There is such conflicting info on the web...The only thing in common is that they may eat fish. What do you guys know? Thankies in advance!!!
Can anyone tell me anything about Birchirs?
- Thread starter farli
- Start date
Well, here's my experience.........
I once had an ornate bichir when the 55 was freshwater. He was a very hardy and tough fish. I had him for a long time, he was once in a high ph cichlid tank, and then he was in a soft amazon tank, and he did well in both. In the community (amazon) tank, I kept him with 2 large angels, an opaline gourami, a gold nugget pleco, and a spotted raphael.
He never bothered the angels, I never saw them with damaged fins. He mostly stayed in his cave during the day, except when I would buy a whole bunch of feeder guppies or shrimp and dump them in the tank. I also used to buy frozen silversides and drop them in the tank and he would eat about 4 a day (when there was no live food). He would swim up and down the glass when he was hunting for food (it looks like they're trying to get out), but really it's due to their poor eye sight. A type of food I was surprised to see him eat (it wasn't for him) were the floating cichlid pellets. He would swim up to the water level and inhale them. (I stopped feeding him those because I didn't want to risk dropsy). HTH
Serg
I once had an ornate bichir when the 55 was freshwater. He was a very hardy and tough fish. I had him for a long time, he was once in a high ph cichlid tank, and then he was in a soft amazon tank, and he did well in both. In the community (amazon) tank, I kept him with 2 large angels, an opaline gourami, a gold nugget pleco, and a spotted raphael.
He never bothered the angels, I never saw them with damaged fins. He mostly stayed in his cave during the day, except when I would buy a whole bunch of feeder guppies or shrimp and dump them in the tank. I also used to buy frozen silversides and drop them in the tank and he would eat about 4 a day (when there was no live food). He would swim up and down the glass when he was hunting for food (it looks like they're trying to get out), but really it's due to their poor eye sight. A type of food I was surprised to see him eat (it wasn't for him) were the floating cichlid pellets. He would swim up to the water level and inhale them. (I stopped feeding him those because I didn't want to risk dropsy). HTH
Serg
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I have 2 of them I love them!
Ornate bichir - Polypterus ornatipinnis- 5 Inches
Senegal bichir - Polypterus senegalus senegalus - 7 Inches
looking in to getting a 3rd one
Saddled Bichir - Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri
I Feed Mine: Krill, Shrimp Pellets, Night Crawlers, Guppies, Gold Fish, Blood Worms.
They will eat anything of the sort and probably much more.
Mine are very active using the whole tank from top to bottom looking for food. They are neat to watch them hunt for food and catch it, or go in to a death roll with a pituitary large night crawler.
I have mine "for now" In a 40 gal planted tank with 2 clown knifes, 4 clown loaches & 2 dragon fish '' Violet Gobies"
Everyone is happy and content providing everyone is kept full mainly the clown knifes.
I'm about a month away from moving everyone to a 210 Gal tank if everything goes well.
Just remember they will get 12-24 inches depending on what one you get. Also when feeding fish meaty foods you will need to watch your tank as the nitrates will climb & you will need a good canister filter to handle it as well as regular water changes.
I have very hard water and mine do fine, all my fish do.
Kevin...
Ornate bichir - Polypterus ornatipinnis- 5 Inches
Senegal bichir - Polypterus senegalus senegalus - 7 Inches
looking in to getting a 3rd one
Saddled Bichir - Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri
I Feed Mine: Krill, Shrimp Pellets, Night Crawlers, Guppies, Gold Fish, Blood Worms.
They will eat anything of the sort and probably much more.
Mine are very active using the whole tank from top to bottom looking for food. They are neat to watch them hunt for food and catch it, or go in to a death roll with a pituitary large night crawler.
I have mine "for now" In a 40 gal planted tank with 2 clown knifes, 4 clown loaches & 2 dragon fish '' Violet Gobies"
Everyone is happy and content providing everyone is kept full mainly the clown knifes.
