Senegal Bichir... Dinasour Bichir?

[beblondie]

Growth rates can vary widely I have had senegals that grew an 1''-1 1/2''per month till 7-8 inches then growth (length) slows and girth increases
they generally max out at 10-12'' with females being slightly larger and bulkier than the males.
Now the other side of the coin i have had senegals together and one grew faster than the other I seperated them and took extra care of the runt but its rate of growth did not increase (probable cause genetics).
Most likely the senegals you will buy at the lfs are captive bred and theres no telling what the gene pool is like.
To maximize growth potential heres some tips.
1. several small meals thru the day rather than 1 or 2 big ones if possible
2.Keep water as clean as possible
3.Keep the temp around 80-82F
4. Keep lighting schedule constant
5.Feed high quality foods including a good pelletized food-Anne

 

[Starfishpower]

ok, thanks so much Anne. iv actually bookmarked this thread for future reference ill keep yall up to date as things progress.

 

[tophat665]

If my memory has not deserted me, bichirs are air breathers (which is not to say they they don't breathe water, just that they make the occasional trip to the surface.) With that said, would a young senegal have a problem in a very tall tank? A 110 High? 48x18x30" (120x45x76 cm)?

Also, I don't think it would be an issue, but they'll be in that tank with 3 Leopard Ctenos about 3 1/2" long at the moment. Should I worry about predation? I'll be keeping 4 or 5 Swordtails (a male and 3 or 4 females) in there to keep the fry coming for the predators (2 Bichirs, 2 ABFs, and 3 Ctenos), so there should be food on the fin on a fairly constant basis.

 

[beblondie]

Bichirs use both gills and atmospheric O2 for respiration,Further P senegalus as they age depend more on atmospheric O2 for respiration.
While 1 tank 30 inches high is not real desireable young senegals tend to stay close to the surface often floating in plasnts.
With your 3 ctenos and predation it will depend on the size of the bichir,Personally if you could grow out the bichirs some before adding them to the main tank you'd be better off.
As for your food plan I have had bichir devastate a dozen guppies and their fry(one dropped fry in the tank) in one night -Anne

 

[tophat665]

Bichirs use both gills and atmospheric O2 for respiration,Further P senegalus as they age depend more on atmospheric O2 for respiration.
While 1 tank 30 inches high is not real desireable young senegals tend to stay close to the surface often floating in plasnts.
With your 3 ctenos and predation it will depend on the size of the bichir,Personally if you could grow out the bichirs some before adding them to the main tank you'd be better off.
As for your food plan I have had bichir devastate a dozen guppies and their fry(one dropped fry in the tank) in one night -Anne

Good deal, thanks
I just picked up two 20 longs last night, so I'll set one of them aside for grow out once I get the stand built.

I'll make sure I have some lilies well along and the Vals to the surface before I add the bichirs. (I'm sure the overhead cover will make the ABFs happier too.

The swordtails in the tank are just one aspect of the food plan. I also got 4 other tanks last night, and will be setting up a breeding station, with all culls going to the 110.