Wondering If My Senegalus Bichirs Are On The Right Diet?

[SlyPolak]

Ok, so I have 2-- 5 inch senegalus bichirs in my community tank (waiting for them to get a little bigger before I move them).
I feed them a pretty varied diet consisting of-- mealworms(live), earthworms(live), any crickets(live) that float down when my african butterfly fish miss them,ghost shrimp(live), baby guppies(live), freeze-dried tubifex worms(not too often because my other fish make a mess of them), freeze-dried bloodworm(not too often either) and freeze-dried brine shrimp(go crazy for these)... Theres always ghost shrimp in there for their hunting and whenever I see a few left I always get more, about once a week I buy some baby feeder guppies and they disapper in about 10 minutes between the bichirs, butterfly fish and angels....

ALSO, how big do you think they will get?? Everywhere I read it says anywhere between 8 - 12 in. in an aquarium... About 2 months ago when I got them they were about 2 inches and the thickness of my pinky... Now their about 5 - 5 1/2 inches and thicker than my thumb.


So what do you guys and gals think??

Should I add/remove anything??


EDIT:: SP SP SPELLING

 

[always4lora]

See you've got them on a varied diet, I'd try weaning them on to pellets as it'll work out a lot cheaper, healthier and cleaner, at that size try hikari carnivore, just add some to their normal food...keep putting less and less normal food and a little more pellets until theyre just on pellets.

Buying Feeder guppies is a bad idea. If you want to feed them live fish breed your own and bulk them up with a decent pellet food before feeding them.


As for size they can get fairly big (not compared to other bichirs),12 inch is a good size for one and it;d take a fair wile for it to get to that size. Yuo get the odd few that live long enough to get a little bigger but not many going much bigger.
As for the rapid growth it's normal for bichir's , they tend to shoot up then slow down. Mine went from a couple of inches to about 7/8inch in a less than a year but hasnt really grown much since then.
When getting near full grown i'd remove the butterfly fish as it'll end up a snack. Angel fish will be fine with them providing theyre a decent size.

 

[SlyPolak]

I was thinking of finding a good pellet to eventually give them, I just wanted to feed them something live for the first few months because I heard they were supposed to grow a little faster that way..I plan on moving them pretty soon, to a tank with only bichirs angels and things big enough so they don't eat them.. You really think they could get the butterfly fish??? They are a good 4 inches and pretty wide, I know they will be small compared to the bichirs if they get near 12 inches but do you think they could still get them at 7/8 inches???

 

[SlyPolak]

Quick question.... do the hikari carnivore pellets sink

 

[always4lora]

It'd still be risky, they can death roll food . Mine went missing although i did have some slightly larger bichir's as well.
Yeh hikari carnivore sink, feeders will make them grow faster sometimes but at what risk, personally id rather it grow a little slower and be healthier.

 

[SlyPolak]

Also what do you guys/gals recommend feeding African butterly fish besides mealworms, grasshoppers and freeze dried brine shrimp.

 

[always4lora]

Mine ate floating arowana sticks , crickets, small worms. Only had mine about 8months before it got eaten