Help choosing tank

[pepetj]

Which tank will provide a better home for a shoal of five P endlicheri endlicheri wild caugth at Niger River (four females, one male)?

1) A custom built aproximately 60"L x 35"W x 30"H
2) Marineland 220xH 72"L x 24"W x 30"H

I intend to work out a palladarium offering some "shore ground" with a bed of emersed Cryptocoryne sp. It will be a low light tank.

I have my shoal in a 82gal grow-up tank (48"L x 18"W x 22"H) at my office. I will place the new tank in a mini-studio I will get out of a bathroom.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

 

[BigO6687]

Wow that sounds incredible, I feel like the first one would be better because the paludarium part seems like it will take away some depth.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Go with the 2nd one. Bichirs can do well in minimum of 18" depth.
So even though the palladarium part would take some depth away, it would be fine.
Unless it is > 12"

 

[NCStateFisher]

if its custom built build it with the same length and width but take the height down from 30" to like 18-20

 

[BigO6687]

Go with the 2nd one. Bichirs can do well in minimum of 18" depth.
So even though the palladarium part would take some depth away, it would be fine.
Unless it is > 12"

I meant depth as in front to back, not top to bottom.. lol

 

[JamesF]

That woud be width LOL.
I'd go with the first tank beacause of the extra width.

 

[gerryjun]

Height: with bichirs, the height should be no higher than 2 feet they are air breathers, so shallow is preferable.

Width: The width of the tank should be wide, 2 feet wide or wider is preferable specially if you plan to keep Endli and congicus they have the potential to grow 3 feet.

Long: As long as you can afford,

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

^ disagree with height, I have seen people keeping bichirs in 5ft tall tank.

I personally keep mine in 2.5ft tank

 

[gerryjun]

^ disagree with height, I have seen people keeping bichirs in 5ft tall tank.

I personally keep mine in 2.5ft tank

i said "shallow is preferable", you can keep bichirs a deep as you like, but it would not be the optimal situation for keeping them.

so if you had the option to choose the height, 2 feet would be preferable.

i also keep mine at 2.5 feet, what is possible and what is optimal is two different things, its possible to keep them at 5 feet deep, would that be good for your bichirs? probably not.

swimming 5feet high to take a gulp of air every now and then is not a way for air breathers to live optimally.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Why not? Back in the Amazon where bichirs live, the depth of the water can reach more than 5ft. Keeps them in shape. Juveniles who can't swim up 5ft would preach just below the water surface. So I don't see why they can't have access to atmospheric air.

Just to make things clear, you said the height should not be higher than 2'. And now you said it isn't preferable? Kind of contridicting

Height: with bichirs, the height should be no higher than 2 feet they are air breathers, so shallow is preferable.