Bichir

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jpmcca01

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Just wondering what kind of tank setup is best for them. I know they require hiding places, but is a planted tank good for them? Or should you go rocky? Sand? Etc....

These fish have me extremely interested but I want to make sure i know what they need before getting any. 8)
 
Tank size would really depend on the specific species you intend to keep.

I would suggest a 75 gallon tank. I would plant it with plent of Anubias species of plants with some open swimming space. You may also mix in some low light tollerant stem plants like Hornwort or such. This would be optimum for 3 or 4 different specimens. You need to really decide on which species you want to keep and what tankmates you would include.

I wouldn't put much lighting on there, maybe a single bulb 4 foot shop light. They are cheap and readily available at any hardware store.

You will however need to spend you lighting savings on filtration. You would do well with a high capacity, slowflow canister, like an Eheim. Bichirs don't really like a lot of flow but need an extremly efficient filtration device. You may also consider a wet/dry filter with large surface areas (ex: bio balls, fishing line, etc.)

Bichirs are oportunistic picsovors (fish eaters) and will eat anything they can catch that will fit in their mouth. They also do well on a Carnivor sinking pellet and frozen foods like prawns and the ocasional chicken liver. They are very hardy and can be kept by most fishkeepers that have regular water changing regimen, and the desire to give them a healthy environment.

Good luck and Good fishing!
 
Good advise but one thing to add is that they really need a sand or very fine gravel substrate,bichirs have very poor eyesight and are clumsy feeders so will often swallow pieces of substrate which if too large can block the throat or intestine and kill the fish,this especially happens with small young specimins.
 
Oh yeah, completely forgot about substrate. Another good idea is a light colored sand to give good contrast to the often red/brown food you feed them. Like CFC said, they don't have good eyesight and mostly use scent to find food, but every little bit helps. Good luck and Good fishing!
 
I had a bichir that was about 8-10" and i woke up one morning and he was dead with a rock stuck in his mouth....I am starting a new 55gal. for my new bichir and am using larger stone so that he will not be able to fit it in his mouth...sand would be good but i hear it clogs filters so i passed on that...as soon as he gets to be about 6" I would suggest moving any small fish away from him... i lost 6 rasboras and even 2 platies before i got him in another tank....
 
the lfs i am getting my bichir at has the fish with a substrate consisting of gravel and i have gravel in my tank. my gravel is a earth tone mix i really want the bichir what would i need to feed this fish
 
Bichirs are carnivors and need protein rich meaty foods to help keep up their lightning growth rates.I feed my 3 on a varied diet of ghost shrimp,carnivor pellets,frozen lance fish (silversides?) frozen mussels and frozen cockles,they also take all the usuall live foods like bloodworm earthworms and other types of mosquito larvea.
 

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