Seriously considering another poly..

[saphphx]

I think Ellie (16" lapradei bichir - I think a girl, still trying to get pics, but looks like girl fins to me If only she would grab a hand bag and skirt I would be more confidant! Or at least pose for a photo lol) could indeed use a bichir friend. I've read so far that they are aggressive and solitary, but this book also says clown loaches max out at 6 inches and goldfish live for 3 years, so I binned it.

So, what kind should I get? Where can I get it? My LFS is a bit crap at that sort of stuff, though will ask tomorrow about ordering one. I don't know how old Ellie is or how long she will live, but she will have to share the tank with some other fish. Here is what I am thinking:

78x24x24 inch tank, 2 fluval FX5s, probably sand bottom with:

• 10x clown loaches (if they all live and when they get big enough that Ellie wont eat them, which could be long after she passes on anyway as we've had them for 3 years and they aren't even 5 inches each.)
• 1x Ellie (cause I love her )
• 1x Other bichir
• 1x tiger oscar (I know he may not get on with the clowns, but will get his own tank by the time they need to move if he hasn't passed on, or will give him his own little hide place with no current with some bogwood and log type stuff. Will probably get him a 125 for himself if he is still around though)
• some giant danios (if they get eaten, they get eaten lol)
• maybe some synodontis (haven't decided if I want to sell them or not)

I don't think Ellie is aggressive. She has this weird love thing with the oscar, and is about the only fish in the world the oscar tolerates, so that has to say something.

anyway, opinions, ideas, anyone want to post me a fish? LOL!

 

[beblondie]

Ellie could live 15 years or longer and reach 18-24 inches when fully grown.Since he/she is a mid sized polypterid her tankmates need to be fairly large also.
Possible tankmates include
Silver dollar - Metynnis argenteus
African pike- Hepsetus odoe
Freshwater Barracuda - Ctenolucius hujeta
Distichodus notospilus- Distichodus notospilus
Distichodus fasciolatus - Distichodus fasciolatus
Nurse tetra - Alestes nurse
African tigerfish - Hydrocynus goliath
Vampire Characin-Hydrolycus scomberoides
CICHLIDS(*see note)
Oscar - Astronotus ocellatus
Umbee- Cichlasoma umbriferum
Golden Tropheops- Pseudotropheus tropheops
Black Belt Cichlid - Cichlasoma maculicauda
Blue Flash -Thorichthys aureus
Uaru - Uaru amphicanthiodes
Carpinte Cichlid - Cichlasoma carpinte
Chrysonotus Cichlid -Copadichromis chrysonotus
Chunky Hap- Protomelas annectens
Firemouth -Cichlasoma meeki
Guenther's Cichlid- Chromidotilapia guentheri guentheri
Haitian Cichlid- Cichlasoma haitiensis
Leopold's Angelfish- Pterophyllum leopoldi
Lifalili Jewel Cichlid- Hemichromis lifalili
Livingstoni's Nimbochromis-Nimbochromis livingstonii
Malawi Blue Dolphin -Cyrtocara moorii
Nicaragua Cichlid- Hypsophrys nicaraguensis
Nkata Cichlid- Copadichromis nkatae
Pasionis Cichlid- Cichlasoma pasionis
Rainbow Cichlid- Herotilapia multispinosa
Tiger Tilapia-Tilapia mariae
CATFISH
Dusky Pimelodid -Pimelodus blochii
Crystal-Eyed Catfish- Mystus wyckii
Banded Shovelnose Catfish- Brachyplatystoma juruense
Spotted Shovelnose-Hemisorubim platyrhynchos
Giraffe Catfish-Auchenoglanis occidentalis
Dwarf giraffe Catfish-Parauchenoglanis macrostoma
DATS
widebar datnoid- Datnioides pulcher 16''
Thinbar datnoid- Datnioides undecimradiatus 16''
Indonesian datnoid-Coius microlepis 18''
PLECOS
Adonis pleco-Acanthicus adonis
Black adonis-Acanthicus hystrix
GARS
Spotted gar -Lepisosteus ocula
Tropical Gar-Atractosteus tropicus
Shortnose Gar- Lepisosteus platostomus
KNIFEFISH
Clown Knifefish-Chitala chitala
African Knifefish- Xenomystus nigri
banded knifefise-Gymnotus carapo
LABYRINTHFISH
Giant Gourami- Osphronemus goramy
EELS
Tire Track Eel-Mastacembelus armatus
Peacock Eel-Macrognathus aculeatus
CYPRINIDS
Bala Shark-Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Red-Finned Cigar Shark-Leptobarbus hoevenii
Tinfoil Barb-Barbodes schwanefeldii
Chinese Algae Eater- Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Clown Loach- Botia macracantha
MISC.
Black Ghost Knifefish- Apteronotus albifrons
Elephantnose-Gnathonemus petersii
Black Devil Stingray-Potamotrygon leopoldi
Motoro Stingray-Potamotrygon motoro
(*note :to avoid agression do not have breeding pairs )-Anne

