i might be setting up me 55 gallon

[Dorkhedeos]

i might be setting up my 55 gallon in around december. im sure im going to put a senegal bichir in there, ive been wanting one for a long time. ive been wondering what else i can put in there that wont mind the bichir in there. a tenant that is renting an apartment in my other house has like a 30 gallon with a senegal bichir, albino and tiger ocsar, pleco, and some kind of gourami. im thinking about taking his bichir because hes giving his fish away. my other thought was one bichir in a heavily planted tank with or without a filter. my mom wont let me do water changes every week because its just too much water, so im probably going to do water changes about once every 2 months. ive read somewhere that some people have a heavily planted tank with lots of fish and no filter, and they have healthy fish. which decision would be better? what plants would stand up to a senegal bichir? thanks

 

[Dwarfs]

Bichirs won't bother plants, and they won't do well without a filter, the water will get dirty quickly and you would need to complete weekly water changes. I'm not sure if its such a god idea to do water changes every two months, 30% of a 55g is too much every week or two?

If you can figure out something with the water changes, a 300gph filter (Or two smaller ones) will be needed, because senegal bichirs get to a reasonable size, and if you want tank mates the extra filtration will be great for them. Plants alone won't keep the tank clean and healthy, the water should be circulated and filtered as well, IMO

African butterfly fish, mogurnda gudgeons, and leopard ctenopoma are IME, the best senegal bichir tank mates, I have this combination of oddities in one of my 55g tanks and they get along fine, but I also have some synodontis eupterus and a peacock eel with them, and they get along ok, but I think the synos have begun eating my bichirs' slime coats, so I'll probably have to move them soon.

HTH

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i wanted to get some mid water fish. i might get an african butterfly fish, but im not sure how i am going to feed them, cause i dont really like touching bugs. i want to get something like a bgk. will an african brown knife be ok? i just want to get a few fish that are around 4-12 inches that are active and will eat the same foods.

 

[Fishy411]

i have NW cichlids and catfish with mine. at a reasonable size the bichir should be fine.

and detach your heater with a bichir in teh tank. they get stuck behind them at night and then die

 

[Dwarfs]

Bichirs won't bother plants, and they won't do well without a filter, the water will get dirty quickly and you would need to complete weekly water changes. I'm not sure if its such a god idea to do water changes every two months, 30% of a 55g is too much every week or two?

If you can figure out something with the water changes, a 300gph filter (Or two smaller ones) will be needed, because senegal bichirs get to a reasonable size, and if you want tank mates the extra filtration will be great for them. Plants alone won't keep the tank clean and healthy, the water should be circulated and filtered as well, IMO

African butterfly fish, mogurnda gudgeons, and leopard ctenopoma are IME, the best senegal bichir tank mates, I have this combination of oddities in one of my 55g tanks and they get along fine, but I also have some synodontis eupterus and a peacock eel with them, and they get along ok, but I think the synos have begun eating my bichirs' slime coats, so I'll probably have to move them soon.

HTH

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Lepard ctenopoma+ mogurnda gudgeons are midwater fish I feed my ABFs freeze dried krill, and crickets on occasion

African brown knives (Xenomystus nigri?) max out at around 8", and I think they would do very well with a senegal bichir

 

[WookiellMonster]

Hmm i dont know if a BGK would be ok cause i use to have one with my bichir and the bichir bit its tail and it passed away. Just my opinion i think brown ghost knife and a ABF would do good. I'm plannin on doin that myself.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

do you think a freshwater barracuda will do good? i dont want my tank to be too bare

Edit: i just realized something, if i put a senegal bichir, african brown knife, and an african butterfly fish in the tank, i would have an african fish tank do you guys know of any african plants?

 

[Synirr]

do you guys know of any african plants?

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Amazon swords?

I have an African butterfly fish and a pair of angels with my bichir and everything is working out great... though I agree that a leopard ctenopoma would be a good choice! There's one at my LFS right now and I'm contemplating being naughty and buying it . I'm a sucker for anabantoids.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i would like to get one, but none of my lfs have it. i think ive seen a climbing perch on the discovery channel or something. they said the perch can walk or something like that.

Edit: are there any more fish that would be good with the bichir? something that isnt too common but isnt rare.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

does anybody know of any eels i can put in my tank?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'd skip on the eels with the birchir--too many escape artists!

see if you can't check out Dianna Walstad's Ecology of the Planted Aquarium from a local library. according to her method, you could get away with 2 month water changes. (but she advocates using soil in the aquarium, which is a bit risky to start out with. i suggest that you splurge and purchase either laterite or flourite and use that instead.)

remember, the more understocked and heavily planted your aquarium is, the more room you have to stretch the maintenance.