Baby Albino Bichir Not Growing And Inactive?

[Doomchibi]

About 2 1/2 months ago I brought home a baby Palmas bichir and albino Senegal bichir. I originally had them in a 20 long while I finished cycling my 75 gallon tank, and then moved them over along with my other fish (in my signature). Since they have been in the 75 gallon, my Palmas bichir has been very active, swims all over the place, digs through my gravel and eats well. He has gained about an inch in length. My Albino bichir, though.. Seems to be the same size as when I bought him.. If anything, he looks shorter which i'm sure isn't possible. He doesn't do anything at all. I will notice him in one spot of my tank, and then a few hours later he'll still be there. The few times i've seen him move have been when he goes up for air, which is lightning fast so I know he isn't immobile, but when he comes back down he goes right back to lying somewhere. At feeding time, he'll only eat if I reach in with tweezers and drag a bloodworm or mysis shrimp across his face and then he'll snatch it from me, but after he eats it the most he'll do is look around, turn and flop back down facing another direction. Even when food is inches from him, he seems to not see it. Even though I hardly ever see him eat by himself, he's not skinny at all. He looks perfectly healthy, my main concern is that he isn't growing. My Palmas bichir will come to the front of the tank when i'm nearby, and follows your hand if you put it near the glass, but my Senegal doesn't move at all even if you get within an inch of touching him. I understand that because of inbreeding, a lot of Albino Senegals have genetic problems but this is not what I was expecting. I have counted his spines and he has 9, which from what I have read means he is not short-bodied, but could he just have a slow growth rate? It's not like he *never* eats, if he doesn't try to find food himself I all but stick it in his mouth until he finds it. Could he possibly have dulled senses or is this kind of behavior not all that uncommon? Is he just lazy? Any help would be appreciated. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

I don't have any bichirs so I could be totally wrong..
 
It sounds like he's just being a regular bichir. Lazing about. Though I had heard sens were one of the more active species.
I'd think he is just a slow grower as well. But what is your W/C schedule like and what all do you feed? Albinos stay smaller also from what I've read ><

 

[bluesword23516]

There could maybe even be the possibility that he is blind or close to it. It could be from the inbreeding to make him albino. I have never owned this species so I wish I could help more. 

 

[Doomchibi]

I thought he might be blind but his eyes look normal.. for an albino. They're a perfect clear red, would I be able to tell if he actually was blind? Ninjou, I feed mysis shrimp, bloodworms, brine shrimp, tropical flakes, tetra veggie wafers, the occasional crushed and shelled pea, and shrimp pellets. (everything in this tank, not just the bichir) My bichir mostly only eat the first two and the pellets because they are too small for much else. I do water changes weekly, either 20-25% and my nitrates are always very low if readable at all. Everyone else in the tank is very obviously growing and they all eat well, it's just this little bichir being stubborn. Should I try getting ahold of some blackworms or beefheart? I could try to get a little more variety in now that some of my other fish aren't tiny anymore but it might be tricky because my local stores don't have a huge selection.

 

[Ninjouzata]

I didn't mean to imply you had bad water or anything. Just on another site it seems the bichir keepers do multiple W/C's, and large ones, to help increase growth.
 
Sounds like a great mix of food to me, but I'm still unsure about what I should be feeding mine when I get them! Perhaps try some tilapia? I hear that often for a treat.
 
Sorry I'm of pretty much no help

 

[sawickib]

I believe albinos are more of a specialty bichir, I had the same problem with one i had a while back, he passed away. I had ghost shrimp and guppies in pretty much all the time with him, but he never seemed to eat well. I just think they should be with just other albino non-competitive eating fish. I have 3 bichirs and 2 for about 3 years now my albino i got the same time as my normal sengal and ornate bichir. But yeah albinos are beautiful bichirs but I just dont really like that they dont really go out for food.

 

[Doomchibi]

I am very sad to say, but my baby senegal unexpectedly died this evening. It seems my heater is not working correctly and so the water is colder than I normally keep it, but I am really not sure if that contributed.. I'm sure it certainly didn't help. My other fish are still doing well and I re tested my water, nothing comes up with any problems.. Switched to another heater and am keeping watch over the rest but they all seem perfectly fine.. Honestly, even the bichir looks fine- not a mark on him and the only reason I noticed he had passed was that he seemed too still so I swished a net around and he moved with the current but stayed in the same position. I really hope he did not suffer, but I wish I knew what happened to him.. I'd prefer to think it was something genetic that was bound to happen eventually but it's possible I did something to cause this and that makes me feel terrible. Thank you all for your responses. 

 

[Ninjouzata]

I'm so sorry for your loss! 

 
I'm not sure if it was the heater either. I've certainly heard of that happening before.
But I've also heard of senegals just passing away for no apparent reason. CB ones anyways.