Birchir tank questions

[fissyfriend]

Hello there,

I have just acquired a 55 gallon tank with two birchirs in it. I was curious to know what tank mates would work well with these fish. I know almost nothing about them, other than that they are opportunistic feeders. I am not sure if I will be keeping them because I don't know much about them and they are not very active. So any information you guys and fellow birchir owners can give me I would appreciate.

 

[SherLar]

Do you know what species of bichirs they are? Some bichirs only reach a length of 7-8", but some, like the ornate bichir, can reach a length of 24". The most common is probably the Senegal bichir, which gets to about 10-11", and most fish too large to fit in it's mouth will be safe with it. I have Senegal bichirs with Malawi cichlids, and Delhezi bichirs with my New World cichlids (different continents, I know) and have never had any trouble with either tank. I've seen small bichirs catch and eat smaller fish like tetras and guppies though, so the fish need to be too big to be thought of as food.
AS for activity, most bichirs will spend much of their time either hiding, or just hanging out in a corner of the tank, not moving. There will, however, be short bursts of vigorous energy from time to time, and often, you'll see them cruising back and forth at all levels of the tank, usually against the glass, for several minutes at a time.
Give them a chance. I think you'll like them if you do.

 

[fissyfriend]

Do you know what species of bichirs they are? Some bichirs only reach a length of 7-8", but some, like the ornate bichir, can reach a length of 24". The most common is probably the Senegal bichir, which gets to about 10-11", and most fish too large to fit in it's mouth will be safe with it. I have Senegal bichirs with Malawi cichlids, and Delhezi bichirs with my New World cichlids (different continents, I know) and have never had any trouble with either tank. I've seen small bichirs catch and eat smaller fish like tetras and guppies though, so the fish need to be too big to be thought of as food.
AS for activity, most bichirs will spend much of their time either hiding, or just hanging out in a corner of the tank, not moving. There will, however, be short bursts of vigorous energy from time to time, and often, you'll see them cruising back and forth at all levels of the tank, usually against the glass, for several minutes at a time.
Give them a chance. I think you'll like them if you do.

My roommate got them from her brother so neither of us are sure what kind they are. However, they about 11 inches in length. I wanted to do cichlids but I wasn't sure if that was possible because I have heard that they are brackish water fish. I've attached photos of the tank and the fish themselves. Maybe you can tell what kind they are?

 

[SherLar]

It's difficult to tell from that angle, but the fish on the left could be a speckled bichir, and the one one the right could be a senegal bichir. Both species max out at a foot or less. They could both be senegals also, as senegals seem to have varied color patters. If you could get body pics, it would be easier to tell the species.

 

[SherLar]

Depending on the cichlids you choose, you should be fine. Bichirs are actually very docile fish, so you want to stay away from overly aggressive cichlids. I sometimes see my largest oscar and largest bichir swimming side by side the length of the tank though.
Also, if you add cichlids, remember that bichirs will eat small fish, so add cichlids large enough that they aren't thought of as food. Anything over 1.5-2" should be safe, I believe.

 

[fissyfriend]

Depending on the cichlids you choose, you should be fine. Bichirs are actually very docile fish, so you want to stay away from overly aggressive cichlids. I sometimes see my largest oscar and largest bichir swimming side by side the length of the tank though.
Also, if you add cichlids, remember that bichirs will eat small fish, so add cichlids large enough that they aren't thought of as food. Anything over 1.5-2" should be safe, I believe.

What breed of cichlids are docile community fish? And are all cichlids freshwater or only specific breeds?

 

[fissyfriend]

http://www.fishlore.com/profiles-cichlids.htm based off of the list in that link which ones do you think would work best? I also think it's important to let you know that I have two massive filtration systems running on the tank. They are so big that they are running size L filters.

 

[SherLar]

That's a pretty long list, LOL. First, you should decide whether you prefer African or New World cichlids. If African, which of the lakes most interest you, or do you prefer non Rift Lake Africans? To my knowledge, all cichlids are fresh water, as are most bichir species. I saw at the intro to the list that there are over 1000 cichlid species. THat estimate is too low by a factor of 10.
If you like African Malawi cichlids, most Mbunas or peacocks should do fine with your bichirs, as long as you stay away from overly aggressive species like Demasoni. If New World cichlids are more appealing, most of the smaller species should be fine, such as Firemouth, Acara, Angels, possibly even convicts. Maybe stay away from the earth-eater species, as they'll share the bottom of the tank with the bichirs, which may lead to minor trouble. Since your bichirs are pretty large already, you could probably even put an oscar in with them, but due to your tank size, I would advise only 1 oscar, as they get fairly large. You could add a couple of the smaller New World species mentioned above for variety if a single oscar makes your tank feel empty. Firemouths and oscars do well together, provided you give the firemouths a couple of hides.

 

[fissyfriend]

I was reading that Oscar's need a 75 gallon tank minimum so I probably won't go with one of them. However, I really like the dwarf cichlids. So I was thinking of going with them and the blue ram cichlid if they are compatible.