Exodons And Senegal Bichir

[rixy]

would it be possible to keep exodons with 2 x 6 inch bichirs?my lfs has 5 x 3 inch exodons and they want £20 for the 5.

 

[AMS]

NO! Exodons feed mainly on other fish. Exodons will attack ANY fish of ANY size to kill and consume. They are parasites! They are mini piranhas only a million times worse. The bichirs will only be completley swarmed over and consumed. Exodons really need a species only tank with at least 10 in a school to avoid cannibalism. The only tankmates that have had any kind of success with Exodons are red belly piranhas and select few other piranha species.

 

[CFC]

While i dont actively recomend keeping exodons with other fish i have to say that i dont follow my own advise there. I have found that it is possible to keep exodons with equally aggressive fish or those that are 100% nocturnal without any major problems, i keep my school of 9 exodons with 2 Leporinus fasciatus (truely nasty evil fish) a couple of large Hoplosternum thoratacum (their heavy armoured scutes protect them) and a Heteropneustes fossilis (strictly nocturnal and pretty aggressive as well as having venomous spines) all of which can look after themselves against the exodons.

However with the bichir having large soft fins and being fairly placid and slow moving i think there is too much risk of damage from the exodons nipping to risk housing them together, but having exodons doesnt always mean a complete species tank.

PLEASE NOTE WHAT WORKS FOR ONE FISH KEEPER MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE, ALL FISH ARE MIXED AT YOUR OWN RISK.