 

[saphphx]

cool, so all my fish except the synos and danios are on there (prob cause she will eat the danios lol)

but doesn't list other polys, so is she a one off for an aquarium?

Cheers Anne

 

[is300zx]

but doesn't list other polys, so is she a one off for an aquarium?

you can put other polys with her as long as it's similar in size and temperament. an endli, congicus, weeksii, ornate and of course another lap would be some of your choices. there's also the ansongrii and teugleusi but those are harder to find.

 

[saphphx]

cool! Will have a poke at the fish shop tomorrow thanks

 

[Sundew]

I think Ellie (16" lapradei bichir - I think a girl, still trying to get pics, but looks like girl fins to me If only she would grab a hand bag and skirt I would be more confidant! Or at least pose for a photo lol) could indeed use a bichir friend. I've read so far that they are aggressive and solitary, but this book also says clown loaches max out at 6 inches and goldfish live for 3 years, so I binned it.

So, what kind should I get? Where can I get it? My LFS is a bit crap at that sort of stuff, though will ask tomorrow about ordering one. I don't know how old Ellie is or how long she will live, but she will have to share the tank with some other fish. Here is what I am thinking:

78x24x24 inch tank, 2 fluval FX5s, probably sand bottom with:

• 10x clown loaches (if they all live and when they get big enough that Ellie wont eat them, which could be long after she passes on anyway as we've had them for 3 years and they aren't even 5 inches each.)
• 1x Ellie (cause I love her )
• 1x Other bichir
• 1x tiger oscar (I know he may not get on with the clowns, but will get his own tank by the time they need to move if he hasn't passed on, or will give him his own little hide place with no current with some bogwood and log type stuff. Will probably get him a 125 for himself if he is still around though)
• some giant danios (if they get eaten, they get eaten lol)
• maybe some synodontis (haven't decided if I want to sell them or not)

I don't think Ellie is aggressive. She has this weird love thing with the oscar, and is about the only fish in the world the oscar tolerates, so that has to say something.

anyway, opinions, ideas, anyone want to post me a fish? LOL!

I have 6 Polypterus, 1 ropefish, 5 large Bala Sharks and a Pleco in a 135. Any small fish will be eaten at night and sometimes the Balas have chunks missing out of their tails. Mine ate my Zebra Danios that were left over when I had small fish in that tank, your's will eat your giant danios so save your money.

A friend has 6 Polys, 1 Rope Fish, 2 large Datnoids, 5 jumbo Clown Loaches, 1 12" Leporinus f. and several African Knives in a 180.

We have both lost fairly large Flying Foxes in our tanks (burp!). I suggested a Synodontis for my friends tank since he wanted a scavanger. The first night the cat (Lace Cat, I think) was in the tank, his P. ornatipinnis had it in its jaws by its belly swimming around the tank. He could not catch it and the next day found it dead with its guts ripped out. He also started with 6 Leporinus. He said that one by one they would go up to a Poly. and bite at its tail, at which point the bichir wheeled around and cut the Lep. in half! Only one of the 6 never bothered the Polys and they have never bothered it, now it's huge. He worried about adding the clown loaches since eating one would likely kill both fish, but so far so good.

Bichirs seem to enjoy each other company. The ones we have kept don't usually bother anything they can't swallow unless it bothers them first. The catfish may have been an anomoly.

I really like them and am looking for a couple of albino Senegals or Palmas to add to the tank.

Sundew