First ever Bichir... Any experienced advice??

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pmtuneman13

pmtuneman13

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 15, 2007
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Florida
I have been intrigued with this type of fish for a long time, but I had never been able to find one until yesterday. I paid too much for it, but I wasn't about to pass it up. My new little buddy is a 5" Senegal Bichir. I love it already. Within an hour of being in my 75 he was gulping down ghost shrimp. Eating so soon is a good sign to me that he is healthy, and he is actively exploring and bumping heads with every fish in my tank.

So what I would like to learn from everyone here is the best way to keep this guy with me for the long haul. What little tricks have you Bichir-keepers learned over the years that you wouldn't mind sharing with me(special foods, water conditions, tank mates, etc.)? I know there are tons of people very passionate about this type of fish, and I can definitely see why... these little guys may be a little odd, but they have a large amount of unexpected personality. Thanks for helping a relative newby to this species.

Clint:1zhelp:
 
In the sticky section read the primer is my best piece of advice right now-Anne
 
great minds lol
 
beblondie;1021127; said:
In the sticky section read the primer is my best piece of advice right now-Anne
Click to expand...


I did that, and the info was excellent. I am learning pretty quickly that any question I have on this site has probably already been put into a thread. But I would still like to hear some more personal experiences with these fish. And you guys respond fast. I posted this like 5 minutes ago. Thanks guys.
 
Congrats on finally getting a bichir! I know how good it feels to find a fish you've been looking for. ;)

My advice for food is earthworms and pellets. Sens train to pellets easily (along with palmas) which makes them swim to the surface to eat. It's really cool to see.

The earthworms make them gain weight and grow quickly.

Water conditions don't seem to matter much with this genus, though extreme acidity should be avoided if possible.

Forget about keeping them in tall aquariums, get as much length and width as possible.

They don't care for current in the water. Of course you'll have to have current to keep the aquarium healthy, but try not to have too much, the bichirs awkward bulk and swimming strength get tossed around in current.

They appreciate floating plants (fake or real) that they can rest on near the surface just for the purpose of being lazy, but it's not an absolute necessity.

They do like to hide, but I don't advise catering to that preference. They are highly adaptable, and will adjust to a tank with little to no hiding spots.

If you have a hiding spot they can completely conceal themselves in, you'll almost never see them.

HTH :thumbsup:
 
Congrats on the Poly, I love my 3. One of the most interesting types of fish.
 
Cohazard;1021403; said:
They do like to hide, but I don't advise catering to that preference. They are highly adaptable, and will adjust to a tank with little to no hiding spots.

If you have a hiding spot they can completely conceal themselves in, you'll almost never see them.
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Not really true. I have a bunch of hiding spots for my bichirs but I can still see all of them all the time. They're always out and about especially when they're hungry. The only bichir that hid most of the time was my second ornate. It hid most of the day time when it was under 8" but now that it is bigger it's out all the time. Also the trick is to have the hiding spot situated in such a way that the bichir can feel safe and hide under them but you can actually still see them. I use african driftwood, a few flower pots, and fake plants as hiding spots and tank deco.
 
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