Might Finally Get A Bichir

[Deroplatys]

They are my most wanted fish which i have been after for a few years now.
I couldnt get one because we only have a family fish tank and everyone always had small guppies and other tiny fish in there. Well know the smallest fis in there are adult sized red mollies. I was at a fish shop today and saw they had several ornate bichirs for sale at £16 each i think, they were about the size of an index finger. Does that seem like a good deal and should they be ok together?

 

[lil_phelpsy]

im not 100% but im sure ornates get pretty large and will eat everything they can fit in there mouth so i think a molly would be toast in no time but im sure someone with more knowledge will help.
i was looking at getting one for my next set up but am going for a fire eel instead.
hope this helped

 

[Hunterprey]

I think Ornate grows 2feet. So they`ll prolly eat your mollies eventually. I have an Albino Senegal n Palmas Bichir, they stay smaller than Ornate. I think the Senegal are the smallest one, averages 8-10 inches but can potentially reach 12 inches. but TBH I think it can still eat the mollies, not too sure about it tho.

 

[Deroplatys]

Thanks, i read a couple of stories online of people keeping them with mollies ok.
Is it feasible to keep it and then rehome it once it does get too large?

I really want one of these but im not allowed to set up another fish tank

 

[keimak]

It should be fine in a smaller tank when it's young, but once it get bigger you need a bigger tank for it!
And get a lid and don't be like my bichir, it jumped out

 

[gasmask]

Yay!
I'm all for new Bichir keepers!

Yes, there are no Bichirs that would be safe with your Mollies.
Even the smallest (Senegalus) will very likely attack and at least try to kill/eat even as a juvenile.

Ornates can and do grow to the 50-60cm mark and of all the Bichirs I own I find they are the nastiest!

If you ever need any advice, feel free to ask mate.

 

[Hunterprey]

IME when my Senegalus was 4" and my male swordtail was 2 1/2" The bichir kept lashing out at him any chance he gets. I once saw my swordtails tail in my Bichirs mouth but he managed to break free. I transfered the swordtail in my 35gallon after that. The Bichir didnt bother the female swordtail tho which is quite thicker than the male. But I think once my Senegalus get bigger, it will prey on the female swordtail too.

Maybe If ur Mollies are too big to get eaten get the smallest Senegal, then you can decide as they grow which one u'd rather keep. If you really wanted to have bichirs, its great to experience having one if you can provide the proper tank. Its quite a risk I guess, but I guess keeping ur bichirs well fed might help

Gasmask can help u a lot too, he has species of Bichirs I didnt even know existed

Come join the the world of Bichir Keepers! LoL Heres a video of Albino Senegal and Swordtail that once shared the same tank.

 

[Deroplatys]

Thanks all for the help and advise
I love them, and have been wanting them for ages, im just not allowed my own fish tank so i have to settle with the family one, and its only recently it hasnt been filled with tiny guppies and the like.
Its 36 inches long, 12 inches wide and 15 inches high, so wont do an adult ornate

Aside from the mollies there's a danio in there bigger than the mollies and the rest of the fish are a few large angel fish, a gibbicep plec, talking catfish, and my 2 spotted bush fish. Would these be ok?
Also plan on getting a vampire shrimp maybe.

 

[gasmask]

Thanks all for the help and advise
I love them, and have been wanting them for ages, im just not allowed my own fish tank so i have to settle with the family one, and its only recently it hasnt been filled with tiny guppies and the like.
Its 36 inches long, 12 inches wide and 15 inches high, so wont do an adult ornate

Aside from the mollies there's a danio in there bigger than the mollies and the rest of the fish are a few large angel fish, a gibbicep plec, talking catfish, and my 2 spotted bush fish. Would these be ok?
Also plan on getting a vampire shrimp maybe.

To be honest mate, looks like Bichirs may be a bad idea for your tank.

 

[ChilliPepper]

Seriously, get rid of the mollies and things like that and get some 'proper' fish like a bichir

In answer to your question - yes the bichir will definitely eat the mollies.

 

[Binge]

While it is not the same thing as a bichir Watching a kuli loach swim May simulate a little bit of the beuty of a bichir for you as tehy are a similar body form and are much safer in a community tank unless I am mistaken.

 

[gasmask]

While it is not the same thing as a bichir Watching a kuli loach swim May simulate a little bit of the beuty of a bichir for you as tehy are a similar body form and are much safer in a community tank unless I am mistaken.

Kulis are cool little things, but nothing simulates the sheer beauty of watching a massive Bichir death roll it's prey!
(Maybe me being a little bias lol)

 

[simonas]

Bichirs are ace and now my big tank is set up for oddballs again I will be getting another ornate as sson as I can find one locally

Lilphelpsy why not get a ornate as well as fire eel? I kep the two together with no problems and plan to do so again

 

[Deroplatys]

I didnt get one in the end,

buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut

a while later i came across a shop with one lone senegal juvenile and brought it
Had him for a few weeks now, love the little fella

Plus my parents also changed their mind on me having a tank, so come november i can finally get my very first fish tank

The only thing is that the tanks i can have are smaller than the big one its in now.
I've got 3 tanks in the attic, here's the sizes.

Tank 1,
31cm tall, 25.5cm deep, 42cm long.

Tank 2,
31cm tall, 30cm deep, 46cm long.

Tank 3,
37cm tall, 30cm deep, 76cm long.

I know obviously the bigger the better but what tanks would be ok?
Been reading a lot but most of what i read only says about maximum sized individuals.
Might also get a tank that would be 60cm long and just as deep and tall as the others or more.

Would my spotted bush fish also be okay to move in there?
At the moment my bichir is about 12cm long.