yeah I misidentified a couple as female at first, I find waiting till they have slowed their growth is best to sex them
Trying to do it right..?
- Thread starter Cyanopica
- Start date
jaws7777, Thanks! I'm having a hard time getting accurate measurements of any of the fish. I'd estimate around 3.5"-4.5" maybe? I've had the tank + inhabitants since early December. She had the tank for at least a year or two, but I'm not sure how long she had each of the fish. I know she got the bichir from my store and they usually come in teeny, around 2 inches, little noodles. Pics below, they were more cooperative today.
Finally caught Athena out and about. She's still recovering from the beating she got when Freya was laying eggs. Can't say she didn't have it coming though, she kept Freya in the corner for weeks before the tables turned. My friend likened it to a soap opera. Never any major damage or infections caused by the damage luckily.
All of your fish look happy and healthy. I asked how long you had them because it could be the sen will not grow much more. I had one that nevet passed 5 or 6 inches. But at 3.5 it probably has few mor to go at the least.
Its tough to say if the cory and sen are compatible for weeks, yrs, or life. At the current size i would imagine you have a decent amount of time to think this over before the cory becomes a possible snack
Welcome, and I'm also going to applaud you for your articulate post, and thoughtful questions. How refreshing. 
Your 60 will be fine for a while with upper jaw bichirs. The 90 will definitely be a nice upgrade later on, though. Most people do multiple bichirs because 1) they get addicted and want more and 2) they don't tend to be super active fish, with a few upper jaws being the exception so it's nice to have multiples.
Rope fish are an exception in that they are definitely recommended to have in groups of 3+ and very much enjoy each others' company. They might be something for you to consider adding to your tank, especially if you don't want to add any larger cichlids outside of the angels. They would love your heavily decorated setup. I love ropes... they can be easily hand-tamed. Mine ate out of my fingers and would swim through my fingers. They are super graceful, yet sit in silly positions and have perpetual smiles.
If you want to get more UJ bichirs, my recommendations are usually Delhezi (striking, can be active) and Polli (not as striking, but tend to be very active / interactive like Sens.)
Palmas and Mokelembembe are generally more shy species but can be quite striking. Now maybe you see why people get so many LOL....
Cories won't decimate a shrimp colony, in my experience. They'll snatch up small shrimplets but if you have a good group going and hiding places you'll have plenty reproduce.
I like the idea of the 90 with angels and bichirs and whatever else... and then adding more cories with your sole guy into the 29. (Or cories and angels in the 60, then a 90 gallon bichir/other fish tank.) If you do the 29 you could do that right now and then not worry about the bichirs in the 60 with it. (Again, as long as your shrimp colony is fairly established.) Cories are definitely happier with friends. I like groups of 5+.
Your 60 will be fine for a while with upper jaw bichirs. The 90 will definitely be a nice upgrade later on, though. Most people do multiple bichirs because 1) they get addicted and want more and 2) they don't tend to be super active fish, with a few upper jaws being the exception so it's nice to have multiples.
Rope fish are an exception in that they are definitely recommended to have in groups of 3+ and very much enjoy each others' company. They might be something for you to consider adding to your tank, especially if you don't want to add any larger cichlids outside of the angels. They would love your heavily decorated setup. I love ropes... they can be easily hand-tamed. Mine ate out of my fingers and would swim through my fingers. They are super graceful, yet sit in silly positions and have perpetual smiles.
If you want to get more UJ bichirs, my recommendations are usually Delhezi (striking, can be active) and Polli (not as striking, but tend to be very active / interactive like Sens.)
Palmas and Mokelembembe are generally more shy species but can be quite striking. Now maybe you see why people get so many LOL....
Cories won't decimate a shrimp colony, in my experience. They'll snatch up small shrimplets but if you have a good group going and hiding places you'll have plenty reproduce.
I like the idea of the 90 with angels and bichirs and whatever else... and then adding more cories with your sole guy into the 29. (Or cories and angels in the 60, then a 90 gallon bichir/other fish tank.) If you do the 29 you could do that right now and then not worry about the bichirs in the 60 with it. (Again, as long as your shrimp colony is fairly established.) Cories are definitely happier with friends. I like groups of 5+.
Not sure. I got her a little over a year ago and she was around 6"....magpie how old do you think Udon is?
Sorry for the side jaunt.
Also, look around the edges of your lid and seal up any openings that you might see, like around the filter intake/output, heater, etc. I have used duct tape as an easy immediate fix that can be replaced. Bichirs are escape artists and if you do decide on ropes it's even more important.
Very nice set up you got goingCyanopica . The little sen looks happy. Welcome to the forum.
Thank you, DMD123!
@magpie, Thank you! Seems like there's a general appreciation around here for punctuation, lol. Seriously, though, thanks.
Everyone's been so welcoming.Responding in no real order... The lid's on very tight and since my friend went with a canister filter from the start, most of the cut outs are still in place. I ran the tubing through the teeny holes in each corner, which are now practically air tight. And the intake/output for the filter and the heater cord all come through one small hole, which does have some space around it now that I look closer. Will sealing up that area compromise the quality of the air in between the water and the lids?
As for the shrimp colony, they're sooooooo good at hiding and there are a ton of hiding places. There's at least one ghost shrimp left from my first batch of them. The red crystals that a customer gave me seem to be there still, but I only catch a glimpse of one at a time maybe a couple times a week. I search and still don't find them! So I guess if they're that good at hiding from me, they'll be ok with some cories.
I'll have to do some reading on ropefish, they do seem rather cute! As for more polys, I'm heavily leaning toward a delhezi, if I can find one in the area. I really like how active Don is, and would prefer more like him. I told my husband I'm going to need a third, bigger, tank. He wasn't as enthused about it as I am, for some odd reason.
I told my husband I'm going to need a third, bigger, tank. He wasn't as enthused about it as I am, for some odd reason.
fill it with oddball predators(bichirs, knifefish, eels,....) and he will come around
lol, Maybe. He does seem to enjoy my bigger tank with the angels and the bichir more than my 29 community. Probably because they're more interactive than just the "FEED US" response. He wanted me to do saltwater, but I am too damn lazy for that.
Love the pics. It is so nice to see someone keeping angelfish with bichirs. I've always had a predilection for koi angels, but have been too afraid to keep them. How do they get along with the bichirs? Is the soap opera dynamic a regular thing?
Polys definitely are addicting. Similar to you, I have a 55g and have smaller upper jaws in it. In the long run, the 90 gallon will be so much easier to maintain. Less water changes! Woo!
