hi, do someone had any info about captive breed polypterus size for every species? currently keeping CB polypterus only, 2 lapradei and 3 PEE, thanks, please share link or info on CB MAX size for polypterus.
WC / CB MAX SIZE COMPARISON
- Thread starter wilsonhuweishen
- Start date
Captive bred polypterus usually don't get as large as WC mainly because once the fish in in captivity it doesn't need to grow any more. Sometimes you do have some CB that will get larger than WC but it doesn't happen often. Usually with the LJ CB they will still get to a pretty large size before they will stop. I've heard of some laps stopping at the 16" mark and then some that grow past the 20" mark. As for endlicheri there are so many bad genes in the CB endlicheri these days that you'd be lucky to get one to grow past 20". Usually when polypterus are WC they weren't bred hormonally so they don't get all these things added to their water so they'd breed and grow faster for sale. In captivity the breeders don't care about the well being of the fish they care more about the money. Of course not every doesn't care we hobbyist care, but don't usually have the time or money to breed or breed on a large scale. The CB sens are a good example of what happens overtime. They are so messed up that their max growth has dropped 4" or so. WC can get to about 12" and CB sens only get to 8" so after an amount of time the genes of the CB poly's start to deteriorate mainly because of a lack of care by the breeder.
so, is it possible to make my CB polypterus grow larger? cause i got one 4 year old PEE 24'', 2 year old Lapradei 15inch, another new bought PEE like white skin snake pattern 16inch and 12 inch for small pee and my lap. i will post my pic soon. i hope i can grow them large and give them better home.
Well the problems are more with the newer CB polys. So a lot of the older CB don't have as bad genes since they were at the beginning of when CB started or before they started being mass bred. It is possible to grow CB larger than WC but in addition to having enough space, water changes variety of diet etc..., genes play a large role in how big the poly will get so you can't force it to grow larger.
A lot of people always blame the breeders and the mass production of breeding bichirs that end up with bad genetics and not growing to their max potential size. I actually believe that it's not mainly on just bad genetics that they get stunted but the growth of the fish I would blame more once the fish are now on their owner and how they care for them. Many keepers like to grow out their fish in a small tank (10-30g). Also not everyone tells the truths on how much water change they do or how often. (More water change, less pheromones in the water.) Also many keepers feed frozen foods as staple which contain thiamese, although live food have them too but not a lot.
Here is what I found out on my own experience. A LFS here gave away 6 free senegal bichirs that she couldn't sold. They been in her tank for 6 years and only grow at 7-8" and they been at 7" already 5 years ag and she brought them in at 2". I have them now since August 2013 in 400g and they are now at 12"+. (Hopefully they will grow more, just like my old senegal 13"+) Most 6 years old bichirs will stop growing at 3-4 years old. However bichirs will still grow regarless of the age if given proper care. Diet mainly pellets both hikari sinking cichlid gold, hikari carnivore pellets and hikari massivore pellets as well as NLS on a daily basis except I dont feed friday as I do water change. I also feed once a week with frozen food since I live close by the market just a walking distance. All are fresh and been only frozen a day or two or less than a week. I just buy whats on sale from tilapia, pompano, bass, perch, smelt and many more. ($2.99-$3.99 per lbs when on sale). I also breed my own feeders, since I keep cichlids, snakeheads, bettas and fancy goldfish all the rejected fry I feed to my fish. Most of these fry are bite size and readt ti be feed in 1-1.5 month so I usually feed my bichirs feeders once every month. Since I have an RO system which drips fresh water in my tank daily, pheromones don't stay in longer period of time. However I still do 50% water change even with the auto water change. (Yes I'm wasting water but it's all for my fish)
If you want your fish to grow on their max potential monster size, you need to invest more on the size of your tank, equipments and food. Dont blame mainly the breeder for giving them bad genetics. Most of my friends actually let me grow out their bichirs and once reach 20"+ they come pick it up. They pay me though lol. The key is to have them on varied diets not just varied pellets or varied frozen food use both variety of frozen food and pellets and occasional variety of feeders. When feeders always make sure they are top notch healthy. A lot of keerps in asia feed mainly variety of feeders and they grow their bichir to monster size buy they tend to have a shorter lifespan though.
