Senegal Bichirs, Question

[CAC]

Hi i might be buying a 81x36x50cm tank, and im thinking about a Bichir(or two, although i dontthink you can keep two in that size tank ), that hold 32UK G (think that about 37US G)... i may also be getting a 4 foot for an archer.
if i kept Senegal/s how manys could i have (presumeing one) and what other tankmates, and how many of them?
what do they eat etc.
is there anything else i should know, or any other oddballs i could consider, for that tank?

Thanks in advance, Mikey

 

[beblondie]

31x14x19 roughly with good filtration and proper waterchanges its doable for 1 senegal just be aware its not seaworld and you can't have many tankmates for it.
Polypterus senegalus is one of the most active bichirs of the family.They can become territorial with as they mature.In a tank that size you could probably do the 1 senegal and an african butterfly fish(pantadon bucholzi) but more than that I feel could be pushing it.

What do they eat?In their natural habitat bichirs normally eat small fish,various insect larvae and invertabrates.Bichirs are generaly non agressive ambush predators but also oppurtunistic scavengers.Objects to big to be consumed whole are often "deathrolled" till
small parts are twisted and ripped off the carcass.The key here is to balance the diet thru a variety
of foods with an eye on total nutrition.A varied diet is a good diet for your fish and yourself.
Now then what can we feed them? You actually have several options and They will be listed below
The freezer at your local fish store is a smorgasboard of foods which should include
silversides or lancefish
mysis shrimp
brine shrimp
krill
bloodworms
tubifex worms
squid
beefheart
Simply thaw and feed


Your local market can be a great source of foods check the seafood section of the freezer
You can use just about any foods you find there including
mussels
shrimp
most fish filets (avoid salmon i think its to oily)

Available at the butcher counter or they should be able to order it for you
beefheart
and yes chicken gizzards
to prepare the above cut it into strips and remove any fat you can find
fish do not digest mammialian fat well

Live foods include
some frog species(some frogs release a nasty chemical when bitten)
tadpoles
African dwarf frogs are safe and part of the natural diet
ghost shrimp
earthworms
mealworms feed only the recently shed(white) ones the chiton in the exoskeleton
can be hard to digest and in some can result in intestinal blockages.

Pellitized foods
Can be found in various diameters and forms include sinking and floating pellets and sticks
shrimp pellets
worm pellets
even pellets for cichlids will work
spirulina sticks
brine shrimp sticks
Algae wafers

 

[CAC]

Aww thats loads of things you can feed!
i was thinking it'd be just like muscles and shrimps etc...
so say i was going to feed him/her a fillet of lancefish., what would i do?
would you just cut it up in to bigenough "chunks" and then feed, or is there anything else oud have to do???

About the african butterfly, what do they eat.?
ive seen them before and dont mind the look of them, but if theres something else i could get, like amybe 2 pim pictus or a silver dollar or two then id prefer it...
Also i dont know if we get african butterflys here in england...

One other thing, how do you catch them??? you cant catch a 20cm senegal in a net (can you?!?), so howd you do it?
It might sound stupid, but im puzzled..lol

Mikey

 

[beblondie]

would you just cut it up in to bigenough "chunks" and then feed,
Yup size the food to the fish
About the african butterfly, what do they eat.? floating foods
i could get, like amybe 2 pim pictus or a silver dollar or two then id prefer it.
Your tanks not Sea World you do have limited space.I also failed to mention till now the whiole bloody plan can explode if the bichir turns ot to be over agressive and I have had an overagressive bichir so they do exist.
One other thing, how do you catch them??? you cant catch a 20cm senegal in a net (can you?!?), so howd you do it?
several ways it can be done theres the two net method,theres the net into the clean white pillow case/muslin bag.or my fav lower the water leveluntil theres only a couple of inches left and either net it or with wet hands being careful grab it and transfer it into a bucket-Anne

 

[CAC]

i could get, like amybe 2 pim pictus or a silver dollar or two then id prefer it.

I dont get what you are trying to say...

