Why or What Do You Like About Keeping Bichirs?

[Cohazard]

I think my addiction has started (i agree with everyone who collects one then starts collecting a bunch of polys), i kinda gave up on fish since i have only 1 albino zebra cichlid, and starting collecting turtles (diamonback terrapins) but bichir has brought the light to the fish world again, they look soo awesome.. lol i have a senegal from petsmart about 3inch gonna grow him out in a 30 gallon then get him to a 75 gallon

Sweet congrats dragogreen!

 

[Hao]

i love aros more but i kept bichir b/c it looked interesting

 

[Nossanim]

I have 2 Bichirs and I'd have to say the most thing i like about them and why I bought them were 1st off they're different and not alot of people have them let alone even heard of them, they're a good conversation piece, and to just watch them move about the tank entertains me. In 2006 I first had in a 55gal tank; 2 bichirs along with 3 Pacus, a Pleco, a Clown Loach, and a Common Goldfish which initially was a feeder but one day cleaning the tank it came out of hiding at least twice the size it was when i bought it and just got along with its tank mates since that point. all were carnivorus which surprised me to actually see my goldie eat a rosey feeder and whatever didnt get eaten settling to the bottom by the goldfish got eaten by the clown loach. ( usually Tropical Granules and left over fish pieces). to see the bichirs in action was interesting as they figured out what teamwork was whenever i fed them roseys working together as one "flushed out" a rosey oneway it got caught by the other and vice versa. I had gotten deployed after having them for about a year and found homes for them as i didnt have anyone to take care of them while i was gone. I just recently bought 2 more Sen Bichirs and 2 RBP's and they seem to be getting along so far but i just hope these bichirs figure out teamwork like my other ones did before my RBP's get the best of them. I love that they can breathe air as well. (I actually had one jump out of the net on me while transferring for a tank cleaning, and she just propped herself up on her "hands" and hung out for about 10-15mins without a problem. this happened often and this time i said "F*&% it your stayin there til i get ready to put you back", lol) she was fine no problems at all. and that made me do a lot more homework on this species and the more i read and learned the more i liked them.

 

[WHITECJ2OW]

they make one of the best cleanup crews i could find also the best looking :|

 

[Cholly]

I got mine because Sens are supposed to be good tankmates for African Brown Knife fish. Watching him feed soon won me over, now I want a delhezi and a palmas polli and maybe even try breeding. Breeding fish is something I haven't done for years. I just haven't had the itch. Now, I do again. They are just too cool.

 

[SFury]

Polys are polys. They are oddball predators that can coexist with most other fish who are large enough to not be eaten.

I have many and like them. I've been told I'm boring as others think they are.

Aside from feeding time they can be quite sedentary, and mine are shy around other people. Yes, they seem to know who I am even though they have poor eyesight.

 

[Kohaku]

I started with a senegal and slowly upgrade to the other species of bichirs in the list. Over the 6years i have keep them, I have basically kept all the 17 available species avaiable in the market and I have grow to like them more.

Beside being prehistoric, they are "Monster" that are able to grow up to 21inch or bigger. They are easy to keep and good scavangers for left over food from arowana.

The best part is I love to get questions from friend and relatives saying "what kind of fishes are these?" and "why I like to keep these snake-lookalike fish?" They are really unique oddballs to keep as not many people will know how to appreciate them for what they are and you dun get them in some countries.

 

[Stump]

I keep them because they are simply fascinating. My first bichirs I ever bought were a trio of Sens I bought at 3". The first night in, I knew I was hooked. Their prehistoric look, their striking resemblance to mythical chinese dragons, their immense appetite and voracity of feeding... All of it adds up to one kick ass fish!


I now have 4 bichirs, but I am not nearly satisfied. I was thinking about adding another smaller species to my 55g, maybe two.

Also, I have a 40 Breeder I could put some in.

 

[wolfsburgfanatic]

I had never seen seen a poly until I joined MFK. At the time I had a violet goby and while I loved that fish, he was constantly hiding and a PITA to feed. I started looking in this forum and thought polypterus were the coolest fish I had ever seen. After reading the primer and finding out how long they've been around I was sold. I traded my violet goby into the LFS and brought home my albino senegal. But he was lazy and hid all the time and I got frustrated since that was part of the reason I got rid of the goby. So I went to petsmart and bought a normal sen. Best $6.00 I've ever spent. I was hooked for life. Now at 6" hes super active, beautiful, and responsive. I love when I open the lid to drop in dinner he raises his dorsal finlets and comes up to investigate. I actually just bought another senegal tonight, bringing the tally to 3. Hopefully a delhezi and palmas polli will be added to the collection soon

 

[dragogreen]

Sweet congrats dragogreen!

Thanks!! I should Thank MFK also (this forum rocks btw ) for introducing me to many oddball fishes/animals they're simply fascinating!!