Compatible fish for Bichir

[JoshFD]

Hello every one.

Im currently in the midst of upgrading my tank(freshwater) from a 60gl to a 90gl. Doing as much planning now as i can before i even buy the tank. With saying that, i'm gearing the environment and the other fish around the two Bichirs i current have. I have other fish at the moment, but ill be selling/trading them at my local fish store. Their (the other fish)either not what id like right now, or i have found are to aggressive(two red tail sharks, bad idea, and three Black Bolt Cichlids again, bad idea as one has claimed to be King over the others and is a total bully).

I was hopping some one could help point me in the right direction to start looking for good community fish to live with my Bichirs? Id like there to be colour and activity in the fish that im going to be adding to the new tank. Any help would be great!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Bichir Bro]

Hello every one.

Im currently in the midst of upgrading my tank(freshwater) from a 60gl to a 90gl. Doing as much planning now as i can before i even buy the tank. With saying that, i'm gearing the environment and the other fish around the two Bichirs i current have. I have other fish at the moment, but ill be selling/trading them at my local fish store. Their (the other fish)either not what id like right now, or i have found are to aggressive(two red tail sharks, bad idea, and three Black Bolt Cichlids again, bad idea as one has claimed to be King over the others and is a total bully).

I was hopping some one could help point me in the right direction to start looking for good community fish to live with my Bichirs? Id like there to be colour and activity in the fish that im going to be adding to the new tank. Any help would be great!

Thanks in advance!!

Are the Bichirs youve currently got P. senegalus?

 

[JoshFD]

I believe one is a Delhezi, and the other Ansorgii. Ill try to upload some pictures tomorrow.
Not sure if it makes any difference right now, but the one i think is a Delhezi is rather small and hasn't grown much in the year that ive had him. Where as the Ansorgii went through a really quick growth spurt but has since slowed/stopped.

 

[SherLar]

Is your tank going to be 90 gallons, or 90 liters? I'm a bit confused by the "gl".
I have a Delhezi bichir, an Ornate bichir, and a Senegalus bichir. They're all very peaceful fish, but are still predators. Anything small enough to fit in their mouths will eventually end up there. So, I'd stay away from small tetras, danios, guppies, etc.
Remember, except for short bursts, bichirs move fairly slowly, and they seem to dislike quick moving fish in the tank with them. Otherwise, I think anything that is large enough to not be considered food, and not overly aggressive or quick will probably do fine with them. Also, any tank mates would have to be omnivorous, with the ability to withstand high protein foods, like the bichirs prefer, so fish like most Malawi cichlids wouldn't work well.

 

[Patrick_A]

In my experience with a Delhezi it is perfectly willing to even kill fish outside the "fits in it's mouth" rule. I've lost at least 5 full grown Congo tetras to them when the Delhezi was only about 5 to 6 inches. The only fish I have successfully kept with Delhezi is African Butterfly Fish, Ctenopoma, and African Brown Knife. I like to theme my tanks and have only mixed African fish but I am certain anything that gets as big as a Red Tail Shark would do ok.

 

[JoshFD]

90 gallons** sorry about the confusion. Ok so the rules out the Malawi then

 

[SherLar]

I would say it rules out redtailed sharks as well. They're way too aggressive to everything to do well with bichirs.

 

[Patrick_A]

I was forced to keep my RTS with my Bichir for a period of time. With My RTS's personality it seems that it will only be aggressive with fish that are willing to react to the "chase". Since the bichir largely ignores any tankmates that can't be considered food the RTS is mostly complacent with the Bichir. My Ctenopoma on the other hand became very aggressive toward the RTS.