Does Anyone Else Have A Bichir That Burrows?

[EvolutionOfDemise]

Just out of curiosity does anyone also have a bichir that burrows? My Delhezi bichir, Bob (short for thingamabob, I didn't know what he was when I got him, thus the name.) burrows. Well at least he tries. I've read about them and I've never seen anything about burrowing. I mentioned it to someone at my LFS and she said she's never seen one do it. He's lived with m fire eel Squishy, since he was 1.5" (both will be a year next week), he could have picked it up from him I guess. Does anyone else's do this?

Here's a few pictures of him..


http/imageshack.us...6/img1201d.jpg/
http/imageshack.us.../img1202nv.jpg/
http/imageshack.us.../img1203le.jpg/
http/imageshack.us.../img1204xx.jpg/

 

[always4lora]

i've had an endlicherri that used to do that, but all my others never did. Nothing to worry about

 

[EvolutionOfDemise]

I'm not really worried, I just curious. I think it's cute when he does it. ^.^

 

[simonas]

My Ornatapinnis and Delheazi dont but the Endelicheri did , very well considering for a 13 inch fish!!

saying that he may have done it because he was bullied by a giraffe cat which is why I no longer have the Endi

 

[Davo86]

My Delhezi does, you could say he tries to divebomb down through the gravel

 

[gasmask]

Hi.
Polypterus dig for two reasons.
1. As a way of hunting live prey.
2. As a way of hiding from predators, or being stressed.

It is most likely the reason number 2 that is affecting you.
Find out what is stressing it out.

*edit*
Just looked at your pics, and can garuantee you it's the Pleco that is stressing it.
Plecos (especially the one you have in your tank) are the number one NO NO with Bichirs.
They can and DO suck the slime coat of Bichirs, especially in the dark.

Your Bichirs will eventually die if you insist on keeping a pleco such as you have with them.


Also, you are keeping your Bichir on gravel that is deadly for Bichirs.
They are messy eaters, and are known to take in substrate with food.
Gravel like you have will cause compaction, which leads to a very nasty death.

 

[EvolutionOfDemise]

Hi.
Polypterus dig for two reasons.
1. As a way of hunting live prey.
2. As a way of hiding from predators, or being stressed.

It is most likely the reason number 2 that is affecting you.
Find out what is stressing it out.

*edit*
Just looked at your pics, and can garuantee you it's the Pleco that is stressing it.
Plecos (especially the one you have in your tank) are the number one NO NO with Bichirs.
They can and DO suck the slime coat of Bichirs, especially in the dark.

Your Bichirs will eventually die if you insist on keeping a pleco such as you have with them.


Also, you are keeping your Bichir on gravel that is deadly for Bichirs.
They are messy eaters, and are known to take in substrate with food.
Gravel like you have will cause compaction, which leads to a very nasty death.

I can tell you right now, it's not the plecos, I've had Bob for about a year now, and the common pleco was just adopted a few weeks ago. Originally he was supposed to go in my planted tank, but I decided against it.
The other pleco was given to me from my ex about about a month ago, after I told him his tank is too small for it.
Bob starting burrowing, or at least trying to about 9 months ago, before I got my plecos. I'm actually up for most the night and since the tanks in my room I'm constantly watching it and I've never seen either of them suck on him. However about 4 months ago I had to get rid of my sailfin because he was sucking on him, I had him for about a month as soon as I caught him doing it I gave him away. But I will keep a closer eye on it..

About the gravel, I'll be changing that soon, It's only in a small section of the tank, the only reason I put it in there was for the beneficial bacteria. When I got the larger tank I put it in the place of the other one, so it ended up being a quick switch. I didn't cycle it because I had nowhere to put my fish while I did so. But my bichirs and rope fish are usually hand fed anyway, I've never seen any of them eat gravel.

 

[gasmask]

Hi.
Polypterus dig for two reasons.
1. As a way of hunting live prey.
2. As a way of hiding from predators, or being stressed.

It is most likely the reason number 2 that is affecting you.
Find out what is stressing it out.

*edit*
Just looked at your pics, and can garuantee you it's the Pleco that is stressing it.
Plecos (especially the one you have in your tank) are the number one NO NO with Bichirs.
They can and DO suck the slime coat of Bichirs, especially in the dark.

Your Bichirs will eventually die if you insist on keeping a pleco such as you have with them.


Also, you are keeping your Bichir on gravel that is deadly for Bichirs.
They are messy eaters, and are known to take in substrate with food.
Gravel like you have will cause compaction, which leads to a very nasty death.

