tjara03
Aquarium Advice Freak
i am looking into getting a Bichir... will this fish live in brackish??? and will it co-exist with a Black Ghost Knive in a 55 Gal??? PLease Help!! TIA!!!
Cuvier's Bichir!!! Help!!!
- Thread starter tjara03
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Zagz
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't have them personally but the quick research I've done says they will get quite large (12"-13") and min tank recommended size is 90 gal. Now I don't know how fast they grow mind you. They are peaceful and should not be kept with aggressive fish of any type. The black ghost knife is supposed to be peaceful, but from what I have read, they like very different water conditions, so I wouldn't recommend them being together. The ghost knife can grow larger than the bichir. Sorry I have no more info, as I said this is just research, I've never kept either species.
beblondie
Aquarium Advice Activist
Bichirs are freshwater species ranging in size from 10-30inches depending on the species.
Black Ghost Knives can reach 18inches plus
A standard 55 gallon tank is only 12 inches wide.
Black Ghost Knives can reach 18inches plus
A standard 55 gallon tank is only 12 inches wide.
azn_fishy55
Aquarium Advice FINatic
get a gray bichir instead, a 55 would be perfect for it. But I dun think it will be okay with the knife fish.
Hrafnkel
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I'd see if they "can be put in brackish" or "should be in brackish" before I decided anything. From what I understand they do best in frshwater, but I've never kept any. Also, as an alternative to a BGK you might try an African Brown Knife, they stay smaller (9" or so) and are also pretty peaceful.
Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
Personally, I wouldn't try a bichir in brackish water. Their natural habitat is in (for most species) rivers and swamps of western Africa and none of them inhabit coastal areas. Polypterus ornatipinnis, the Ornate Bichir, and Polypterus endlicheri congicus have both been found in Lake Tanganyika which is known for its hard, alkaline water BUT they are generally not found in the lake proper but in swampy areas where rivers enter into the lake and dilute the water.
Cuvier's Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) is one of the 'smaller' bichirs, ranging in maximum size to about 12 inches. I personally see no reason that one wouldn't co-exist with a Black Ghost Knife (which, by the way, doesn't do well in brackish water either). As Hrafnkel mentioned, the African Brown Knife (Xenomystus nigri) will also make an excellent tank-mate for the Cuvier's bichir.
-Joe
Cuvier's Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) is one of the 'smaller' bichirs, ranging in maximum size to about 12 inches. I personally see no reason that one wouldn't co-exist with a Black Ghost Knife (which, by the way, doesn't do well in brackish water either). As Hrafnkel mentioned, the African Brown Knife (Xenomystus nigri) will also make an excellent tank-mate for the Cuvier's bichir.
-Joe
azn_fishy55
Aquarium Advice FINatic
But I think that some bichirs need soft water like the BGK, but I am not sure. I think you should stick with the smaller bichirs such as the Dinosaur Eel(I forgot the real name). I was intending to keep one but my tank wasn't big enough but your 55 should be good.
Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
The 'Dinosaur Eel', 'Grey Bichir', 'Cuvier's Bichir' and 'Senegal Bichir' are all common names for the same fish. That is why I hate using common names instead of the scientific binomial. They are all Polypterus senegalus.
No bichir needs soft water. They are all remarkably tolerant of their water conditions as long as extremes are avoided and the water is kept clean. As I mentioned above, however, I personally wouldn't try them in brackish water.
The minimum tank that I'd recommend for a P. senegalus or two would be a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank. These are better than a standard 40 gallon because, while they aren't as tall as the standard tank, they are wider. Bottom area is far more important to bichirs than is tank depth.
-Joe
No bichir needs soft water. They are all remarkably tolerant of their water conditions as long as extremes are avoided and the water is kept clean. As I mentioned above, however, I personally wouldn't try them in brackish water.
The minimum tank that I'd recommend for a P. senegalus or two would be a 40 gallon 'breeder' tank. These are better than a standard 40 gallon because, while they aren't as tall as the standard tank, they are wider. Bottom area is far more important to bichirs than is tank depth.
-Joe
