i have 3 sens, 1 albino, 1 delhezi and 1 ornate. all have the size range of 3.5-4.5 inches each.. what do the most prefer food for them? and is it ok to put some driftwoods in my tank for their resting place? and is it also ok for them to put them all in a 20 gal aquarium? thanks for the replies. newbie in raising bichirs..
Newbie on Bichirs
- Thread starter ceryu
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For the immediate time being, a 20 gallong tank will suffice, but once they start their growth spurt, you will have to move them to a larger tank. You don't want to stunt them, so start saving for a larger tank, now. By all mean, do add drift wood. Bichirs love and need hidding places. It gives them a sense of security. Try feeding any kind of sinking pellet as a balanced staple diet and mix it up with cut-up, thawed tilapia and even cut-up, thawed silversides. You can also throw in frozen bloodworms. Variety is the key.
im trying to feed them right now small guppies.. i temporarily stop feeding them sinking pellets because it makes my tank blurry. so i try guppies but my prob now is do they have the skill to catch one?
That's a good question . . . They NATURALLY are predatory, even at that size. I'd give it a try. It's just that I've never fed live to my 3 senegals and 2 delhezis. I feel that it's easier for me to get and keep frozen, pellets and other prepared foods, rather than live. It's a matter of convenience.
do blood worms fit in their diet? i think i seen some blood worms.. it that the red line worms soak in water? im palnning to feed them also Prawns. is it ok with them that kind of food?
ceryu;4157601; said:
In the USA, we can find frozen bloodworms. Your description sounds right. I think you are finding fresh bloodworms in the PI. Most juvenile fish will consume bloodworms. They're a great snack. My senegas and delhezis loved them, when they were younger. Now they have grown and prefer a more meaty diet.
thanks for the info.. it really help me solve my curiosity about my bichirs..
one more thing.. im just wondering if they all fill comfortable in my 20 gal aquarium.. because i find my ornate and delhezi always going around the tank.. not like the albino and seneg.. do these behavior cause stress on them?
one more thing.. im just wondering if they all fill comfortable in my 20 gal aquarium.. because i find my ornate and delhezi always going around the tank.. not like the albino and seneg.. do these behavior cause stress on them?
You need to start looking for a larger tank. i think a small tank can be stressful on your fish, besides, they will grow and you don't want to stunt their growth. I'd try to find a 55 gallon, at least for the time being.
how about separating the 3 sens to the albino, ornate and delhezi? im just thinking that if i buy 55 gal then my 20 gal will be vacant..
ceryu;4157636; said:
I don't think you need to buy another tank or even seperate your bichirs, right now. Take your time and enjoy your current set up. I'm just saying that your bichirs will grow and will be hitting a growth spurt. I purchased a skinny, 3-inch senegal from PetSmart. He was even smaller than some of the nightcrawlers that I buy to feed my fish. I took him out of the 55 gallon tank and placed him in the 75 gallon, with several fish that he could more easily compete with for food. He's just hit a growth spurt and is now 5 inches long and gaining much girth. I can actually see his growth, from week to week. I sort of think that if I'd kept him in the 55 gallon with bigger, faster-swimming tinfoil barbs, he'd not have hit this sudden growth spurt. I feel that a larger tank and the ability to compete for food do make a difference in allowing a fish to enter a growth. spurt.