I can tell you right now, it's not the plecos, I've had Bob for about a year now, and the common pleco was just adopted a few weeks ago. Originally he was supposed to go in my planted tank, but I decided against it.
The other pleco was given to me from my ex about about a month ago, after I told him his tank is too small for it.
Bob starting burrowing, or at least trying to about 9 months ago, before I got my plecos. I'm actually up for most the night and since the tanks in my room I'm constantly watching it and I've never seen either of them suck on him. However about 4 months ago I had to get rid of my sailfin because he was sucking on him, I had him for about a month as soon as I caught him doing it I gave him away. But I will keep a closer eye on it..

About the gravel, I'll be changing that soon, It's only in a small section of the tank, the only reason I put it in there was for the beneficial bacteria. When I got the larger tank I put it in the place of the other one, so it ended up being a quick switch. I didn't cycle it because I had nowhere to put my fish while I did so. But my bichirs and rope fish are usually hand fed anyway, I've never seen any of them eat gravel.

Hi.
Your fish has been stressed for something for 9 months before then.
But I can tell you right now, it is stressed even more with the PLeco.
You may have not seen it, but it is happening, and if it hasn't it's only a matter of time.

This is not some lame BS from a armchair hobbyist, this is fact from study of Bichir.

I collect and study Polypteridae, and have contributed to people such as Dr. Igarashi and friends for the Museum Of Central Africa (Ichthyology unit) in Belgium.
So I guess that would make advice on Bichirs from me worth listening to?

Your fish do as you see fit.
But I can guarantee you your Bichir is living in fear of your Pleco, and for very good reason too!

 

[EvolutionOfDemise]

Hi.
Polypterus dig for two reasons.
1. As a way of hunting live prey.
2. As a way of hiding from predators, or being stressed.

It is most likely the reason number 2 that is affecting you.
Find out what is stressing it out.

*edit*
Just looked at your pics, and can garuantee you it's the Pleco that is stressing it.
Plecos (especially the one you have in your tank) are the number one NO NO with Bichirs.
They can and DO suck the slime coat of Bichirs, especially in the dark.

Your Bichirs will eventually die if you insist on keeping a pleco such as you have with them.


Also, you are keeping your Bichir on gravel that is deadly for Bichirs.
They are messy eaters, and are known to take in substrate with food.
Gravel like you have will cause compaction, which leads to a very nasty death.

I can tell you right now, it's not the plecos, I've had Bob for about a year now, and the common pleco was just adopted a few weeks ago. Originally he was supposed to go in my planted tank, but I decided against it.
The other pleco was given to me from my ex about about a month ago, after I told him his tank is too small for it.
Bob starting burrowing, or at least trying to about 9 months ago, before I got my plecos. I'm actually up for most the night and since the tanks in my room I'm constantly watching it and I've never seen either of them suck on him. However about 4 months ago I had to get rid of my sailfin because he was sucking on him, I had him for about a month as soon as I caught him doing it I gave him away. But I will keep a closer eye on it..

About the gravel, I'll be changing that soon, It's only in a small section of the tank, the only reason I put it in there was for the beneficial bacteria. When I got the larger tank I put it in the place of the other one, so it ended up being a quick switch. I didn't cycle it because I had nowhere to put my fish while I did so. But my bichirs and rope fish are usually hand fed anyway, I've never seen any of them eat gravel.

Hi.
Your fish has been stressed for something for 9 months before then.
But I can tell you right now, it is stressed even more with the PLeco.
You may have not seen it, but it is happening, and if it hasn't it's only a matter of time.

This is not some lame BS from a armchair hobbyist, this is fact from study of Bichir.

I collect and study Polypteridae, and have contributed to people such as Dr. Igarashi and friends for the Museum Of Central Africa (Ichthyology unit) in Belgium.
So I guess that would make advice on Bichirs from me worth listening to?

Your fish do as you see fit.
But I can guarantee you your Bichir is living in fear of your Pleco, and for very good reason too!

Interesting. Well I'll have to setup my video camera again and see what's going on, and fix the problem.
However I do have another bichir and I've never seen it burrow. I just find it strange. But I do think it's quite possible that he did it before because of stress or to get away from the light because I didn't have anywhere for him to hide at the time and it just stuck.
Of course I do welcome all advice given to me, doesn't matter who it's from, however I will not blindly follow it without doing a little research myself. Like I said I'll set up my camera and find out what really happens when the light goes off.

*Edit - Come to think of it maybe I'll put him in my quarantine tank for a few weeks and see if the burrowing stops. If it doesn't I know it's not from the other fish. If it does, I guess I'll need to look into rehoming some of them.

 

[simonas]

that makes sense, as I say out of my 3 bichirs it was the largest the Endi that burrowed but it didnt do it until I got the giraffe cat which for whatever reason just hounded it. When I was clear that they couldnt share a tank I chose the Endi to give to a mate so hope fully it will have a stress free life with him