Who has MFK's oldest Polypterus???

[David R]

As the title says, who's got a bichir they've kept for years?

A friend of mine has a palmas I bought as a juvi back in early 05, so its about 4.5 years old now. Surely there's some way older than that though!!

 

[Burbotman]

Interesting Thread.

I will have had my Delhezi for 10 years next may.

 

[SnaKeheAdSrAwSomE]

dang my sene is 5 LOL

 

[David R]

I will have had my Delhezi for 10 years next may.

Good stuff! Post a pic, how big is it?

There was a large lower jaw bichir (either congicus or lap, it was a few years ago) that used to be at an LFS here, it would have come in back in the early 90's before the import laws changed. Apparently its still around, but the person I know who knows the owner says he is hard to get hold of...

 

[StripeGirl]

6 of my endlis are 12 years old.

 

[Hapdude]

I had an ornate that I got when she was about 6". She was WC and I had her for 22yrs. She reached 24" and about as big around as a tennis ball. Unfortunately she pushed her way out of a glass lid and ended up on the floor for far too long a time to revive her. Her name was "Bubbles", named after a Hippo who had escaped from a Southern California wild animal park, and ran around loose for about three days, until some oversellous law enforcement person shot and killed her! One of my most heartbreaking losses! I'm sure had she not got out she would have lived for many more years! Bichirs can live a very long time, which can make them a very real responsiblity. I've never been without a bichir for now more then 40 yrs, So obviously I'm hooked! Johnathan

 

[FishNCash]

This is not mine but R1_Ridah used to have one for 5 years. I think the size recorded was around 18-20".

 

[David R]

Hapdude/Johnathan; those are the kind of stories I'm looking for! What size tank did you keep it in? Would love to see a pic if you've got one.

I'm convinced their growth rate slows down but doesn't completely stop, and the reason we don't see many massive ones in captivity is because they are simply too young.

 

[Hapdude]

I'm chest high in boxes as I'm moving across state this next week so I wouldn't even know where to look! I think I might have some old slides of her, but don't know when I would ever get to them! I got her in either 1972 or 1973, and I remember she died when my daughter was ten (1995). I used to have an african cichlid business back then and mostly made my own tanks out of coated marine plywood. She would have been in a 240 (2x2x8) for most of the time. She took a real liking to beefheart so I think that helped pack on the pounds. After I got out of the business, she was the only fish I took with me to Seattle, so that tells you she was more family then just fish! She had previously escaped from the tank twice before, and I felt I had eliminated any possibility of her ever escaping again! But I was wrong. People underestimate how strong bichirs are. She was a devastating loss. JOHNATHAN

 

[EdzCatingub]

lolz...
that would mean that my sene is still young...
i had her 4 years ago... from a friend of mine...
my friend kept her for a year so that would make her 5 years old now...