wills serve both the fish and the owner best, tank wont look congested and wont need to be water changed as often as with asmaller tank just my 2 cents :)
 
No Oscar is the Verdict. That sucks, lol. Well that's an excuse to get another tank it looks like.:)

I've been looking at the sticky's of the bichirs pics. All of them have a substrate mostly sand. I have him in a bare tank, should I put some sand down for him. Do they like it more or something.
 
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