bgk & bicher tank mates

[unicorn2tears]

Due to some deaths and damage, my main tank of 29 gal has been reduced to a 6" senegal bicher and a 6" black ghost knife. Considering both are shy fish, my tank often looks like I'm just growing algae. The tank has less than 1 wpg and is kept in a dark corner to help encourage the two to swim about more.

I was thinking of a few blind cave fish to go with the low light theme but I don't know how they would do. I'd also like some shoaling species with color but I have no idea on that one.

Any advice?

[Musket]

Remember that both the senegal and the knife will get quite large. 12" at least. You need to make sure any fish you get, will not fit in the bichirs mouth, or it may become a snack eventually.

[Toirtis]

Precisely...those blind cave characins will need to be big enough to not be swallowed by a 12" bichir....if you had a bigger tank, I would suggest an African knife or some leopard ctenopoma.

[hc8719]

musket...it'll take years, i know the bgk at least to get that big, say you get some cardinal tetra's now, they'll be old and dead, before the the bgk can fit them in their mouth

i knew i'd be safe with my neons and bgk, because he's only 3-3.5" and by the time he'd be big enough to eat them, they'd have outlived their life (maybe)

bgk is a great fish huh? sure you could'a payed like $7-10 for a clown or afican knife, but then you would of just had a lesser fish (no offense to other knife owners)

happy 4th guys

[guppy12]

IMHO your tank is way to small for a bio-load of that size and territorial reasons! The bichir gets around a foot long... and your ghost knife will get 16-18" long.

No offense but thats a little cramped for my taste
a 75-120 gal. would do a nice enviroment for those fish... and maybe future silver dollars... maybe depending on territory issues.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by hc8719

musket...it'll take years, i know the bgk at least to get that big, say you get some cardinal tetra's now, they'll be old and dead, before the the bgk can fit them in their mouth

Thats the BGK..the bichir, on the other hand, should be 10"-12" within the year...and it may even make a play for the BGK if it is still small enough.

[Musket]

I agree.. My bichirs have grown 2.5-3" since February.

[unicorn2tears]

Let me try asking this again... at this exact moment, I have a 6" bgk and a 6" senegal bicher in a 29 gal and I'd like to add tank mates. I am not talking about when they are 12" or longer. I've had the bgk for nearly two years and the bicher for about half a year and I'm aware of the speed at which they grow.

Can anyone provide advice for tank mates given the current situation and not one for a few years from now? Thank you.

[chotie]

2 6" fish in a 29 is already way too crowded imo. considering a 29g is what? 3' wide? thats not much swimming room.

you have gotten responces already. a 29g is way too small for those fish. if you dont care and want to risk tankmates, you can try some medium sized tetras, but again, you are CURRENTLY at max.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by unicorn2tears

Let me try asking this again... at this exact moment, I have a 6" bgk and a 6" senegal bicher in a 29 gal and I'd like to add tank mates. I am not talking about when they are 12" or longer. I've had the bgk for nearly two years and the bicher for about half a year and I'm aware of the speed at which they grow.

Can anyone provide advice for tank mates given the current situation and not one for a few years from now? Thank you.

Perhaps you might actually read the previous posts. Go get your characins (2-4 of them), make sure that they are a good 2½" long, and hope you still have them in a couple of months when that bichir is 8" long (assuming your tank parameters are good enough to permit normal growth).