New bichir

[jclyde13]

Try Guppies, Ghost Shrimp, Chicken Heart, White Market Fish, Pellets, You can take flakes and roll them into a wet ball and sink it.
These will all usually work in moderation, and eventually he'll get onto pellets.
I got mine at about 1.5",
and now he's 6" easy.

I woulldn't use flakes, they decompose too quickly, and may not be accepted immediately. And guppies aren't a good idea either, imo, they present a risk of introducing disease and parasites into the tank. I'd start it out on pellets, small chunks of frozen krill, and/or bloodworms, then as it grows, start feeding it whole pieces of krill and/or chunks of market shrimp, or just continue feeding mainly pellets.

With my senegal, I started it out on Hikari Cichlid Gold (mine accepted it immediately), then started feeding it mainly frozen krill, since my other bottom dwellers eat krill also.

 

[tydus]

Try feeding him appropriate sized pellets that he is able to swallow whole, not pellets which he has to chew on or crush to swallow that he might choke on. Pellets would be a better choice than live foods because pellets have no parasites and has more nutritional value. I would try New Life Spectrum Pellets 1 mm which would be perfect for the 2 inch bichir(any pellets would work though). If the pellets are too big, then just crush it to the appropriate size so the bichir can swallow. I've raised all my bichirs from 3" with NLS 1mm pellets till they got to 6-7" and they are still with me and eating NLS. Fast growth rate and healthier than I would ever expect.

 

[jclyde13]

Try feeding him appropriate sized pellets that he is able to swallow whole, not pellets which he has to chew on or crush to swallow that he might choke on. Pellets would be a better choice than live foods because pellets have no parasites and has more nutritional value. I would try New Life Spectrum Pellets 1 mm which would be perfect for the 2 inch bichir(any pellets would work though). If the pellets are too big, then just crush it to the appropriate size so the bichir can swallow. I've raised all my bichirs from 3" with NLS 1mm pellets till they got to 6-7" and they are still with me and eating NLS. Fast growth rate and healthier than I would ever expect.

+1

 

[pi-eyed]

you could use a feeding rod with either soaked fd krill or cut up market shrimp. That way you can put the food directly in front of them without tank mates stealing it from them.

Good Luck,
Chris

 

[Snook000]

i feed all my feed NLS 1mm already and freeze dryed blood worms already but i never can tell if he has eatin anything. when i put the tuna in the tank he did not move at all so i stayed to watch my other fish eat. when i left i turn all the lights out and when i came back five mins later he was sitting in the same spot he had been but he had a huge chunk in his belly. i had the same problem with a clown knife fish i had but a least he was out when i was feeding and he eventualy ate them.

 

[duckyducttape]

mine i just got today readily accepts flake food... but thats what he was on in the pet store..