My first Polypterus Senegalus

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Thanks for all the help guys (especially beblondie) I went to the petsmart and they had some even littler ones! Suffice to say I now own a 2 incher also. I was afraid the big one would eat the little un' but he ended up liking it. So now I think I am going to get either severums or some silver dollars. Polypterus are the coolest fish I have ever owned and would like it to go smoothly, so I feed them mysis shrimp and blood worms. Can I feed them squid and krill? I am getting beefheart for them also. Is that enough variety for now?

Sorry for the long post, figured i could get all the q's out at once lol.
 
''Can I feed them squid and krill?''Yes you can just remember to rotate the items on the menu.When they get a bit bigger add some ghost shrimp to the tank.It was amusing to watch.Mine just followed the shrimp around not to sure what they were for a good 15-30 but they figured it out lol-Anne
 
they give them stupid names so the average guy can pronounce the fish he wants and doesnt have to studder and feel bad when he tells his friends what he purchased.....same reason why we same humans or people instead of our scientific name
 
''Dinosaur eel'' is pure marketing plain and simple.Long before they were classified
scientificly as polypterids they were reffered to as ''lobe finned pike'' and before that ''bichirs''-Anne
WHY BICHIR?
When Europeans (French) discovered the genus Polypterus in 1809 it had already been known along the Nile since the time of the pharoahs. The local peoples referred to them as bichirs (unknown pronunciation and spelling). While unable to come up with an exact meaning for the word it was most likely a descriptive term (''whip'' has been suggested) for this type of fish.

The French most likely pronounced it as phonetically as possible to the orginal native word and came up with bee-sheer as a pronunciation and spelled 'bichir'. Since this would be the name of these fish for
several years until they were scientifically described and put into the proper family it became an accepted common name.

However the correct English pronunciation is up for grabs. Several dictionaries all have their own pronunciation including the below:
bee cher
beech er
biker
*****er
bi cher
Also known by the common name lobed fin pike
The name Polypterus : poly=many + pterus=fins and is pronounced po-lyp'-terus.
 
excellent points. What would you guys buy a dinosaur eel or a polypterus senegalus if you went to petsmart for your 10 gallon tank? I belive, after having these wonderful creatures you should know what you are buying.
 
Just a follow up. I was watching my fish and ironicly the little bichir picks on the big bichir. It is funny to watch though. The little one waits for him to get food then he takes it out of his mouth and runs away quick enough to where the big bichir can't eat him. Needless to say the big one is going back.

P.S. i chose the little one because one he is more energetic,two by the time he gets five inches I would like him to at least not be afraid of me
 
Vcygnus1 said:
Just a follow up. I was watching my fish and ironicly the little bichir picks on the big bichir. It is funny to watch though. The little one waits for him to get food then he takes it out of his mouth and runs away quick enough to where the big bichir can't eat him. Needless to say the big one is going back.

P.S. i chose the little one because one he is more energetic,two by the time he gets five inches I would like him to at least not be afraid of me
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cool! i have 4 of them, 2 normal grey eye senegal and 2 short body albino senegal.

they are really active whenever they smell food in the water, and yes u can feed them anything meaty.

from feeder fishes, to live/frozen worms, frogs and market prawns. they really like floating goldfish pellets though, but my albino's do eat my arowanan pellets. coz it has much higher percentage of shrimps and smells better, compared to normal cheap goldfish pellets which is mostly flour.
 
I just got back from the fish stores and they said they would only take the little one. I also got some feeder shrimp, feeder fish, 3 3+ inch swords(babies will be good quality live food), and a little pictus cat. I am happy that I now have a little movement in my tank.
 
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