best way to grow out a ornate birchir

[Paul_MTS]

Since re jigging my 4ft tank there's not a place for my ornate birchir in there with some slightly smaller fish I don't want him to get his mouth aorund.

At the momment he's in my 3ft which is bare bottom at the moment with wood and pots.

I'm wondering if I should do anything else to make him feel more "at home" until he's big enought to play with the bigger boys!!

 

[fufanu360]

well, maybe lots of live food shouldnt there be substrate for these fish?

 

[Paul_MTS]

Yep I'll be adding live food.

I'ved seen alot of people keeping birchirs with a bare bottom, i just left it blank at the time as I didn't have any sand going and needed to move him out before he started munching on the smaller fish.

plus with a bare bottom i can pick up on his craps alot easier.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

when my friend was growing out his sengal bichir, (or senegal.. dont knwo spelling) he used beefheart. this made the bichir grow at a much faster rate than it was before. also, i heard young bichirs like to hang out in floating plants when they are young. so maybe you could add some kind of floating type plant.

 

[fufanu360]

off topic but how big does your aro get paul? also, wouldnt you think your tank is a little over stocked considering the fish and theyre full sizes, not meaning to be rude or nothing

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

He has larger tanks than these I believe. These are simply grow out tanks.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Rightey I'll try some beefheart for him.

My arowana will entually grow to about 2ft.

My 200gallon tank is pretty much understocked at the moment, CFC tank is the same as mine and has double what I have!!

The 3ft my ornate is currently in is just until he's big enough for 200gallon to play with the senegal and palmas poli.

The ornate is only slightly smaller at about 5inch compared to 8inch of th others but i don't want to risk it.

My 4ft with plecs, american cichlids and cats is probable overstocked a tad!! But i do good water changes and filtration to match so should get away with that.

Cheers.

 

[CFC]

You do realise that my tank is actually over stocked and that the only reason it works out is because i do two 30 to 50% water changes a week?

This is a current list of the fish in my 200g

Scleropages jardini
Ageneiosus brevifilis
Leiarius pictus
Hemisorubim platyrynchos
3x Sorubim lima
Pimelodus albofasciatus
2x Pimelodus ornatus
2x Hoplosternum thoratacum
2x Agamyxsis pectinifrons
Crenicichla sveni
Astronotus ocellatus, Oscar
2x Heros severus, Green severum
Polypterus ornatipinnus
Polypterus delhizi
Polypterus senegalus
Chrysichthys ornatus
Potamotrygon motoro

and around the middle of this year between April and June i will be adding two 180 gallon tanks and three 55 gallon tanks to take the eventual list down further to this

Ageneiosus brevifilis
Hemisorubim platyrynchos
Platystomatichthys sturio
3x Sorubim lima
Pimelodus albofasciatus
2x Pimelodus ornatus
6x Metynnis argenteus
3x Chalceus erythrusus
Crenicichla sveni
2xPotamotrygon motoro

which give or take a few fish i may come across in the future will be it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Yep I kind of gathered that your was a tad overstocked, but I doubt it very much that I'd beable to find half of the cats you have!!.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep my stocking down to mainly smaller birchirs a few plecs, some nice cats and maybe a pair of rays in the quite distant future!!

I'ved borught some sand home tonight so with a quick rinse that will go in with the ornate.

oh well on with the water changes!!.....also once i pass my driving i have every wednesday free to do some extra water changes.

 

[Paul_MTS]

just thought i would upday this thread.

I moved the ornate birchir downstairs into the big tank on tuesday and he's doing fine. I mainly moved him as he didn't have that birchir appetite in the small tank and since being in the big'un he's alot more active and eating more.

the bigger birchirs haven't so much as sniffed him.

 

[SirMinion]

Paul, you remember that when we got you the Senegal that he had a tankmate which got sold the day before we picked yours up?

Well the person that bought him hadn't realised that it would eat all his dwarf gourami & tetras, so after several fatalities, he took him back to the store.

He's in excellent health an lovely & fat on all those tasty fish!

 

[Paul_MTS]

it got sold to an idiot!!

poor litle fella being rejected!

 

[simonas]

Paul, you remember that when we got you the Senegal that he had a tankmate which got sold the day before we picked yours up?

Well the person that bought him hadn't realised that it would eat all his dwarf gourami & tetras, so after several fatalities, he took him back to the store.

He's in excellent health an lovely & fat on all those tasty fish!

whats the fish in your avatar ? Looks great

 

[SirMinion]

That's one of our Dragon Gobies showing off his teeth.

See here

 

[smithrc]

That's one of our Dragon Gobies showing off his teeth.

See here

[off topic] Mornig Sir - not gone to bed yet? or up early? [/off topic]