Senegal Bichir

[Tempestuousfury]

What is the max size of this little guy?

Some say 1-3', the index here says 1'...

Companions: How would adult turquoise rainbows (max size) do with a bichir? I would hope that they'd be fine up to the bichir's max size, however, if that is not the case, at about what size should I move out the rainbows?

Food: Staple diet I read is shrimp pellets/ frozen. At about what length should I introduce smaller minnows?

Some sites say they are nocturnal, some of the authors say they have diurnal specimens. What should I expect?

Pronunciation: I've read biker, bee-sher, bi-cher. Is it a matter of preference?

 

[jayjay]

Generaly 8-10", 12" possible and larger in the wild.

Not sure how big do they get?

Should not feed them minnows, they are a poor feeder and live food is not needed, stick to frozen prawn etc.

Senegals are one of the more active bichirs, mine is out quite alot in the day.

Not sure on pronounciation.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

What about ghost shrimp as live food?

Frozen minnows?

 

[jayjay]

Why do you need to use live food, just asking?

Minnows are a bad food. Silversides, prawn, shrimp etc. are good foods.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

The rainbows get to about 4".

As for why, just thought I'd add some variety, since the fish I used to keep (small community) couldn't eat live foods.

 

[jayjay]

Could likely become food.

They could eat live food but only bugs etc. fry aswel.

I only reccomend livebearers or cichlids maybe snakeheads for feeders.

It's easy and safer for the fish to use frozen and prepared food.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I was thinking about converting my ten gallon into a quarantine tank for fish purchased from the store. Don't really have the setups required for rearing fry. I'm sure he'll be fine with a variety of frozen foods.

 

[2polypterus]

Mine love and grow well on Hikari Sinking Carnivore Pellets and New Life Spectrum large fish formula as a base diet, with some chopped frozen silversides as a treat. They also will eat those algae discs meant for plecos.