Senegal Bichir Tankmates

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zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
0
0
I just purchased a small 2" Senegal Bichir. I've been searching everywhere, but can't find any information on suitable tank mates. I currently have a 40 gallon breeder (36x18x16) that he is absolutely having a blast in. I would like to put a few other fish in there that would live comfortably in the 40 gallon, but are too big to be eaten by the bichir.

Any ideas?
 

reptileguy2727

Not enough tanks, space, or time
Jan 15, 2006
1,799
0
0
Northern Virginia
what do you like? cichlids, oddities, barbs? there are actually a lot fo species that can work out with a senegalus, especially if you never feed it live food (which you shouldnt do anyways). what filtration do you have? im assuming your top is very tight-fitting. my pair of albino senegalus are in a 55 with a redtail shark, a rainbow shark, a huge bleeding heart tetra, and a bristlenose pleco. this combo wont work forever though. basically you need fish with the same water parameter requirements, wont bother the bichirs, and wont be bothered by the bichirs, and when everyone can still live in the tank when they are full grown. the senegalus will get about a foot, and in a 40 breeder that doesnt leave too much room for a ton of other fish. anybody who is an aggressive eater may out compete the bichirs for their food. what are you feeding/planning on feeding?i would love to help you more so let me know what you think so far and post any questions you have. the following pic is my pair. they have gotten a little bigger since i took this pic. in the background you can see how big the bleeding heart and the redtail shark are, so you see that is why they are still alive.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
0
0
Wow that bleeding heart tetra is huge! I'm almost certain that the 40 gallon breeder will be big enough, fully grown, the tank is 3 times longer than he is and 1.5 times width-wise. He's going to be the only bichir in the tank. I just love the way he looks. He's very active and a fun fish to have.

I've only had him for two days and feed him a small helping of frozen blood worms. The zebra danios and rummynose don't seem to like them, and if they do eat them, it's only one or two worms. The bichir seems to be the only one that has taken a liking to them. I'm going to try and get him to eat shrimp pellets though, but I'm not sure how that is going to work out. He won't eat the flake.

Here are my tank stats...

40 Gallon Breeder @ 36x18x16 with custom cut plexiglass cover
200 Watt Visi-therm Stealth Submersible Heater
Aquaclear 70 @ 300gph
Generic HOB @ 250gph
30lbs of natural colored gravel
25 watt single tube all glass aquarium strip light

pH 8.3

Current Tank Inhabitants:

2" Goldfish
5x Zebra Danios
Rummynose Tetra
3.5" Dojo Loach
2" Senegal Bichir

(I know he's eventually going to eat the zebras and the rummynose, so they will be going back before he's big enough to have a snack.) He seems to like the dojo loach, laying on him the majority of the day. Kind of funny looking.

Basically looking to trade out the zebras, rummynose, and possibly even the goldfish for other tank mates. I may even let the goldfish mature and trade him in.

Can bleeding heart tetras live in my 8.3 water? That might make for a BEAUTIFUL tank! How many do you think I can fit in my 40 gallon? I might just go trade for them. They carry quite a large stock of them in 7.6pH water at my LFS.

Here are some pics of my current tank as well as my bichir.









 

reptileguy2727

Not enough tanks, space, or time
Jan 15, 2006
1,799
0
0
Northern Virginia
you will be very surprised how big of a meal the bichir can take down. give him an inch and he will have fun with all those little skinny fish. the dojo isnt safe either. once the bichir has some size on him he will go for the dojo, and if i remember right the dojo has the same eye hooks like many other loaches, those could catch the bichir and end up killing both. why do you have the pH so high? 7.0 should be fine for the bichir. tetras in general need a lower pH (6.6-6.8 or about there). im kind of surprised the rummynose tetras are doing fine in there. what kind of filter exactly is the generic HOB? i dont think bleeding hearts will all ge tbig enough fast enough to live with a bichir. the tank is definitely big enough for the bichir, i was just saying it isnt really alot of water so it wont really be able to hold a ton fish besides the bichir. honestly none of the fish you currently have i would put with a bichir. you still have a lot of options though.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
0
0
Hmm.. I've got a dojo in my 29 and he's quite a bit bigger. Haven't had any trouble with him and I've never heard of 'eye hooks'. You'll have to forgive me, learn something new every day. I added the bichir after the other fish. So they will have to be moved. I guess I could always put the dojo loach in with the other one. Do you think my peacock eel could live with my bichir? I may just swap the dojo with the peacock eel, and give my dojo a tank mate in the 29.

I live in SE United States, and the water down here is very hard right out of the tap. I want to buy a RO filter sooner or later though, but for now, it's 8.3. The rummynose tetra had been acclimated to 7.6 water and had been in there for a few months, so it wasn't a problem to get him to 8.3 water. I have a member on my forum at www.aquatopiaforum.com that actually keeps a school of them in 8.2 water. Most commercially raised fish can be acclimated to higher or lower pH levels. The bichir is very small right now, probably going on 2". He doesn't seem to be aggressive, however if any fish get near him, especially the goldfish, he seems to want to strike at them. If they swim away, he goes back to normal. Reminds me of a snake.

