Will A Senegal Bichir Be Troublesome To These Fish

[Captain Retardo]

Will a Senegal Bichir try to eat Zebra Loaches (botia striata), Upside-Down Catfish (synodontis nigriventis), or Rainbow Cichlid fry (herotilapia mulitspinosa)?

I Will probably soon get a 40 gallon "breeder" tank, its dimensions are 36" long x 18" depth x 16" height . For the tank I want to get a pair of Rainbow cichlids, and either Zebra Loaches or Upside-down catfish, and I want to add a Senegal Bichir in there. When I get the fish they will all be young. (BTW - The tank will be heavily planted, and I will run an Aquaclear 70 on it (300 GPH))

 

[The-Wolf]

Will a Senegal Bichir try to eat Zebra Loaches (botia striata), Upside-Down Catfish (synodontis nigriventis), or Rainbow Cichlid fry (herotilapia mulitspinosa)?

yes, no & yes

 

[Captain Retardo]

What if I substitute Zebra Loaches for YoYo Loaches? Because I'm pretty sure I want some type of Botia loach instead of Synodontis nigriventis.

BTW - I knew they would eat the fry, but would they still go after it even if the parents were guarding it?

 

[Captain Retardo]

Just did some more Bichir info hunting and found out that Polypterus palmas and delhezi are smaller than Polypterus senegalus ( according to http/www.polypterus.info/keeping_polypterus.htm ). I might get one of those species instead because they look better and are smaller

Anyway, same question applies.

 

[The-Wolf]

after my own mistakes
no bottom dwelling fish should be housed with any species of bichir.

I lost two 6" yoyo loaches to my orante and both my 8" yoyos to my p.weeksi.
my senny had 4 2-3" skunk loaches and he was not even 5" at the time.

 

[idlefingers]

I've read that they'll eat anything that fits in their mouths.

 

[matt295]

yeah its true they will eat anything that fit in their mouths. the senegal bichir is the easiest one to keep while the delhezi and palmas are kind of difficult to keep

 

[Captain Retardo]

What about full-grown Rainbow Cichlids, will they eat them?


Well I really wanted some Loaches, but I guess I can't have them. I've read that bichirs are mean to each other, but I've noticed a lot of people keep them in groups with success, so could I then get 2 bichirs?

 

[matt295]

how big are the rainbow cichlids? depends on what kind you get, different sizes and different temperaments. most people keep senegal bichirs together but i imagine in a big enough tank you could have two of another species of bichir

 

[Captain Retardo]

Rainbow Cichlids are about 4-6" full grown (I've heard mixed sizes), In pictures it looks more like 6" though. Well the tank that I will put the fish in is a 40 gallon "breeder tank" its footprint is 36"X18", and I was planning on getting some sort of mix of Palmas, or Delhezi, or Senegalus. But I would only get two (i.e. Delhezi+Palmas or Delhezi+Senegalus or Palmas+Senegalus or Senegalus+Senegalus or Delhezi+Delhezi or Palmas+Palmas ) If I can only get one bichir I will either get Palmas or Delhezi.

 

[matt295]

here is a link
www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1989
or you could just go to liveaquaria.com then go to fish at the top, then freshwater, and then a section that says bichirs. is says that the delhezi and palmas bichir are difficult to keep and need a minimum tank size of 50 gallons. hope this helps

 

[Captain Retardo]

I was actually thinking of buying off liveaquaria but I don't listen to their advice that much, they say that Kuhli loaches need a minimum tank size of 90 gallons!!!

 

[matt295]

seriously!!! never saw that!

just checked, its actually 50 gallons for the black khulli loach but that is still off!

 

[Captain Retardo]

Last time I checked I remember seeing 90 gallons for Kuhli Loaches, but that's not importanat right now...I made a stocking list for the 40 gallon and I hope it will work:

2 Bichirs and a Severum (or 2 Rainbow cichlids instead of Severum) and maybe a few hoplo catfish that I will grow out in the 29 gallon.
I will get an Aquaclear 70 as a filter, and I hope to plant it pretty heavily.
I will probably be getting the tank in the summer


Comments are still greatly appreciated and wanted!