Ornate Bichir questions

[AdamG]

Hey all,
just joined the forum here.

I have a Dinosaur Bichir at home in a 20 gallon tank (alone).
When I got him as a very small fish, I had a few Danios with him, which he grew to eat :p

Anyways, I'm curious what I can get away with putting in there with him. Is the tank too small to put another fish big enough to not get eaten in there?

Also, are live fish a healthier diet option than sinking tablets?

Thanks!
-Adam

[Fishguy2727]

How big is your dinosaur bichir (Polypterus senegalus)?

A 20 is too small for him, let alone another of any species. The P. senegalus get to about 12", the ornates hit 18"+.

The best food for any fish in my experience is New Life Spectrum exclusively. There are a number of problems with live foods including: introducing diseases, nutritionally incomplete and unbalanced, and increasing aggression. High quality prepared foods are the best option, and of them I have found NLS to be the very best.

[angelcakes]

ive just googled your fish..........nice!!!, sorry for being thick didnt know what one was:hmm3grin2orange: im now interested in one has i now know what it is and seen them in my local lfs lol............what kind of fish can they go with ive seen them with corys when i searched for it on google...............are they any good with oscars?

p.s hello and welcome

[AdamG]

Its an Ornate, I was told when I got it that the 20 would be fine.

[Fishguy2727]

If yours is an ornate it will get even bigger than the species usually called dinosaur bichir. They get to about 18". My cousin has one that is about 14" or so. They need big tanks, you are looking at about a 75 minimum for the one. In that size tank you could have a few others.

How big is it now?

They do make good tankmates for oscars, but oscars should be raised with anything you want them to be with later, so your oscars will need to still be small or you will need to find a very large bichir (and they are very expensive when you can manage to find one). Mine were 8" and could have sold for $80 or so each.

[Demjor19]

Its an Ornate, I was told when I got it that the 20 would be fine.

if it's an Ornate, then as said above...you need a larger tank. Usually Dinosaur Bichirs are actually senegals though. Can you get a pic?

next month i am picking up a 16" Ornate from a friend in Michigan and he has had a few that were near 24". they are a fairly large and very beautiful bichir species! i feed all my bichirs Omega one (Any good pellet will work) and raw shrimp.

[AdamG]

It looks just like this one:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

I wish I had money for a bigger tank :P I'm kind of in a pickle here....

[angelcakes]

It looks just like this one:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

I wish I had money for a bigger tank :P I'm kind of in a pickle here....
you and me both after reading fishguys thread:hmm3grin2orange:

[AdamG]

If yours is an ornate it will get even bigger than the species usually called dinosaur bichir. They get to about 18". My cousin has one that is about 14" or so. They need big tanks, you are looking at about a 75 minimum for the one. In that size tank you could have a few others.

How big is it now?

They do make good tankmates for oscars, but oscars should be raised with anything you want them to be with later, so your oscars will need to still be small or you will need to find a very large bichir (and they are very expensive when you can manage to find one). Mine were 8" and could have sold for $80 or so each.

A 75 gallon tank, Fishguy?

lol @ angelcakes :)

[Demjor19]

A 75 gallon tank, Fishguy?

lol @ angelcakes :)

that would work for quite a while...maybe not for life though.

[AdamG]

A 75 gallon must be massive....
Petsmart's website only goes up to 50 and those are $600....

[Demjor19]

A 75 gallon must be massive....
Petsmart's website only goes up to 50 and those are $600....

keep watching your local craigslist...you can often times find them there for pretty cheap. A 75 is usually (4' x 18" x 21")...not too big.

[goleafs]

Petsmart's website only has acrylic tanks and they cost a lot more than glass. A used 75 setup (glass) is about 300$ and you might be able to get a very basic new setup for about $400 and upgrade as you go along.

[Demjor19]

Petsmart's website only has acrylic tanks and they cost a lot more than glass. A used 75 setup (glass) is about 300$ and you might be able to get a very basic new setup for about $400 and upgrade as you go along.

ive found a few "like new" 75 gallon setups on craigslist for around $100-$150. I would look there first.

[Fishguy2727]

If you trust used tanks ( I don't) then craigslist is great.

If not check out glasscages.com and see if they have a dropoff point near you. They have all sorts of shapes and sizes and are very reasonably priced. Just don't do acrylic.

[mynheers_a_pint]

i must say that my Ornate is absolutely stunning and full of character. He is 12" long at the moment and is housed with my monster Livingstonii. When my Livingstonii isn't trying to court with it, he is a very happy individual, housed in my 48X18X18 tank. I've had him for years and will quite happily snatch food from your hands, if your happy to put your the food close enough to him. He taks prawns, chiclids pellets and even pleco waffers.

[Demjor19]

If you trust used tanks ( I don't) then craigslist is great.

If not check out glasscages.com and see if they have a dropoff point near you. They have all sorts of shapes and sizes and are very reasonably priced. Just don't do acrylic.

i got my 180 from glass cages and am very pleased with it. they are a great "cheap" tank! the main reason i suggested craigslist, is because many people either cant or dont want to dump hundreds or thousands of dollars into a fish tank. craigslist is a great way to find a nice prowned fish tank (you just need to know what you are looking for) i prefer them to leave the tank filled with water until i come to pick it up...then i usually help them break it down. that way i know 100% it holds water. to each their own.

[Fishguy2727]

I know, you can get great deals on craigslist.

I don't trust used at all anymore becuase I got a used 100 gallon. I used it for years and then swapped it to my cousin. It was full and running until the day we broke it down and moved it to his house. He set it up that night and two days later one of the seams broke and 100 gallons of saltwater were on the floor. So even though it held water and we never did anything to ruin it, it still gave. You just don't know with used tanks. So I feel if you can afford to get new, do it. If not, be very picky and good luck, but know the risks.

[Demjor19]

I know, you can get great deals on craigslist.

I don't trust used at all anymore becuase I got a used 100 gallon. I used it for years and then swapped it to my cousin. It was full and running until the day we broke it down and moved it to his house. He set it up that night and two days later one of the seams broke and 100 gallons of saltwater were on the floor. So even though it held water and we never did anything to ruin it, it still gave. You just don't know with used tanks. So I feel if you can afford to get new, do it. If not, be very picky and good luck, but know the risks.

I agree 100%...

[stubbytheplecostomus]

+1 on a bigger tank, and as for tank mates anything that is bigger then its mouth should be fine, they aren't great swimmers so you shouldn't have to worry about most of the popular semi aggressive fish species that will also get big, like bala sharks, oscars, jack dempsys ect., p.s. they love to eat betas and when they get big they will climb out of your tank... as for food sinking shrimp pellets will make your bichir grow huge quickly, so feed em live fish its a little more entertaining too!

[Fishguy2727]

Live fish are nutritionally unbalanced and incomplete. They also increase aggression and introduce pathogens. Entertaining for us should not be costly to them. Their needs should be #1, then our entertainment.

[Demjor19]

Live fish are nutritionally unbalanced and incomplete. They also increase aggression and introduce pathogens. Entertaining for us should not be costly to them. Their needs should be #1, then our entertainment.

VERY WELL PUT! You nailed it on the head!