Any idea on some dither fish or some sort of schooling fish that would be too big for him to eat? Or too quick? Or any ideas on tank mates PERIOD?

I figured I could acclimate the bleeding heart tetras to 8.3, since they are coming out of the same water as the rummynose tetra, but who knows. Maybe someone with more experience can post and let me know whether its a safe idea or not.

The filter is a Regent filter I believe. It came with a wal-mart 29 gallon kit. It was soon replaced with a P-200 biowheel filter, so I just use it as supplemental filtration.

The bleeding heart tetras are just a TAD bit smaller than the senegal bichir. I think I may have to give them a try, what do you think?

Also, what options do you think I have with the senegal bichir in a 40 gallon? I'd like an interesting, active community.
 

reptileguy2727

Not enough tanks, space, or time
Jan 15, 2006
1,799
0
0
Northern Virginia
just because they are farm raised doesnt necessarily mean you can put them in whatever water parameters you need. they still function according to what their genetics are set at, which is a lot lower pH. and they may live a while in the more alkaline water, but that doesnt mean it is successful. they could very well end up dying in a year instead of four or five years like they are supposed to last. the bleeding heart in my tank is probably 4 years old. for food go with sinking carnivore pellets by hikari. other than that you can use shrimp pellets and a variety of frozen foods (beefheart, squid, brine shrimp, bloodworms). i woudlnt use dither fish, they would most likely out compete the bichir for its food. peacock would probably be a good one though. i would rather keep bichirs pretty much by themselves, i enjoy them enough without a bunch of other fish swimming around. you could try and get it a mate (even though they arent really sexable until about 4-8" depending on who you talk to. even if it isnt male and female, if they get along they should be fine. then add a smaller species of pleco if you need it.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
0
0
Some of the farm raised fish are more easily adjusted to different pH levels. Doesn't mean they will thrive though, so I completely agree with you.

Interesting idea on the tank mate though... it might be a good idea. I could always go pick up another one and hope for a pair.

Did you say he would be OK with the peacock eel? I love my peacock and don't want anything to happen to him, so it worries me a little that he might get attacked or even eaten.

Besides the dither fish, are there any fish that get large enough not to be eaten that would be OK in alkaline water in a 30 gallon?

I thought about cichlids, but I know that isn't even a possibility with the bichir. That's an accident waiting to happen. Might have to scrap the bleeding heart tetra idea... Try something else I guess. Not sure what, though.

What would you put in with a bichir that can live in alkaline water?

Any possibility of having inverts in with them? Like snails or larger shrimp? I know he'll eat the ghost shrimp and what not, but what about crayfish or singapore or wood shrimp? Mystery snails or ramshorn snails?
 

beblondie

grand high exhalted poobah
Mar 25, 2005
567
0
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In approx 3 months the senegal should outgrow everything in you have in the tank.When young P.senegalus usually go thru a huge growth spurt avg. an inch to and inch and a half per month,until they reach 7-8'' then it slows.
As for tankmates heres some possibles
PLECOS
Bristlenose-Ancistrus dolichopterus
CHARACINS
Silver dollar-Metynnis argenteus
Distichodus notospilus-Distichodus notospilus
Congo tetra-Phenacogrammus interruptus
Black-Barred Myleus-Myleus schomburgki
Filament tetra-Bryconaethiop microstoma
Ctenopoma .acutirostre-Ctenopoma .acutirostre
Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus-Ctenopoma oxyrhynchus
Ctenopoma kingsleyae-Ctenopoma kingsleyae
Elephantnose-Gnathonemus petersii
African butterfly-Pantondon bucholzi
African Knifefish-Xenomystus nigri
Bristlenose-Ancistrus dolichopterus
Basicaly your looking at fish that are non agressive 3-4 inches long minimum and fairly deep bodied-Anne
 

beblondie

grand high exhalted poobah
Mar 25, 2005
567
0
0
43
Shrimps will get eaten crayfish are a dbl edged sword they may go after the bichir or when they molt the bichir could go after it.As for snails one of my senegals took great pleassure in picking them off the bottom swimming to the surface and dropping them over and over. not sure if she was trying to break the shell or just torment the hell out of the snail-Anne
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
0
0
Great reply. Question though... can any of the characins live in my alkaline water? What about the plecos? I always seem to have trouble with them. They don't appear to eat and usually die about 2-3 weeks after I get them. I've never had much luck. I bought algae wafers, driftwood, everything I could for them. I figured it was due to it being a newer cycled tank or my hard alkaline water.

Silver dollars would make for an interesting tank, but don't they like acidic water? Bristlenose wouldn't be a bad addition if I knew it was going to work.

I'll be sure to check out the butterfly fish now that I know they are freshwater fish.

Cool to know that I'm going to have a 7-8" bichir in about 6 months. Those fish are great.

I'll be sure to move everything to another tank as soon as I am sure it's disease/parasite free.
 
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