Quick Bichir Question

[three-fingers]

Was thinking about possibly getting a senegal bichir for my 190 litre corner tank in a few months or if I happen to see one, it's got tonnes of hiding spaces and is heavily planted with a sand substrate, so I think it would be fine, but I've never owned one so I'd like to hear people opinions on this.

The main concern I have is with tankmates, I would obviously relocate my danios, livebearers and 3 remaining red eye tetras, but I'm fairly attached to my marbled hatchet fish and bronze corydoras - would these be at risk of being eaten? The hatchet fish are an awkward shape, very fast, and always stay at the top, while the corys are a decent size and would be impossible to swallow - would a bichir still try?

Tank mates would include an angelfish, banjo catfish, a threadfin syno, and a Thorichthys ellioti.

Also, would my peacock gobies be safe enough, or would a bichir go for them?

Cheers .

 

[Esfa]

He will deffo take chunks out of the corys.

I'd say the gobies will be eaten within a few hours.

Anything under 5" is at risk, really.

 

[connorsbala]

The Bichir will have a go at the corys... a member called DarkEntity i recall posted a topic about the bichir goign for their cory.
Im not sure about the angel...as long as its big enough im sure it woudl be ok. The Syno would be good too

 

[three-fingers]

Hmmm...brilliant...

I've had a goldfish that tried to unsuccessfully eat a cory in the past, don't think I'll risk a repeat. I was under the impression that corys were fine with most things...but it seems thats only things smart enough not to eat them. So my corys would certainly have to go?

The gobies are great, but I could rehome them if the consensus they would be eaten...as it appears to be. I thought they could stand a chance when fully grown, but only because the profile said things over 3" would be fine, and eventually they should be around that size.

The angels nearly a 5" disk right now, and is still growing, so I'd think he'd be fine.

So the hatchet fish would probably be OK?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Esfa]

Yeah, your bichir might not ever touch your cories, but its not worth risking it. you dont really want to come downstairs to a cory with no tail struggling around.

 

[three-fingers]

Cool, thanks.

So it looks like if I get a bichir, the corys will have to go.
Not sure if I like that idea, but there's enough good homes I can send them to if I get a bichir.

I'm fairly confident now my hatchets would be fine, after conversing with a few people.

Anyone one know how much young senegals usually go for?
I'd love to get a 'platinum' one, or an an albino, even tough the regular ones are great.

 

[Esfa]

Cool, thanks.

So it looks like if I get a bichir, the corys will have to go.
Not sure if I like that idea, but there's enough good homes I can send them to if I get a bichir.

I'm fairly confident now my hatchets would be fine, after conversing with a few people.

Anyone one know how much young senegals usually go for?
I'd love to get a 'platinum' one, or an an albino, even tough the regular ones are great.

normals are usually between £15-£30
platinums are between £150-£200.

 

[geo7x]

Cool, thanks.

So it looks like if I get a bichir, the corys will have to go.
Not sure if I like that idea, but there's enough good homes I can send them to if I get a bichir.

I'm fairly confident now my hatchets would be fine, after conversing with a few people.

Anyone one know how much young senegals usually go for?
I'd love to get a 'platinum' one, or an an albino, even tough the regular ones are great.

normals are usually between £15-£30
platinums are between £150-£200.

That's rather steep for a young senegal, my lfs has full grown ones for £25 and that shop's not exactly cheap. I don't think that juvies would be any more than £10, though that's just a guesstimate.

The hatchet fish should be fine, disc shaped fish are safe as bichirs can only get their mouths round torpedo shaped fish.

I would not risk the cories, some people say they can be ok but I can't imagine cories would be safe with my senny.

Peacock gobies would be fast food.

 

[Esfa]

That's rather steep for a young senegal,

oh yeah, sorry. I was thinking of delz.

 

[8inary]

to be honest, I have two large (9") birchirs and mixed corys, including two bronze ones. I do note now and then, their fins being nipped a little but I have never seen one being attacked or killed, I might be lucky?

Here is a vid of my tank


http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcC6bF_L0T4

 

[shroob]

Just though't I'd chip in, with regards to the hatchets they might be at risk. The body shape may be deep, but that didn't stop my polypterus biting my spotted silver dollars, thankfully they couldn't eat them but there were very visable crescent mouthshaped marks on them (needless to say I put the SD one of my other tanks). Now mine were ornate polypterus and around 14" give or take and SD's around 2-3", I thought the deep body would have put them off too. I know senegals wouldn't get that big (or as chuncky as an ornate), but I'm just saying theres a chance it could fancy a bite.
Hatchets normally stay on the top all the time as well, so out of the polypterus normal tank level, but I still wouldn't put it past the birchir to try and chase one if it was hungry and got the chance. Hatchets max out at around 2" which could be a snack to a 12" polypterus.

 

[geo7x]

Yes, they could be at risk, I personally have not had much experience of hatchets but AFAIK they are pretty deep bodied.

Your situation, shroob, as you said involves an ornate, not a senegal, and at 14" a senegal would barely reach half that size. I would also be suprised to see a sengal reach 12" in captivity, 10" is about as big as you're going to get, though 7" seems to be the stopping point for most.

to be honest, I have two large (9") birchirs and mixed corys, including two bronze ones. I do note now and then, their fins being nipped a little but I have never seen one being attacked or killed, I might be lucky?

Yes and no. Cories are small, yes, but despite appearances they have pretty deadly spines which is enough to put off many smaller predatory fish. However I wouldn't like to risk it, and cories are very peaceful and could get easily stressed if they are constantly bitten and harrassed, and although it would probably be spat out, the cory may still get halfway down the senegal's throat before it notices the spines

Plus the fact the senegals are oppurtunists. Small fish could live in the same tank as them for months and then suddenly be eaten.

 

[Straydum]

personally i too wouldnt risk the cories. also do note that the problem of tankmates with bichirs intensifies with an established individual. my 7" senegal went straight for my 8" bkg as soon as i released the bkg into the tank. of course it wouldnt eat it whole but that wouldnt stop it from biting/attacking the bkg.

 

[three-fingers]

Cool, thanks for all the input everyone.

If I get a bichir...I'd certainly be relocating my corys. I'm reluctant to do this because I'm rather attached to them, and the tank I'd be putting them in has gravel instead of sand. Also it's going to be very hard without first ripping my tank apart .

So we'll see how it goes, now if I do impulse-buy a small bichir, I know what to do when it comes to rehoming fish.

I take it there's no smaller, safer species of bichir I could possibly source out from somewhere?

 

[shroob]

I think senegals are the smallest of the birchirs, and I think all types would pose an equal or greater risk to your fish as the senegal would.
I don't know how reedfish would do, they are like birchirs but thinner but beware they do grow bigger (quite abit bigger than senegals, but no sure on exact max size in captivity). I would have thought they would be safer, though don't know exactly as I havn't had them before.