Mikey

 

[beblondie]

''I dont get what you are trying to say...''
I'm saying a tank 31x14x19 isn't really that big for a 10-12'' bichir and mid or bottom dwelling fish.Thats why I said ABF.Or you could do the bichir and one of the ctenopoma species.-Anne

 

[CAC]

''I dont get what you are trying to say...''
I'm saying a tank 31x14x19 isn't really that big for a 10-12'' bichir and mid or bottom dwelling fish.Thats why I said ABF.Or you could do the bichir and one of the ctenopoma species.-Anne

What are they?!?!

 

[nmonks]

If you're referring to Anne's recommendation of Ctenopoma, they are the African "gouramis" and though less colourful they are just as hardy, if not more so, and make superb companions for the smaller bichirs.

I've keep three species, of which Ctenopoma acutirostre is easily my favourite. It is shy when kept in small tanks though, so in an aquarium 1 m or less in length, consider the smaller species, like Ct. fasciolatum or Ct. congicum. These are big enough to do okay with Polypterus palmas, though they may be borderline-safe with something as big as P. senegalus.

They're usually included in books about labyrinth fish (i.e., gouramis, bettas, and their relatives) since they're labyrinth fish in good standing.

Cheers,

Neale

What are they?!?!

Edit -- I'd forgotten I'd written something on these fish for Tropical Fish Finder. It's just the basics and a few of my favourite species. I'd recommend reading around though. Some species are quite aggressive, and at least one is a "delicate" fish when not kept in a species tank. Not many are widely kept, and some of the stuff on the web can be misleading. I'd recommend a decent book. I have, and enjoy, "Gouramis and Other Anabantoids".

 

[Phantom Thief]

Ctenopoma are the climbing perches, native to the African and South East Asian regions, if i'm not mistaken. The are very interesting fish to keep, i had one in the past, which unfortunately became a snack for my slant-nosed gar that i underestimated

The most common with be ctenopoma acutirostre, the spotted climbing perch. They'll also eat pretty much whatever your bichir eats. They're pretty tough fishes, and get to about 8". As the name suggests though, keep a tight cover on the aquarium.

P.T.

edit: neale beat me to it

 

[nmonks]

One other thing I'd add about climbing perch: they're paradoxical. On the one hand most species are predatory to some extent and some can be fairly territorial. But on the other hand they tend to be shy unless really nicely settled in, and they are invariably bullied by cichlids. I think they're great fish, but you do need to work around them.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[CAC]

Cool, they sound good. but i cant get hold of any...
they seem to get quite large too.
anything else i could consider???
i presume im looking for top dwelling fish, of 3"+
i was think about blue rams or something...
or maybe 2or 3 kribs, they get quite big dont they, and dont stay on the bottom the whole time, so they wont annoy the bichir...

Got any other species i could keep, something a little more "common"?

Mikey

 

[beblondie]

You've been given the best choices possible.Kribs are a toss up if they'll get eaten or not.I'm not trying to be nasty but if you don't like the idea of 1or2 fish in a tank the dimensions you presented perhaps a bichir is not for you at this time-Anne

 

[§tudz]

bichir's what great fish, had a scare with mine yesterday as found their tank was leaking

But its on the mend, had to run out and but a temp home for them /me thinks about his money.

I here by put one vote forward that Beblondie should be given here own subforum, for Polyterus' as she seems to be the resident birchir pro for this here forum.

BeBlondie I salute your knowledge and the rest of the house hold hate ye, coz they aren't too fond of the birchir population in their from room

 

[beblondie]

''the rest of the house hold hate ye''
Its not the first time I've been that popular lol

 

[CAC]

You've been given the best choices possible.Kribs are a toss up if they'll get eaten or not.I'm not trying to be nasty but if you don't like the idea of 1or2 fish in a tank the dimensions you presented perhaps a bichir is not for you at this time-Anne

No, im not complaing about the ammount of fish i could have, i wouldnt mind just haveing the bichir on its own, but if i can get another fish, then thatd be great...
if i can get hold of an african butterfly then ill try...

Mikey