Polypterus growth rate/feeding

[JohnFM]

I feed my bichirs every other day. Their diet varies between bits of fish, shrimp, blood worms or catfish pellets.

Whats the best feeding strategy to ensure optimum growth rate?

Should it be more food at shorter intervals, or the same amount of food more often?

 

[CFC]

Its difficult to say, Bichirs grow lightning quick whatever and however you feed them in my experience. With all 3 of my bichirs i have fed them by hand when they were small with dailly feedings of bloodworm and then fish or mussel once they were big enough to take them. Once they reached over 6" they have been introduced to the main tank where they have to get their own food along with all the other fish, although i do add the food in two sittings one for the diurnal fish and another for the nocturnal fish later on. All 3 of my bichirs have grown very well all hitting 3/4 of their full grown adult size within a year.

 

[JohnFM]

Mine are already about 6 inches and are in a big tank together.
When I feed them I try to spread the food around the tank so that each of them gets about the same.

So at this sort of level of feeding they may be at full size within the next year?

 

[beblondie]

What kind of polypterus?

 

[boom-sage]

I would try to feed the others in the tank first and the later on give the bichirs their food. What size tank is it? What kind of polypterous.

 

[BichirKeeper]

My guess is that it's his Senegalus.

When I bought mine, they were both about three inches. Within a year, my male was about nine inches, and my female about seven and a half inches. That was two years ago, now they're at 10 and 8 respectively.

They started in a 55 gallon tank, and now live in a 125 gallon tank to give them enough swimming room without being cramped. I would think about getting a larger tank in the near future, your boy is gonna grow.

 

[JohnFM]

Cool.
Cheers people.

 

[JohnFM]

At the moment I have 3 Senegals in about a 30 gallon tank.
They're all about 6 inches and each have their own hiding places in the bogwood/rocks or under the filter.
There's no other fish in the tank with them.

If they get too big for that tank, or I need to separate them later (for breeding) I can move them into 70 or 90 gallon tanks.

Theres lots of spare tanks knocking around, so its just a matter of whats most convenient to use at the time.

I'm also still hoping to get hold of a couple of other Senegals to boost the chances of successful breeding, and obviously will have to swap tanks around then.