I would recommend a 75g or 90g tank for growing out a bichir and only keep 10 or less. If only 3 bichirs 55g is minimum. Once 5" move to 75g or 90g. 8" more 100g+ and at 10" now to the main tank. Also do weekly water change 80% or more if u do not have an RO system. This will always keep the pheromones at a min level. Before I use to grow my bichirs in a 10g or 30g even they are 2" with variety of diets and weekly 80% water change. However they did not grow as fast. Most of my fish that I sold back in 2012 where started at in 2008 at 7-18" and all of my lower jaw grow 20"+ upper jaw at 12"+ regardless CB or WC.
Here is what I found out on my own experience. A LFS here gave away 6 free senegal bichirs that she couldn't sold. They been in her tank for 6 years and only grow at 7-8" and they been at 7" already 5 years ag and she brought them in at 2". I have them now since August 2013 in 400g and they are now at 12"+. (Hopefully they will grow more, just like my old senegal 13"+) Most 6 years old bichirs will stop growing at 3-4 years old. However bichirs will still grow regarless of the age if given proper care. Diet mainly pellets both hikari sinking cichlid gold, hikari carnivore pellets and hikari massivore pellets as well as NLS on a daily basis except I dont feed friday as I do water change. I also feed once a week with frozen food since I live close by the market just a walking distance. All are fresh and been only frozen a day or two or less than a week. I just buy whats on sale from tilapia, pompano, bass, perch, smelt and many more. ($2.99-$3.99 per lbs when on sale). I also breed my own feeders, since I keep cichlids, snakeheads, bettas and fancy goldfish all the rejected fry I feed to my fish. Most of these fry are bite size and readt ti be feed in 1-1.5 month so I usually feed my bichirs feeders once every month. Since I have an RO system which drips fresh water in my tank daily, pheromones don't stay in longer period of time. However I still do 50% water change even with the auto water change. (Yes I'm wasting water but it's all for my fish)
If you want your fish to grow on their max potential monster size, you need to invest more on the size of your tank, equipments and food. Dont blame mainly the breeder for giving them bad genetics. Most of my friends actually let me grow out their bichirs and once reach 20"+ they come pick it up. They pay me though lol. The key is to have them on varied diets not just varied pellets or varied frozen food use both variety of frozen food and pellets and occasional variety of feeders. When feeders always make sure they are top notch healthy. A lot of keerps in asia feed mainly variety of feeders and they grow their bichir to monster size buy they tend to have a shorter lifespan though.
I would recommend a 75g or 90g tank for growing out a bichir and only keep 10 or less. If only 3 bichirs 55g is minimum. Once 5" move to 75g or 90g. 8" more 100g+ and at 10" now to the main tank. Also do weekly water change 80% or more if u do not have an RO system. This will always keep the pheromones at a min level. Before I use to grow my bichirs in a 10g or 30g even they are 2" with variety of diets and weekly 80% water change. However they did not grow as fast. Most of my fish that I sold back in 2012 where started at in 2008 at 7-18" and all of my lower jaw grow 20"+ upper jaw at 12"+ regardless CB or WC.
Ill never buy a CB bichir again. Ive had a cb lapradei that hasnt grown past 8" and ive had him almost a year. I feed tilapia, flounder, shrimp and sometimes pellets and smelt(both too smelly). His first tank was a 75 gallon, and now he is in my 180. Hasn't grown in months, and looks disgusting and lumpy. The same has happened to my endlicheri, but he was around 10" when he died.
wow, Mr King-EL, u share a useful info, seriously 80% water change WEEKLY? food i feed them GUTLOAD supermealworms, shrimps, and feeders. and bro can u explain to me about pheromone? im quite not understand about it, thanks.
Pheromone is produce by the fish and release it in the water as a self defense from outgrowing the environment that it lives in. The more it release in the water that means it tells it body to stop growing. By doing more water change it thinks that it lives in a big body of water as their is less pheromones level. If too high it thinks it lives in a small body of water.