Dinosaur eels at the Superstore

[tolawdjk]

Was in the store with the kids today, and saw something never thought I would.

3-4 inch bichirs sold as "dinosaur eels" for 6 bucks.

Personally, I have no desire to raise them, but I can't imagine some poor unassuming shopper buying a pair and then wondering where his school of neons disappeared to.

I guess if anyone is looking and in the Denver area....Parker and Chambers.

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

You are talking about polypterus senegalus? They rarely eat other fish. More of a bottom dwelling scavenger than anything. I have seen mine catch a few feeders but that was pure luck. They have very poor eyesight so I wouldn't guess it would be all that big of a problem. However if you but one in a very small tank it would eventually become stunted and die from that, and also if they didn't have a lid it might become a carpet pet but they usually bounce back rather easily from being out of the water a few hours or less.

[tolawdjk]

I believe that is what it was. Like I said, they were small 3-4 inches tops, probably closer to the 3 inch side, and I had the twins in tow, so there wasn't a lot of examining time.

Just the first time I have seen them at a big box like that.

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Ya I was surprised when I saw them at Petco and Petsmart. I got my first one at my LFS, but I got my second one at Petsmart lol. Sometimes those big chain stores have deals to good to be true. I got my 48" Hagen GLO T5 HO light fixture, a Day GLO bulb, a Life GLO bulb, and a dog bed for under $100! Can't beat clearance lol. Btw, check out my gallery, maybe see if that's the little guy you were talking about. They are actually really cool fish for a community tank, and they are super forgiving fish to take care of being that they can survive in literally stagnant mud puddles in the wild. They can breath atmospheric air.

[RiVerfishgirl]

Most petcos and petsmarts here have carried senegal bichirs for years. When I first got into the hobby (6 years ago) they carried them all the time and they still do. They are always sold as dinosaur eels at those places, and that's how they're listed by suppliers for most fish stores also.

Even though they get too large for many people's tanks (though they are on the small side compared to other bichirs), they are actually a fairly good starter fish since they tend to take to varying foods better than other bichirs and they're very very hardy, tolerating water conditions that many other fish won't. (Not that I advocate keeping them in poor water conditions).

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Absolutely not, just because a fish is capable of being kept in poor conditions, doesn't mean they should. But as every beginner hobbyist is guilty of making some mistakes, they will find that with this family of fish, their mistakes don't necessarily have to end with stress to the fish, or mortality. A good fish to ease a new hobbyist into the more exotic than your average carnival fair game goldfish prize. Lol

[GEV83]

Ive never seen them in the Petsmart out here. Havent been to petco in awhile so wouldnt know bout them but in the past they didnt carry them either. I was actually amazed to see a pair at my LFS they were a trip to look at. They were both bout 5-6". I was tempted on buy them but with me being over stocked as it is I convinced myself not to.... that and I was near broke. lol

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

I was tempted on buy them but with me being over stocked as it is I convinced myself not to.... that and I was near broke. lol

Haha I feel that for sure! There has been so many times where I take a "just to look" trip to one of the really big LFS and end up finding a fish that I just had to have, and dropped $80-$100 lol. Then I was broke! Lol, bills will have to wait haha

[RiVerfishgirl]

Haha I feel that for sure! There has been so many times where I take a "just to look" trip to one of the really big LFS and end up finding a fish that I just had to have, and dropped $80-$100 lol. Then I was broke! Lol, bills will have to wait haha

Yeaahhhh.

We had that issue when my husband was working down in Houston around a whole ton of fish stores with some oddball stuff. He ended up bringing home a bunch of fish that he just couldn't pass up lol.

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Ya I would keep telling my girlfriend, this is the last one ok? And shed get mad and let me buy it anyway lol. Now I got her a 135 gallon tank and she's got the same problem, she's like OMG I've gotta have it! But I always let her cause I know how it is lol.

[RiVerfishgirl]

Ya I would keep telling my girlfriend, this is the last one ok? And shed get mad and let me buy it anyway lol. Now I got her a 135 gallon tank and she's got the same problem, she's like OMG I've gotta have it! But I always let her cause I know how it is lol.

LOL. We started out keeping fish together (after he'd been out of the hobby for years), so I don't think either of us would believe "this is the last one" :p:. Just about all of our tanks are a combined effort, though he stays away from my 30g planted because he kills plants. He called from Houston going "do we have the budget for these fish?" and I'm like "You already paid and put the fish on hold, didn't you?"
Not that it matters, if I was there with him we probably would have spent twice as much at least. A married couple that are both into the hobby isn't great for saving money. So good luck with your g/f now keeping fish. You'll be broke forever, lol. But on the plus side at least it's something you both can be interested in.

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Ya that's th part I'm happy about. She actually set up the deal for me but allowed me to buy almost $50 tanks, 6 breeded pairs of angels, a mess of breeded guppies, 3 more 135 gallon tanks, and the coolest thing, an $800 air pump that will run like 50+ tanks! The thing is made fo aquaculture labs and fish farms, it's huge! Lol

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Sorry not $50 tanks, 50+ tanks lol, big difference!

[Callmeconfused]

Yeaahhhh.

We had that issue when my husband was working down in Houston around a whole ton of fish stores with some oddball stuff. He ended up bringing home a bunch of fish that he just couldn't pass up lol.


Ya I would keep telling my girlfriend, this is the last one ok? And shed get mad and let me buy it anyway lol. Now I got her a 135 gallon tank and she's got the same problem, she's like OMG I've gotta have it! But I always let her cause I know how it is lol.

LMAO! Though new to this hobby, I'm beginning to see where my future is headed.

The worst part is that I just started this semester, and my favorite fish place is right next to my school...both of which are an hour away from me. I have to fight with my self when I get out of class, "but it's right around the corner." "You're broke and you're tank is empty." " Yeah, but who really needs gas?"

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

Well like riverfishgirl said, "welcome to being broke for the rest of your life!" haha, I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do to break me tho. Could be doing a lot of other worse things, drinking, drugs, gambling, etc. Good hobby for the whole family.

[TerribleJakes]

The bichirs at petsmart are tiny! they're only about 2-2 1/2 inches long and they market them as "eels", the web site gives an eel care sheet for them... I love polypterus but they DO and WILL eat anything that will fit into their mouths. Mine was tiny when I got him and quickly spung up to 7". He would eat 1 1/2'' mollys and if he couldnt swallow them he'd ram into the glass until he knocked them down his throat. They dont chase other fish so much as hide and wait for them to swim by. Awesome fish though, and can be puppy dog like when you take care of them.