Cichlid question

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Could I put my Dino bichir in the twenty gallon with Hap and lab?

 

[Mrc8858]

Tank is too small for all 3

 

[Cichildlife]

Well i labd and haps need at least a 75gallon so yea

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Its only temp until I get the bigger tank. Right now he is in a ten gallon with a ram cichlid and snail. So keep him in that?

 

[Mrc8858]

Hate giving u bad news everytime but the ram needs a 20 minimum but the birchir should be fine with the ram as long as he's got a lil size to him

 

[Fishkeeper26]

I would hold off on getting anymore fish until you upgrade tanks. As of now your tanks are too small for the fish you have.

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Yes I know and we aren't getting anymore fish until I get my bigger ones. So my ram and bichir would do okay in the 20g together? The plan is to get bigger tank for my lab, Hap, and plecto. Put my ram in the 20 so the bichir can go in with my ram? I thought that bichirs were aggressive?

 

[Mrc8858]

If u didn't upgrade to anything larger then the 20 then ud have either re home the birchir as an adult or add him to the tank that u r getting for ur haps but as long as neither fish can fit or nearly fit the other in their mouth then it should work out fine if anything is worry for the birchir cichlids r some mean lil bastards haha

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Great! So I am getting a 125+ gallon tank. Since I don't have my jewel I was going to put my plecto, Hap, lab, and bichir in it. I think that kinda room they will be fine (I hope). The bichir is an aggressive fish I was told. If u know different let me know please. My plans for the tanks are a 30+ gallon for my eel
125+ gallons for cichlids plecto bichir
20g ram and snail

 

[Mrc8858]

They r aggressive but I'm telling u in the tropical fish world pound for pound cichlids r by far one of the toughest fish out there they will take down fish twice there size no problem that'd y most people advice only stocking cichlids with other cichlids.. I love em though they have one of the best personalities in the fish world imo

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

So could I keep the bichir with the ram in the 20g?

 

[Mrc8858]

While he's young and small but is say once he hits about. 5 inches he would def need a bigger tank but keeping a fish that'll outgrow its current tank in there for any extended period of time can stunt the fish which does have some health implications with it

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

So if a fish don't grow to full size it can get health problems?

 

[Mrc8858]

When they're confined to a cramped living area then they will slow down how fast they grow but their organs and everything else does not which will shorten their lifespan

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Omg that's terrible I may have to rehome him if I can't put him in the big tank with cichlids.

 

[toddnbecka]

Bichers aren't really aggressive (actually territorial) like cichlids, but they are predatory fish regardless of size/age, and will eat any other fish if they'll fit into their mouth. I had an ornate bicher some years ago, kept it for a few months until it outgrew my 30 gallon tank. I picked up an adult pair of convicts, one of the nastiest species for their size, thinking the bicher would eat the hundreds of fry they would regularly produce. The bicher ate the female convict less than a week after they were placed in the tank, the larger male a few weeks later. The bicher was only around 6" long, and the convicts looked like they were too big for it to eat.

 

[Chasnkevin4ever]

Wow so I am going to have to rehome him too ****! I guess I am sticking to cichlids!

 

[steez]

My Bichir is about 6"+ already after 4 months. Once in a while I get feeder fish from a trusty LFS tank for my Oscar (Once a monthish). The bichir will hunt down and eat at least two from the ones I drop for him, surprisingly big ones lol. He will get pretty dang big and is definitely a predatory fish.

Glad to see progress coming along.

Keep us updated.