pikes with bichirs?

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R

rnocera

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 1, 2008
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New Castle, Pennsylvania
www.herpfamily.com
Are there any species of Crenicichla I could keep in my bichir tank? I have bichirs, 2 severums and 2 gars (Florida & longnose). I'm thinking most, if not all, Crenicichla would try to eat the long, slender fish.

Thanks!
Ronnie

edit: Tank is currently a 60 gallon. Will be upgrading to a 90 as soon as the fish are large enough to need it (currently it's empty in the basement), and the gars will eventually be leaving everyone else and going to an indoor pond, or larger aquarium.
 
Pikes have big mouths, but they aren't going to be able to eat anything of similar length, unless it is really thin (like a worm) which bichirs aren't. I've got a 6" delhezi and a slightly smaller C. menezesi, they do fine together. The pike doesn't pick on it at all.
 
i used to have the same fear. i think as long as there isnt to big of size difference, then you should be fine.
 
I have a 8-9 inch venezuelan pike, and she's never looked at the other fish in the tank as food as far as I can tell (florida gar, 4.5" datnoid, and crayfish).

As long as the pike isn't significantly larger than the bichir and gar, then it should be fine. Just watch out for feeding time, since pike (at least mine) can be aggressive feeders, and hog all the food.
 
Pikes will happily gorge themselves, that's true. My menezesi can't handle more than 2 sinking cichlid pellets at once though (the pellets are large compared to the fish) and the del is pretty good at finding them. He also learned how to eat from the surface.
 
Should be okay. I have a delhezi and a crenicichla sp. venezuela together, both around 12", with no problems.
 
I have kept a palmas and a venz together in the past with no issues. Should be fine as long as there is not a big size difference as already stated.
 
Thanks! Now's the real question- My bichirs range from 4-8". So, I'd have to get a pike around 4", or smaller. How does the growth rate compare? Should I just wait until my bichirs are bigger? I'm worried the pike would grow faster. We had a belly crawler in at the store I work in, and it grew insanely fast- from 4" to 8" in just a few months. Do they normally grow like this? Do they ALL grow like this? Thanks!
 
rnocera;3273607; said:
Thanks! Now's the real question- My bichirs range from 4-8". So, I'd have to get a pike around 4", or smaller. How does the growth rate compare? Should I just wait until my bichirs are bigger? I'm worried the pike would grow faster. We had a belly crawler in at the store I work in, and it grew insanely fast- from 4" to 8" in just a few months. Do they normally grow like this? Do they ALL grow like this? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about all species, but when I got my ven around 8 months ago it was only about 4" and now it's as big as my del (12"), and really thick. Personally, if I was in your situation, I'd wait until the bichirs got a little bit bigger, just to be safe.
 
my sp. venezuela would bother cichlid tankmates, but didn't pay attention to an ornate bichir about the same size as it
 
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