About Bichir

[Canthus]

I need to know all you guys know about a ornate bichir

Thnaks

 

[kevin007]

just a question what is a bichir, i'v always heard about them.

 

[cichlid_freak]

I have an Ornate Bichir. The scientific name is Polypterus ornatipinnis. It can get rather large, 18+ inches. They are carnivorous, and hunt for small fish, so small, slow-moving fish are not good tankmates. They don't see very well but finds most of its food by smell. They can be easily fed on "carnivour pellets" or "shrimp pellets" with the ocasional ghost shrimp as a treat. They need a large tank, mine is in a 75 gallon. It is sensative to light so a dim light level, plenty of dense planting with an open area and some root or rock caves make a nice environment. Good plants would be Amazon swords or large Anubias species. Good tankmates would be some semi-agressive fish, i.e. African Cichlids, mild mannered SA cichlids and the such. Basically tankmates that don't fit in it's mouth and leave it alone are good tankmates. You may want some top level fish to give more activity to the tank. All in all, it is an awesome oddball that can be a LONG time pet. Take good care of it and it will do well.

 

[kevin007]

i think i saw those at the lfs the other day

 

[CFC]

CF has said it all,very well said As cf said they hunt mainly by smell so small dead foods are best,mine eat eatrhworms (chopped into small pieces) frozen lance fish,mussels,cockles and carnivor pellets as well as live bloodworm and live river shrimp.

 

[Canthus]

so make a great fish to have

Well can you find them in the local shop or would i have to look around and how fast do they grow and what i really want to know are they worth keeping do they pay off

Thanks

 

[CFC]

Bichirs should be available from most good fish shops and at the very least they should be able to order one in for you.
They are very fast to grow at first,usually reaching 12 inches in the first year but after this the growth slows dramaticaly.
Whether they are worth keeping or not depends on what you are looking for in a fish,they are usually active at night and in a tank with with a good selection of hiding places and plants you may not see them at all for days,a "moonlight" lighting tube is definatly a good investment if you keeep these fish.But if you are bored with keeping run of the mill fish or just fancy something a bit different then they are a good "oddball" to keep.

 

[Canthus]

cool i guess i will start looking for one thier are a few good fish stores around here so i should find one i will keep you posted on my sure and when i find one i will let you know

Thnaks for all the advice

 

[cichlid_freak]

Just to let you know, there are several bichirs, and all have very simmilar requirements.

By far the most common is the Polypterus senegalus. This is a tan bichir with a similar body. They can be had for anywhere from $5-10. The rest of the bichirs are usually in the $20-30 range and the Ornate bichir is around $30-50. This is all dependant on their size and the time of year. As most people know, summer is the best time for the availability of tropical fish. This means that less hardy fish can better cope with shipping because the temperatures are more to their liking. This means that most fish will be cheaper than other times of the year or at least more available.

 

[Canthus]

K thanks well its summer so i better get looking