First time Bichir owner questions
- Thread starter Wretched5705
- Start date
What kind of decor should i have in the tank? I heard they are ambush predators so I would assume they need lots of hiding places and such. Would artificial or real plants be best?
(Please Read the Stickies)
Yes a 30gal is TOO SMALL....minimum is a 75gal for a Grow-out then a bigger tank as sugessted above
(Please Read the Stickies)
Yes a 30gal is TOO SMALL....minimum is a 75gal for a Grow-out then a bigger tank as sugessted above
(Please Read the Stickies)
I bought an ornate at 3" about 8 months ago and he is about a foot now. Not as non-active as some of my others
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.They don't require hiding places but if you want to plants are fine as long as they are rooted good. They don't purposlly uproot them but as they get bigger they might.Wretched5705;3451524; said:
Expect growth to be over 20".
i have noticed that lot of people do not put sand to their tanks? why? is its easier to keep clean? i have those 2albino senegals and i have started to think that would it be better for them to just remove that sand. Coz i have to say that after they have eat i need to clean the tank,haha...atleast those guys are eating fish time to time, not just canned food. hmm...and on the oether hand, they are a bit fatty already, and i bet that scratching tummy to sand doesnt feel so good.
But hey! u help me, sand or not?
But hey! u help me, sand or not?
hi wretched,
I use driftwoods and real plants attached to driftwoods. I dunno about fake plants though. never tried em. I have a feeling fake plants might deteriorate over time and might be harmful to them. Oh yeah, keeping bichirs remember no plecos and keep your tank covered. Yes they do jump. I lost 2 that way...
I use driftwoods and real plants attached to driftwoods. I dunno about fake plants though. never tried em. I have a feeling fake plants might deteriorate over time and might be harmful to them. Oh yeah, keeping bichirs remember no plecos and keep your tank covered. Yes they do jump. I lost 2 that way...
Wretched5705;3450666; said:
You will need a tank with a 5x2' footprint at the very least to house an ornate. When they're smaller they'll appreciate the cover and hiding places, but as they get bigger they'll need more swimming space and solid decor that cannot be knocked over. I wouldn't waste my time/money on a planted tank for large bichirs, except for java fern or anubius on driftwood.
Other than that the two most important things would be;
Completely covered tank, never underestimate their ability to get out small gaps.
No gravel for substrate (bare bottom, tiles or sand is best) as they can swallow it and get blocked up.
Have a read of the Polypterus Primer as it tells you ewverything you need to know, and a whole lot more.
I agree with the real plant policy. My senegal loves the plants! He seems more active with more plant cover. I can't imagine fake plants feel too good when swimming through them, either.
The senegals are so active! We have one right now, he's temporarily in a 33gal, but once he gets a wee bit bigger we're going to put him in the 75 with my gars.
They don't like live food too much, we tried feeding him pred pellets but he liked the plec sinking ones more. I would definitely bring the fish back and exchange for a smaller bichir if possible. You don't want your baby to outgrow your aqua right away
They don't like live food too much, we tried feeding him pred pellets but he liked the plec sinking ones more. I would definitely bring the fish back and exchange for a smaller bichir if possible. You don't want your baby to outgrow your aqua right away
