Dinosaur Bichir

[vanimal]

I got a Dinosaur Bichir a few days ago and so far he's been eating blood worms and earth worm. What else should I feed? And do they breath air because every couple minutes he will dash up to the surface.

 

[abstract373]

first whats its size i got mine at about 1 -1/2 inches and it blew up to 10 inches in 4 months it eats a happy diet of shrimp pellets ghost shrimp worms guppy fry and rosy minnows...he has only ate 1 fish that wasnt on the menu but it was the bully of the tank it was a 4 inch red tail shark

great fish and they do gulp air mine does not do it as much...oh try not to let the water get to warm mine dont like that

 

[vanimal]

Oh mine doesn't like shrimp pellets. And I don't heat my tank it usually stays at around 80 degrees farenheit. He is about 3 inches long.

 

[abstract373]

at first mine would not eat them but all pellets get sucked up by tank mates he got a good smell of them now swallows them whole

 

[vanimal]

I feed my eel ghost shrimp so ill give him one tomorrow and see if he eats those.

 

[abstract373]

if it dont then at least there is some 1 cleaning in the tank....i have mine with my eel and kuhlii loachs and a 14 inch rope fish

 

[vanimal]

Well he is in my 45 until he gets bigger then I'm putting him in my 150. He is with a small angel. But the 150 has
1 Black Ghost Knife Fish
1 Fire Eel
1 Eclipse Catfish
1 Rainbow Shark
1 Bristlenose Pleco
1 Common Pleco
2 Angels
1 Dwarf Gourami
2 Blood Parrots
How big is your tank and what's the stock? Will he get along with mine?

 

[abstract373]

i have them in a 75 for now 3 wonder killi fish rope fish tire track eel 9 kuhli loachs 2 weather loachs 2 african brown knife fish and a bunch of feeders guppys minnows ghost shrimp ooo forgot my albino bn pleco and a clown pleco

 

[vanimal]

i have them in a 75 for now 3 wonder killi fish rope fish tire track eel 9 kuhli loachs 2 weather loachs 2 african brown knife fish and a bunch of feeders guppys minnows ghost shrimp ooo forgot my albino bn pleco and a clown pleco

That's an awesome stock. What do your knife fish eat?

 

[abstract373]

they all get there fill on frozen foods like krill brine blood worm glass worms clams mysis and live worms black worms which they all love guppy fry rosy minnows ghost shrimp and zebra danio fry....i feed all live good rich diet before the go in the tank since people say live food cant be good for your fish but most of my fish are wild caught so thats what they ate before i got them there is no flake food in nature lol try getting some black worms you wont regret it look them up

 

[vanimal]

Ok thanks for your help!

 

[vanimal]

He just ate a pellet today!

 

[darby]

i have a dinosaur bichir myself, and i know that they are a nocturnal fish. and they won't eat a fish that is bigger than their mouth. i haven't had any problems with mine, and he is about 4"-5" long.

 

[Mudfrog]

first whats its size i got mine at about 1 -1/2 inches and it blew up to 10 inches in 4 months it eats a happy diet of shrimp pellets ghost shrimp worms guppy fry and rosy minnows...he has only ate 1 fish that wasnt on the menu but it was the bully of the tank it was a 4 inch red tail shark

great fish and they do gulp air mine does not do it as much...oh try not to let the water get to warm mine dont like that

There is no way a senegal went from 1.5" to 10" in 4 months. 10" for a senegal is very uncommon. 8" is more realistic and that would take well over a year.

As for the other questions. Get some Sinking Carnivore pellets (Hikari) they are a great food that Bichirs love.

They do breathe air, so don't be alarmed by the gulping. I have vids of my old Senegals in my Vid link in the sig.

 

[vanimal]

Now 2 Pellets. Mine has grown about half an inch so far!

 

[darby]

they are a labryinth fish, just like bettas.

 

[Mudfrog]

they are a labryinth fish, just like bettas.

Where did you get this info from? I've never heard that and I've kept bichirs for over 10 years.

 

[darby]

they goto the surface to get a few breaths os of air. i got it off of the net. i'm sorry.

 

[vanimal]

Yeah I've seen mine take a breath before. But now he is in my 150 and I guess the water has more oxygen because he doesn't do that anymore. So his new diet now is a worm and a few shrimp pellets. I've been putting in 2 cubes of Blood worms every night but I don't know if he is getting any because my Eclipse Catfish, BGK, and Blood Parrots eat them sooooo fast. My Eclipse is pretty big so he just swims up and sucks them all up with his big mouth... : /

 

[Mudfrog]

Drop pellets in with when you turn the lights off. They smell better than they see. Get them accustomed to eating from the same spot each time (preferably away from where the rest of the fish eat). Before long they will rush to that spot as soon as they smell food.