Feeding Ornate Bichir

[los]

hey ive had an ornate bichir for about two weeks now (about 15cm) im aware they should be fed bloodworms but my clown loaches and BGK get them as soon as my hand goes in the tank. The bichir has eaten a few penguin tetras and platys so its mouth is pretty big haha, so was thinking about throwing something a little bigger in the tank for him that the other fish cant eat? What would you recommend? sardines, small prawns etc...

 

[Bazza57]

hey ive had an ornate bichir for about two weeks now (about 15cm) im aware they should be fed bloodworms but my clown loaches and BGK get them as soon as my hand goes in the tank. The bichir has eaten a few penguin tetras and platys so its mouth is pretty big haha, so was thinking about throwing something a little bigger in the tank for him that the other fish cant eat? What would you recommend? sardines, small prawns etc...

Yeah defenately The Birchir is a predatory fish, so meaty/fishy items should be in its diet. As your birchir grows, so will its appetite - expect a 35cm fish when fully grown. Of all the fish that I have kept, the polypterus are the only ones who will touch slugs

Feed it; chopped prawns, earthworms, slugs & any freeze dried goodies to suppliment

 

[Squidward]

hey ive had an ornate bichir for about two weeks now (about 15cm) im aware they should be fed bloodworms but my clown loaches and BGK get them as soon as my hand goes in the tank. The bichir has eaten a few penguin tetras and platys so its mouth is pretty big haha, so was thinking about throwing something a little bigger in the tank for him that the other fish cant eat? What would you recommend? sardines, small prawns etc...

I feed my Rope Fish (blood worms) at night (about 2 hours after the lights go off).

Most of the other fish don't seem to be able to find the food as well in the dark, or they are sleeping. And the Ropes are able to eat without as much competition from the others.

 

[always4lora]

hey ive had an ornate bichir for about two weeks now (about 15cm) im aware they should be fed bloodworms but my clown loaches and BGK get them as soon as my hand goes in the tank. The bichir has eaten a few penguin tetras and platys so its mouth is pretty big haha, so was thinking about throwing something a little bigger in the tank for him that the other fish cant eat? What would you recommend? sardines, small prawns etc...

Yeah defenately The Birchir is a predatory fish, so meaty/fishy items should be in its diet. As your birchir grows, so will its appetite - expect a 35cm fish when fully grown. Of all the fish that I have kept, the polypterus are the only ones who will touch slugs

Feed it; chopped prawns, earthworms, slugs & any freeze dried goodies to suppliment

Stay away from Prawn's as a steady diet as they are not good for fish. Not sure on the contents of slugs so cannot comment. Earthworms are good or get them on a decent pellet.

 

[los]

Thanks for the replies guys, haha slugs, yea might have to try a good pellet food, i hope he doesnt just have a taste for feeder fish now hah

 

[simonas]

I kept an ornatefor about 3 years and he started off really slowly and very shy and I never used to catch him eating although I would target feed prawnslancefish etc

He settled in and for some reason took about a year to come out of his shell where he would actively come out to feedon catfish pellets etcwhich makes things a lot easier. They are very greedy as well and pile the growth on once feeding well

 

[deetheman_6]

yeah guy not sure if this a old post or not owned polys for years NO to slugs .
yea to worms prawns and mussels and cocles my ornate poly went from 3 inches to 9 inches in five months also eats carniovor pellets .
as you know they'll eat anything that fits in there mouths lol.
has a slight problem with one of my other tanks because the dog and a toy so i had to move a shoal of 20 congo tetras from there 200 liter tank to the big tank in the front room (bad mistake) ornate bichir ate all the congo tetra's between 3am when went to bed and 8am when i got up, i've never seen a bulge in a bihir belly like this he could barely swim he proped himself on top of the filter pipes so i did'nt have so far to go for air

 

[jmkgreen]

Stay away from Prawn's as a steady diet as they are not good for fish.

Not heard of this before. Do you have a reference?

 

[los]

just bought a bag of mixed seafood e.g prawns mussels shrimp & squid etc, but reading the back of the packet it says some of the ingredients are cooked, does this matter? i read somewhere that it changes the meat and makes it harder for the fish to digest it?

 

[Overcooled-xp]

I feed both my birchir's prawns and also Hikari massivore pellets.