''Dream bichir tank''

Bara fisk

Exodon
MFK Member
May 3, 2022
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I want to know what you guys would want for your dream bichir tank!

-clear/murky water ( taninis ? )
-Sand substrate ( color ) / bare bottom
-Decorations ? rocks / large trees / caves or no decorations?
-Tank size ofc! for mine it would probaly be a 190g ( 720 liter ) since its really the only option that i know of unless i built it myslef or order it from a company and im not that ''high tec'' yet but that might change!
- Bichir species ofcourse ! what goes well with others ? ( heard ornates can be a problem ) , Lower / upper jaws only or a mix between the 2 ?
- pumps / filters ?
-Water PH / temperature ?
- Country ? ^^ not that it should matter but where im from i've never heard of any big bichirs really so perhaps the ones we get here are further down in the cb ones ( not wild caught ) ?
-TANK MATES ? im thinking of having bichirs ONLY, Tried them with oscars / bgk but not a huge fan of it..
- how much space between the top and the lid ? ( free space for breathing ) 1-5+ inches ?
- the tank itself ? a round / corner tank or a long but not as wide tank ?

i want to know the answer to all of these questions and the size / colors / diet of your bichirs, i would love some pictures if possible. I simply want the very best for my bichirs in the future.
 
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Caveden

Redtail Catfish
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Jul 21, 2020
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1. If your tank had no decorations and bare, clear water. Murky would just look ugly. If it was a natural looking aquascape, tannin water may look nice.

2. Bare bottom is easy and requires minimal cleaning. With Substrate will look more natural. When it comes to bichirs usage of red garnet sand brings out their colours and definition more clearly.

3. Adding decorations like rocks and caves allows them for places to hide. But it also can come as a risk due to their nature to be spooked and dash against the deco, injuring themselves

4. Your tank is 190g, since you stated ur country has no big bichirs, you could honestly fit any species of upper jawed bichirs in That tank size.

5. Can be a mix between the both

6. I have no clue ?

7. pH of 6-8, temperature 23-28 C

8.I dont understand your question, but if you live in Asia the largest sized bichirs are traded here

9. For a 190g, What are the dimensions jn the first place?

10. Enough space such that the bichir can take a gulp of air without banging its head duh

11. The longer the better, and since your country has not many large bichirs a 2ft width would seem fine

12.
 

Bara fisk

Exodon
MFK Member
May 3, 2022
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Never heard of anyone keeping bichir in murky or tannin water. They probably would enjoy it.
I keep my aquarium dimly lit.

oh right .. haha didnt even think of that , it could be what i meant i've seen some tanks with tanin looking water but might just've been dimmer lightning not sure
 

Friller2009

Aimara
MFK Member
Oct 27, 2021
870
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Australia
Never heard of anyone keeping bichir in murky or tannin water. They probably would enjoy it.
I keep my aquarium dimly lit.
My tank for my bichir is blackwater.
 
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Bara fisk

Exodon
MFK Member
May 3, 2022
86
43
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1. If your tank had no decorations and bare, clear water. Murky would just look ugly. If it was a natural looking aquascape, tannin water may look nice.

2. Bare bottom is easy and requires minimal cleaning. With Substrate will look more natural. When it comes to bichirs usage of red garnet sand brings out their colours and definition more clearly.

3. Adding decorations like rocks and caves allows them for places to hide. But it also can come as a risk due to their nature to be spooked and dash against the deco, injuring themselves

4. Your tank is 190g, since you stated ur country has no big bichirs, you could honestly fit any species of upper jawed bichirs in That tank size.

5. Can be a mix between the both

6. I have no clue ?

7. pH of 6-8, temperature 23-28 C

8.I dont understand your question, but if you live in Asia the largest sized bichirs are traded here

9. For a 190g, What are the dimensions jn the first place?

10. Enough space such that the bichir can take a gulp of air without banging its head duh

11. The longer the better, and since your country has not many large bichirs a 2ft width would seem fine

12.

Sry i was a bit unclear , im from sweden and with no big bichir i meant mostly like in marketplace / our suppliers to lfs / shop owners i talked to i've so far never seen or heard of a bichir being 30 + cm ( 12inches + ) which just seems rather small compared to the biggest one i've seen on ytube being 85 cm obviously wild caught but still i see 35-55 cm on ytube pretty regulary so still a bit surprising. the 190g dimensions would be about 6.5 feet 2ft 2ft. sadly i do have one 190g already but i have some oscar in it and they are way to hyper for my bichirs ( stealing food out of the bichirs mouths )
 

Joshuakahan

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jul 9, 2019
3,866
3,726
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I want to know what you guys would want for your dream bichir tank!

-clear/murky water ( taninis ? )
-Sand substrate ( color ) / bare bottom
-Decorations ? rocks / large trees / caves or no decorations?
-Tank size ofc! for mine it would probaly be a 190g ( 720 liter ) since its really the only option that i know of unless i built it myslef or order it from a company and im not that ''high tec'' yet but that might change!
- Bichir species ofcourse ! what goes well with others ? ( heard ornates can be a problem ) , Lower / upper jaws only or a mix between the 2 ?
- pumps / filters ?
-Water PH / temperature ?
- Country ? ^^ not that it should matter but where im from i've never heard of any big bichirs really so perhaps the ones we get here are further down in the cb ones ( not wild caught ) ?
-TANK MATES ? im thinking of having bichirs ONLY, Tried them with oscars / bgk but not a huge fan of it..
- how much space between the top and the lid ? ( free space for breathing ) 1-5+ inches ?
- the tank itself ? a round / corner tank or a long but not as wide tank ?

