What fish go well with Bichirs?

[*KrAmEr*]

Yeah im thinking about getting a delhezi or an ornate bichir for my 5'x21"x23" and was wondering what fish are alright with it. Ive never had one before and dont really know much about them except that there fricken expensive here in Australia.

Also do Bichirs need any special requirements?

 

[CichlidAddict]

Just about anything gets along with them except for the most aggressive / predatory fish (like dovii, umbee, butti, wolffish, etc..)

 

[*KrAmEr*]

OH alright what about small schooling fish like tetras and barbs?

 

[Fruitbat]

Anything that is small enough to be swallowed by a bichir (and you'd be surprised just how much they can swallow) likely will be. Bichirs are predatory but not aggressive so they get along with most fish that are too big to be a menu item and that aren't overly territorial or aggressive.

I tend to keep 'biotope'-type tanks, meaning that the fish (and to a lesser degree, the plants) in the aquariums all come from the same area. To that end, some of the fish that I'm currently keeping with bichirs include:

Congo Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
Coppernose Barbs (Raiamas christyi)
African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi)
Tailspot Bush Fish (Ctenopoma kingsleyi)
Mottled Bush Fish (Ctenopoma weeksii)
Leopard Bush Fish (Ctenopoma acutirostre)
Eyespot Bush Fish (Ctenopoma ocellatum)
Banded Bush Fish (Microctenopoma fasciolatum)
African Knife Fish (Xenomystus nigri)
African Mud Fish (Phractolaemus ansorgei)
Synodontis brichardi
Synodontis eupterus
Synodontis nigrita
Dwarf Giraffe Catfish (Anaspidoglanis sp.)

These are by no means the only fish I've kept with bichirs (of appropriate size, of course) but it gives you an idea of what works.

-Joe

 

[Nabbig2]

anything they can't swallow, and don't get fish that are too aggressive

 

[jconley]

Mine are in with a pair of Uaru, a Flowerhorn, a Red Tiger Motaguensis, a Black Arowana, several different types of catfish, Red Hook Silver Dollars, a ton of plecos (which I don't advise doing, because of the plecos tendencies to suck the slime coat off of bichirs......but mine all get along fine ), a female C. lenticulata (pike cichlid) and a Honduran Red Point Convict. Everybody minds their own business and so far I have had no trouble!

 

[Nabbig2]

Mine are in with a pair of Uaru, a Flowerhorn, a Red Tiger Motaguensis, a Black Arowana, several different types of catfish, Red Hook Silver Dollars, a ton of plecos (which I don't advise doing, because of the plecos tendencies to suck the slime coat off of bichirs......but mine all get along fine ), a female C. lenticulata (pike cichlid) and a Honduran Red Point Convict. Everybody minds their own business and so far I have had no trouble!

I've always wondered why plecos pick on bichirs so much. Evil!

 

[*KrAmEr*]

Has anybody had luck with a bichir and a Jardini?

 

[jconley]

I had a Jardini before the black Aro with no problems. I did, however, get rid of it when it was about 9" and before it started to get really aggressive.