Getting Delhezi onto fish

[Blub088]

Hey all,

I am new to keeping Bichirs and I am a supporter of feeding live foods to predatory animals such as a bichir.

Now my question is regarding this exact thing. I have Delhezi bichir which is aproximately 4 inches long.

I am breeding my own guppy's and gutloading them with good food etc. But when I try to put one in the tank its just laughing in the face of danger.
The Delhezi doesn't even seem to care. It's mouth seems big enough for a guppy at least.

Now I am feeding him carnivore pellets and some crickets. But how can I get him to go after and hunt some live fish?

Is it a matter of not feeding him a while or what do you guys think?

 

[Mitchell The Monster]

I’m not a fan of live foods but if you must, then try tong feeding him a prekilled guppy to get him on the taste and look of them maybe?

 

[kno4te]

I’d suggest passing on the live food as well. Too risky.

 

[Blub088]

I’m not a fan of live foods but if you must, then try tong feeding him a prekilled guppy to get him on the taste and look of them maybe?

Yea a lot of people aren't but imo that comes with the nature of the fish and keeping them. I don't mind it as long as it's homebred feeder fish. Not goldfish or directly from the LFS.

But afaik Bichirs are pretty blind. So the sight of a fish isnt gonna do much for him right? Mostly the smell.

 

[Blub088]

The guppy's I breed are homebred and quarantined etc. So that helps I guess.

 

[BZMFK]

Bichirs are ambush predators and nocturnal. Most won't go out of their way to hunt live fish, especially with the lights on. It probably doesn't want to hunt when it already has a steady supply of nutritious pellets coming in.
Some fish also prefer prepared foods to live. My senegalus loved pellets and ignored small tankmates while my delhezi went out of her way to eat my African butterfly fish no matter how well she was fed.
I would leave the guppies with the bichir and continue feeding it as you do. It can eat any of them if it wants to but is probably happy with its normal diet.

 

[Blub088]

I'll do that then. See what happens after a while. He might also just be growing up still and seeing them as too big still.
Thanks for the input!

 

[tlindsey]

Bichirs are ambush predators and nocturnal. Most won't go out of their way to hunt live fish, especially with the lights on. It probably doesn't want to hunt when it already has a steady supply of nutritious pellets coming in.
Some fish also prefer prepared foods to live. My senegalus loved pellets and ignored small tankmates while my delhezi went out of her way to eat my African butterfly fish no matter how well she was fed.
I would leave the guppies with the bichir and continue feeding it as you do. It can eat any of them if it wants to but is probably happy with its normal diet.

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