Senegal Bichir Tankmates

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zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
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beblondie said:
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
LoL. That sounds really funny. I knew they had personality, but wow. :laugh:
 

beblondie

grand high exhalted poobah
Mar 25, 2005
567
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With patience they will hand feed,also one of mine seemed to enjoy swimming between my fingers and rest on the palm of my hand-Anne
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
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0
My bigger dojo loach is like that.

Do you think silver dollars can live in 8.3 pH water? Not sure of anywhere around here where I can buy african butterfly fish.
 

TAoz

AC Members
Oct 2, 2005
11
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Bangkok, Thailand
I've been put 3 senegals with 3 goldfishes in 50g for temporary

My problem is not senegals harming goldies, but goldies steal bichirs pellets. I've to manage so hard about feeding, gotta give them chop meat which goldfish dislike. or put some shrimp so bichirs can hunt.

btw today, the goldfishes owner finally come and take them away from me. so now we are back to normal and peace. lol



or should I switch to enjoy with those goldies anyway lol, they also cute.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
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LoL. Haven't had any trouble feeding yet, as the goldfish doesn't like the blood worms, and neither to the other fish. The dojo loach has a snack EVERY now and then, but the bichir pigs out.

I'm trying to do some research on some tank mates right now, I figured a small school of silver dollars, 6 or so should be good. If they can survive in my water, which seems to be the big problem right now.

Scratch that idea. I don't think I could have 6 6" silver dollars in a 40 gallon.

Plus fishprofiles.com says they thrive in pH up to 7.5.

Fishprofiles says the congo tetra can get up to 8.0 pH, so they should be OK, but it also says they only get to 3.1"... is that a snack?

Wow that butterfly fish looks cool. It says a pH up to 7.5. Could they live in my water? Does look like a VERY interesting fish though. Has anyone ever kept them? How many would you put into a 40 gallon with a bichir?
 
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reptileguy2727

Not enough tanks, space, or time
Jan 15, 2006
1,799
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Northern Virginia
silver dollars (and most other south american fish) wont thrive in 8.3. silver dollars get too big for that tank anyways. my albinoes arent growing that fast. but they are all different, so im not saying yours wont, just not to assume yours will. my cousin works across the street from a place that sells RO water for (i think) about 50 cents a gallon. it may be worth it to find some place you can buy decent water from real cheap. some home improvement places sell water in the big water cooler jugs, refilling the 5 gallon jug may only be a dollar or so, wouldnt hurt to look around. i thinkyour water's pH is a problem that should be dealt with, not try and see what could live in the water you have. beblondie would know better than me whether peacocks are a good idea or not.
 

patoloco

De seguro no sabes lo que dice aqu
Oct 20, 2005
1,221
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Costa Rica
wetpatoloco.tripod.com
I have 2 senegalus in my bigge tank and they seem to get along very well. For tankmates, choose fish that mostly stay on the top of the water. Any bottom dweller is an easier catch for the bichir. In my case, gouramies have worked great but with your high Ph I wouldn't try it. I have my tank at 7.8 and would really love to lower it a bit.

There was another (long) thread about bichirs and tankmates. Take a look:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66974&highlight=bichir

My bichirs eat almost anything that get the bottom of the tank. Flakes, sinking pellets, raw shrimp, earthworms, tubifex. Thwy will also catch a feeder fish that get too close to them.

When I started feeding them raw shrimp I was scared since I threw a chunck that was too big, and the bichir just opened his large mouth amd swallowed it. I was realy freakened. The same happened with some sinking pellets. They were almost the size of the bichir's head but hi ate them anyway. At first, he took in his mouth and started throwing it against a rock until it softened. Today, both bichirs eats them without any trouble.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
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Hmm I might give a gourami a try... I'm sure I can get them adjusted. The peacock eel has been living in my 29 gallon in 8.3 for over 7 months. Happy and healthy.

I thought about getting a pair of kissing gouramis. Do you think that would work?

As far as RO water goes, I'm hoping to have my own RO filter here very soon.
 

zmazza

nano r33f 4 u
Feb 21, 2006
114
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0
If I went with gouramis and we're able to acclimate them correctly.... how many could I put in with my bichir?
 

patoloco

De seguro no sabes lo que dice aqu
Oct 20, 2005
1,221
1
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Costa Rica
wetpatoloco.tripod.com
In a 40 gallon tank, I'd go with max 4. Maybe the blue gouramies or the parl ones. Kissing gouramies grow BIG, so those would not be a good choice.

I senegal and 4 gouramies would be a max to my consideration.
 
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