I'm about a month away from moving everyone to a 210 Gal tank if everything goes well.
Just remember they will get 12-24 inches depending on what one you get. Also when feeding fish meaty foods you will need to watch your tank as the nitrates will climb & you will need a good canister filter to handle it as well as regular water changes.
I have very hard water and mine do fine, all my fish do.
Kevin...
i just got one the other day. a senegal birchir. it is the coolest fish in my tank (currently a 55g comunity). mine's only about 3 inches long so he's a young one. it's probably the most exotic thing in my tank aside from me green spotted puffer that shouldn't be in there(long story fish store gave me terrible advice). it's been a very hearty fish though. i feed mine mainly shrimp pellets and tubiflex worms. he seems to be doing fine.
i would highly recomend the senegal birchir. it has been a great addition to my aquiarium.
i would highly recomend the senegal birchir. it has been a great addition to my aquiarium.
I have a Senegal in my "fish nobody wanted" tank. For a while I worked at a Petco, and all the fish in the tank were turn-ins. A 6 inch syno cat, not sure on species, a 8 inch African cichlid, not sure on species, a 9 inch common pleco, and a 10 inch senegal bichir. The tank itself was a turn in too, with the pleco and the African.
They are currently in a 55, and will be moved up to a 65 wide (48 x 18 x 17) around September.
As to the Senegal. Other than warning people away from keeping him with bite sized fish, I haven't had any aggression problems. The syno regularly bullies him out of his pvc tubes. I haven't found a food he wouldn't eat, and he hasn't tried to jump yet (which he apparently tried in his previous home). Currently he gets shrimp pellets, algae wafers, extra veggie cichlid food, and I'm going to treat them to feeder shrimp this weekend. No feeder fish because the cichlid shouldn't get too much meat and because of disease worries.
--Mia
They are currently in a 55, and will be moved up to a 65 wide (48 x 18 x 17) around September.
As to the Senegal. Other than warning people away from keeping him with bite sized fish, I haven't had any aggression problems. The syno regularly bullies him out of his pvc tubes. I haven't found a food he wouldn't eat, and he hasn't tried to jump yet (which he apparently tried in his previous home). Currently he gets shrimp pellets, algae wafers, extra veggie cichlid food, and I'm going to treat them to feeder shrimp this weekend. No feeder fish because the cichlid shouldn't get too much meat and because of disease worries.
--Mia
I have a senegal bichir in my 18g community. s/he's about 3" right now.. it's SO cool, i mean, my mom saw it, and was like, "WHAT IS THAT?! IT'S SOO COOL!! i want one."
really, it leaves my fish alone, and eats the skinking pellets i have for my frogs. i throw a chunk of frozen brine shrimp in (well, i thaw it out in some water forst) and all my fish go crazy, especially the eel. i discovered he'll eat anything that is on the bottom of the tank.
really, it leaves my fish alone, and eats the skinking pellets i have for my frogs. i throw a chunk of frozen brine shrimp in (well, i thaw it out in some water forst) and all my fish go crazy, especially the eel. i discovered he'll eat anything that is on the bottom of the tank.
i had a bichir about 4-5 years ago. it only ate live food. mainly small comet goldfish or rose reds. i guess some can eat other foods, but mine was a strict live eater only.
make sure to keep your tank well covered and I mean everywhere (by the heater, filter, etc.) my bichir jumped out of my tank and I found him dead in the morning.
make sure to keep your tank well covered and I mean everywhere (by the heater, filter, etc.) my bichir jumped out of my tank and I found him dead in the morning.
I keep a bichir in my 55 african cichlid tank that about 6 inches long and he gets along very well with everything. Most people say they are inactive during the day but mine pretty much never stops swimming, and he will eat absolutly anything and never seems full. He even lets me feed him by hand. Id recommend them to anyone with a big enough tank.