zaire green polys

[DiXoN]

does anyone keep these and if so have any decent first hand info on them like realistic size temprement and feeding info.
thanks
dixon

 

[Fruitbat]

I've got one Polypterus sp. 'Congo'.....an as-yet scientifically unnamed bichir that is also known as the 'Zaire Green'. Mine is about 10 inches long and growing slowly. VERY secretive....there have been spans of multiple weeks at a time when I don't see it at all and then I'll catch a glimpse of it feeding after the lights in the tank are turned off. From what I can tell it is no more or less aggressive than any other bichir because the bichirs and bush fish that it housed with have never shown any signs of damage. It seems to eat pretty much the same things as any other bichir.....'meaty' foods of all types.

-Joe

 

[Jesse]

I have to "Zaire greens" and my experience has been similar to Joe's. Rather nocturnal buggers. They are very slender bichirs, kinda like an elongated palmas polli with a weeksi head.

 

[DiXoN]

thanks for the info.
i think i ill give them a miss due to growing slowly.
the ones i have seen are about 6'' and slim built so will not last long with my other fish if there slow growing.
what are faster growers as i can usually get hold of pretty much any polys

 

[starrfish71]

never had a "Zaire green"-
I had an ornatus for 10+ years, and it was the opposite of what these others have been described- always out, always looking for food-