i want to know the answer to all of these questions and the size / colors / diet of your bichirs, i would love some pictures if possible. I simply want the very best for my bichirs in the future.
My dream Bichir tank would probably be a tank big enough to house around 3 of each type lol and then have 3 of each type coexist peacefully
 
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Bara fisk

Exodon
MFK Member
May 3, 2022
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My dream Bichir tank would probably be a tank big enough to house around 3 of each type lol and then have 3 of each type coexist peacefully

Haha i had a like wise idea not to long ago .. but i mean then again i guess it could work especially if they all start as babies but after my lapra (27 cm at the time ) ate my endli + senegal (10-12 cm at the time ) im not really sure anymore given the fact some of the bichirs will get to 40-50cm ( im to lazy to look up cm to inch but about 15-20 inches ) and the albino senegal being the smallest getting to what i've seen and heard usually about 8 inches and not more idk.. another thing i learned that week is that bichirs are incredibly unpredictable atleast in my opinion , the senegal and endlicheri literally laid right next to him and even swimmed right past his mouth serveral times slowly and he didnt seem to mind at all ( they could lay right next to him especially the endlicheri for literally 8 hours straight ) *EDIT* also! at that time i added the smaller bichirs i added 3 senes and 1 endli kinda counting on 1 getting sick or dying while growing up for whatever reason since they were rather small ) and the 2 senegals that are now left are doing just fine no problems what so ever i got all my bichirs within a week and this happened the 2nd week , the lapra was sickly small tough so that might be why he did it ( i got him like that ) , i now have had all my bichirs for over 2 months and the only fighting is between my 2 smaller senegals but only small chasings every now and then.
 
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RandomAlgae

Exodon
MFK Member
May 10, 2022
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Since this is a dream and not posted in bichir section mine would be Bawitius bartheli in Kem kem biotope.

But if i would answer seriously it would be Nile river theme.

Clear water.

Substrate: On deep section it will be heavy mud and dirt but along the perimeter it will be sand with rocks and gravel along the transition areas.

Decor: Rocks and Wood with floating plants and Nymphea and Pistia as well as some Azolla for the herbivores and Valisneria over deep ammonia trapping substrate bed and Papyrus plant along some part of the margin.

Size: 18×30 meter (18×45 if Nile crocodile can be added) it will be 4.5 meter deep at deepest.

Specie: Polypterus bichir.

Water temperature and PH: 27C° and PH 7.

Country: I live in Thailand and i have never seen P.bichir for sale or most of the tankmate I will list as well.

Tankmates: Clarotes laticeps, Trionyx triunguis, Labeobarbus bynni, Oreochromis niloticus, Hydrocynus vittatus

and if there is a way to stop Nile crocodile from eating my large fishes that doesn't involve animal abuse (it seem feeding young crocs small toad teach them to avoid toads altogether because they remember that toads are poisonous) Crocodylus niloticus (1 male, 2 female).

Lid space: No lid it will be a pond with underground viewing panel and a glass bottom boat.

Sape of the tank: Free form pond with slope to the land area with a undergound veiwing room shaped like half circle with flat window projecting into the pond and curved area have small round viewing window peering into nursery area (heavily planted and decorated allowing small fishes to replenish their numbers) the viewing plat form only go down to 3 meter deep and the room is only 2.1 meter tall. The roof of the room is walking board with ladder into water if I feel like diving in.

This probably will never happen for real though too expensive and used too much space.

the bichir aquarium i could hope to have would be 3×3 meter by 1.2 deep housing P.ornatipinnis with a lake Tanganyika cichlids.
 
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Friller2009

Aimara
MFK Member
Oct 27, 2021
870
1,308
134
Australia
Since this is a dream and not posted in bichir section mine would be Bawitius bartheli in Kem kem biotope.

But if i would answer seriously it would be Nile river theme.

Clear water.

Substrate: On deep section it will be heavy mud and dirt but along the perimeter it will be sand with rocks and gravel along the transition areas.

Decor: Rocks and Wood with floating plants and Nymphea and Pistia as well as some Azolla for the herbivores and Valisneria over deep ammonia trapping substrate bed and Papyrus plant along some part of the margin.

Size: 18×30 meter (18×45 if Nile crocodile can be added) it will be 4.5 meter deep at deepest.

Specie: Polypterus bichir.

Water temperature and PH: 27C° and PH 7.

Country: I live in Thailand and i have never seen P.bichir for sale or most of the tankmate I will list as well.

Tankmates: Clarotes laticeps, Trionyx triunguis, Labeobarbus bynni, Oreochromis niloticus, Hydrocynus vittatus

and if there is a way to stop Nile crocodile from eating my large fishes that doesn't involve animal abuse (it seem feeding young crocs small toad teach them to avoid toads altogether because they remember that toads are poisonous) Crocodylus niloticus (1 male, 2 female).

Lid space: No lid it will be a pond with underground viewing panel and a glass bottom boat.

Sape of the tank: Free form pond with slope to the land area with a undergound veiwing room shaped like half circle with flat window projecting into the pond and curved area have small round viewing window peering into nursery area (heavily planted and decorated allowing small fishes to replenish their numbers) the viewing plat form only go down to 3 meter deep and the room is only 2.1 meter tall. The roof of the room is walking board with ladder into water if I feel like diving in.

This probably will never happen for real though too expensive and used too much space.

the bichir aquarium i could hope to have would be 3×3 meter by 1.2 deep housing P.ornatipinnis with a lake Tanganyika cichlids.
Crikey... you have to much spare time on your hands. But sounds awesome! Wouldn't recommend diving with crocs, but you do you. Also what does teaching crocs no to eat toads do if you are trying to get them to not eat fish?
 
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