Ornate Bichir tankmates???

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Brian G

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 29, 2009
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Unity, Sk.
I am going to start a 140gal. 48"X28"X24" plywood build. My stock list is as follows:
1 - Fire Eel
1 - Black Ghost Knifefish
2 - African Butterflyfish
3or4 - Frontosa
I was wondering if I could fit a Ornate Bichir in with the mix? I know they get large(around the 2 foot mark) and my fire eel is large but he dosent create that big of a bio-load.
I am also doing a DIY overflow, 50gal. sump with a wet-dry filter, and always do weekly 20-25% water changes with my tanks I have now.
Will this stock list work for me???
 
Hello,

especially ornates are a bit difficult to keep together with other fish. It's a matter of size, growing rate and even "character" of this beautiful bichir.
Fire Eel: Unfortunately an ideal body shape to be eaten ...
Black Ghost Knifefish: Ornates tend tobe stressy against such a cool fish, injuries included ...
African Butterflyfish: Would be the first tobe eaten (own experience)
Frontosa: Amatter of size, danger by night ...
These are not the case of "must be" ... but a warning that found the reason in own experience or those of friends (many of my friends are also keeping ornates!).

Greetings
Uwe
 
Well as Uwe said the African butterfly fish will surely get eaten as they only max out 4" when the ornate bichir outgrows it. As for the Fire as long as it's big 12"+ better yet start with a 16"+. As the bigger the fire eel the more easier for them to be train to be hand feed. So they won't be out compete for food and will get fatter in girth compare to the ornate bichir even at size 18". Smaller fire eel of less than 10" tend to hide a lot and shy. For the BGK knife, make sure it's also bigger than 12" as the fire eel and especially the ornate will out grow it. It will become food to an ornate. I used to have 12" ornate ate a 9" BGK.
 
With adult fish it may be possible. Well, butterfly fish aside, it's just too small.

I've had luck keeping fire eels and bichirs together. Granted, the fire eel was noticeable larger than the bichirs. If it hadn't been, it would have been a snack knowing my big lady ornate.

I've never kept frontosa, but I've read a lot of horror stories about them and larger bichirs being together. I knew one guy that kept frontosa and some senegals and delhezi together with no problems though.

Ornates can be nasty towards smaller fish at night. It's just part of that particular species personality. Ornates can be extremeley aggressive compared to most bichir species. I keep Princess (named for her attitude) away from smaller fish. She's a tough ornate who has eaten smaller fish (leftover baitfish from fishing before we had to kill them on-site). I remember the one time when she was only 12" or so long and ate a 9" chub. I thought I'd have that one for a while, but she ate it first. :ROFL:
 
I dont want to risk my fish with the ornate how about a ropefish or two, will they work with my stock list?

I have read that ropefish are fairley peacefull
 
Very. And they won't be able to eat any of your stock.
Others that might work are Delhezi, Palmas polli, palmas buettikoferi, palmas palmas, and many others.

And another one that I really like are ansogii.
 
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