Got my 1st Bichir. Have questions

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Ang

Ang

I should be a Hookworm
MFK Member
Dec 15, 2005
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I did research before i got him. But i of course still have questions

Ok. It's an Ornate Bichir

1 - What is their growth rate?
I've been told its only 1/2 -1" a YEAR?!?!?! Thats so SLOW. I'm so impatient, i want him big sooner. :cry:
He is about 7" right now. I needed to get one big enough not to get swallowed by my Oscar or JD.

2 - I got him yesterday and he seems lethargic. Well sort of. He moves around and he's swam to the surface a few times, but he'll get up to the surface and just sink to the bottom. Is that normal? Do they just kind of sink to the bottom after swimming to the top? Instead of swimming?

3 - Do they defend themselves?
He hasnt gone in any of the PVC pipes yet and there are plenty. He just hangs out in the open. So my Oscar actually nipped at him a couple times and he just sat there like a SLUG. He moved once, but mostly just turned around and then sat back on the gravel facing the other direction. Does he just not care? He isnt injured from what i can see.

4 - kind of related to the last question. Are they tough? I mean, are their scales pretty tough? He's not being attacked or anything. Just curious.


I thought i had more questions. I'll think of them later.
 
Hi there, I'm no expert but I'll try to answer your question as best I can to give you some ideas.

1. I believe 1" a year is too slow. Probably more like 1/2-1" every month when it's young. Then I think it slows down when they get near their full size.

2. Yup that seems normal to me. When they come up to breathe for air they usually just like to sink back down to the bottom. The ornate's activity level is pretty low compared to the senegal which is a very active bichir. The ornates usually likes to just hang around. I usually only see mine swim arround when foraging for food.

3 and 4. They are pretty tough but I don't think they can defend themselves against large aggressive cichlids. I think 7" ornate is a little too big for your osacar to swallow and eat but it still can harass to death it if it's a particularly aggressive one. You have to watch your oscar and seperate if necessary. Also note that bichirs can have different personality. These are mostly just generalization based on my own short experience and as well as from what I heard from others on theses boards. There are bichirs that I have read that would attack and kill other fish that seems too big for the bichir.

I forgot to add that you may see more activity from your bichir once it becomes more comfortable with it's surrounding. My ornate seemed particularly lethargic when I first got him but now he's gotten better. I added some silver dollars in the tank to act as dithers and I now see him swim around more often than I did when I first got him
 
1 - What is their growth rate? Like most bichir they grow rapidly till 7-8 inches then the growth rate slows.
I've been told its only 1/2 -1" a YEAR?!?!?! Thats little low
He is about 7" right now. I needed to get one big enough not to get swallowed by my Oscar or JD.It has taken about 2 1/2 years for mine to reach 16 inches.

2 - I got him yesterday and he seems lethargic. Well sort of. He moves around and he's swam to the surface a few times, but he'll get up to the surface and just sink to the bottom. Is that normal? Do they just kind of sink to the bottom after swimming to the top? Instead of swimming?
P.ornatipinnis tend to be fairly nocturnal sojust lazing about during the day is not rare
as for going tothe surface bichirs have functioning lungs and do need a gulp of air from time to time

3 - Do they defend themselves?
He hasnt gone in any of the PVC pipes yet and there are plenty. He just hangs out in the open. So my Oscar actually nipped at him a couple times and he just sat there like a SLUG. He moved once, but mostly just turned around and then sat back on the gravel facing the other direction. Does he just not care? He isnt injured from what i can see.
Bichirs are generally non agressive and should be kept with non agressive fish.However when its had enough of the oscar considering the ornate will eventually hit 20'' the oscar could be in trouble.I have had a bichir kill simply because the other fish were there.But it depends on the agressiveness of the individual bichir
4 - kind of related to the last question. Are they tough? I mean, are their scales pretty tough? He's not being attacked or anything. Just curious.
While they are tough and the sccales do a good job they are not indestructable-Anne
 
Thanks you guys. Good helpful info there. :D

The Oscar isnt aggressive to any of the other fish. The only one he's attacked was his girlfriend before she died. All he's really done so far is nip twice and then he basically ignored him after that.

The JD actually seems to either not even notice the Bichir or not care. The Bichir actually went into the JD's hollow log with the JD already inside and he never did anything about it. But if the Oscar comes by the log and even just looks in, the JD chases him off.
Actually the JD seems to like him. He swims right next to him and even will swim in between the Bichir and the O if the O gets too close.

Very strange. I guess i'll see what happens Thanks again
 
I tried to keep my 3" oscar with my 4" senegal in the growout tank. The first couple of days they were fine but then the oscar started to give the senegal a couple of nips. The oscar was eyeing the senegal and I was afraid the oscar thinks the senegal was a worm so I had to take out the oscar. The ornate is much thicker than the senegal so you probably won't have a problem. Just keep an eye out just in case.
 
The Ornate in my tank was examined pretty thoroughly (to the extent of a few nibbles by the more aggressive fish) when he first went in....but an hour or two later & all was fine.

Or at least I thought so....until the bichir started to chase (relentlessly) a 4" Pimelodella Pictus cat w/ the definate intention of eating him. I don't know what it was about the cat, as their were smaller clown loaches to harass. Once I relocated the cat, the bichir calmed down.

Now he's well adjusted, goes to the top from time to time & manages to get enough food amongst the faster fish in the tank. Keep an eye on him & all should be fine.
 
Thanks,
Its been almost a week now and he's eating and none of the other fish bother him.

The JD is his best friend. They hang out in the same log together. The JD wont let any other fish near his log except the Bichir.

I love this guy, he's so cool. :D And he never hides. He's always out in the open even though he has TONS of places to hide.

:D :D
 
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