Senegal Bichir

[tigersoul]

I just got a Senegal Bichir on Saturday. It's about 4 inches long. He's been eating blood worms and cichlid pellets, but doesn't eat very much at a time. Problem is, I came home today and saw him thrashing around at the back of the tank. I couldn't figure out what he was doing, until I figured out that he had my black moore goldfish, his only tank mate, by the tail! He actually tore a little piece of tale off, but otherwise goldfish is unharmed. Goldfish is about 2 inches long, and pretty fat, so I didn't figure Bichir would eat him. I read that Bichirs are a peaceful fish, but I'm afraid that this one will eat the goldfish! Maybe it thought goldfish's tail looked like food.

Is the goldfish too small or are these fish just not good to be kept together? If anyone has any advice/insight that would be great.

 

[poopsydrew]

I just got a Senegal Bichir on Saturday. It's about 4 inches long. He's been eating blood worms and cichlid pellets, but doesn't eat very much at a time. Problem is, I came home today and saw him thrashing around at the back of the tank. I couldn't figure out what he was doing, until I figured out that he had my black moore goldfish, his only tank mate, by the tail! He actually tore a little piece of tale off, but otherwise goldfish is unharmed. Goldfish is about 2 inches long, and pretty fat, so I didn't figure Bichir would eat him. I read that Bichirs are a peaceful fish, but I'm afraid that this one will eat the goldfish! Maybe it thought goldfish's tail looked like food.

Is the goldfish too small or are these fish just not good to be kept together? If anyone has any advice/insight that would be great.

Firstly, bichirs are not peaceful they are a predatory fish that will try to eat anything half their size or pretty much anything that can fit inot their mouth (your goldfishes tail it seems).
Secondly, Goldfish are not a tropical fish and shouldnt be kept with tropical fish because of the obvious different temp requirements.
Remove the goldfish or it will probably be eaten soon. The black moore should be kept in a unheated aquarium with a minimum of 20 gallons.
The bichir should be in a heated 55 gallon (48 inch tank) aquarium. I keep mine on a mainly pellet diet but I have found krill, shrimp, beefheart, bloodworms, strips of lancefish, mussels to all be good foods that are readily accepted by bichirs.

Hope that helped and welcome to the forum,

Drew

 

[demonmagus]

he's right, althought he minimum size for a senegal is a 3 foot 30 gallon, it would be better for a 4 foot + tank

 

[Straydum]

isnt a 3 foot 55g? i always thought 30g meant 2 feet tanks

 

[Fella]

The problem isn't with the tankmate, the problem is the bichir!

You'll need to rehome, remove or return the goldfish sadly. Bichirs are predators.

 

[Maximus]

isnt a 3 foot 55g? i always thought 30g meant 2 feet tanks

The "feet" of the tank doesn't matter when relating to volume, it's all about the dimentions.

I.e

A 48" x 12" x 12" will be around 33 gallons

When a 48" x 24" x 24" will be 120 gallons

Both tanks are 4ft long.

 

[Straydum]

ah that explains it. my bad

 

[tigersoul]

Thanks very much for your help! I'll rehouse one of them right away.

We have a tank of some baby gouramis and parrot cichlids (they are all 1-2"). Would the bichir be alright with them since they are also more aggressive (and can swim faster than goldfish!)?

 

[DarkEntity]

You either make that tank cold water and re home the Bichir or make it tropical and re home to goldfish. Putting a Bichir in a tank with smaller fish than the Goldfish sounds possibly the craziest thing ive heard in a while!

If it were me id ditch the goldfish and keep the Bichir

 

[poopsydrew]

isnt a 3 foot 55g? i always thought 30g meant 2 feet tanks

The "feet" of the tank doesn't matter when relating to volume, it's all about the dimentions.

I.e

A 48" x 12" x 12" will be around 33 gallons

When a 48" x 24" x 24" will be 120 gallons

Both tanks are 4ft long.

Thats what I meant, I shouldnt have given a gallon size just length, thanks maximus

Drew