herpetology! Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Hey all, I have had a senegal bichir for a few months now. I haven't noticed a tremendous amount of growth from him, though he eats cichlid pellets and everything else he can get his mouth on at every opportunity. He is in a 30 gallon with a N. brichardi, a red zebra cichlid and a bandit Guinacara. Kind of an odd mix I know, but it's great cause they display a lot and don't hurt each other. I am curious how the bichir growth should be looking. He is now about 12-13 cm in total, I think he is putting on weight and thickness, but I was told they should have a growth spurt at some point. What is everyone's experience with bichirs? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EowynJane Posted February 1, 2013 Report Share Posted February 1, 2013 I don't know enough about bichirs to tell you when they'll have a growth spurt but I was wondering if you have plans for a bigger tank in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 I do know that they grow very slowly. I've had senegals, ornatapinnis, palmas polli, endlicheri and delhezis. The senegals are one of the smaller bichirs, and usually max out around 12" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 Baensch atlas recommends 100 cm (39") as a recommended aquarium length for these puppies . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herpetology! Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 (edited) Yep, but for now he's only like 13 cm or so...so he is more than fine where he is. I've read before that they can put on a ton of size in a short amount of time, which is why I was wondering about his growth rate. He is fat and active, swimming non stop all over the tank and picking off any feeders that go in the tank, so it's not a health issue at all. Are you sure they are supposed to grow small? Everything I've ever read says that at this size they should be packing on the weight. I feed a varied diet from healthy feeders (minnows, guppies and even a goldfish), daily cichlid pellets, uncooked shrimp, brine shrimp, blood worms...it's fantastic, he isn't finnicky at all. I actually had to put down the mbuna that was in the tank, she was taking over EVERYTHING. Now there is just a Guinacara and N. brichardi; the brichardi might be re-homed in the future. Who knows. I do know for sure that this is a male, the anal fin is very clearly male. It's also captive bred; so I am actually expecting him to max out at 10 inches, maybe even as small as 8 given that captive breds tend to be smaller, as do males. We'll see what happens with him. Edited February 2, 2013 by herpetology! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cullymoto Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 please dont take this the wrong way. Water quality is the single largest determining factor in the life / health of any fish. You mention your feeding habits and they're great, you say nothing of water changes. From my own experience - when i didnt know better and had my first few discus and barely did water changes, they took 2 years to grow an inch. I learned more and now do weekly, very large water changes. I have a new herd - have grown over an inch in a month or so. with little to no change in how or what I feed. Its all in the water quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herpetology! Posted February 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 I do 25% wc's weekly. I have so much mulm though it is sometimes hard to keep up. Stupid mature gravel substrate! I have a penguin filter, I'm not sure how good it is. The biowheel seems a bit dumb. I might switch, which brand would be a good bet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocellatus Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 My bichirs grew very slowly and never had what I recognized as a growth spurt. My pair of senegals maxed out at 11" (female) and 9 - 10" male in 2 years time. There was a noticeable difference in girth, with the female being significantly chunkier due to her consistently larger appetite. Mine used the length of a 4' tank to swim. They and my delhezi's were very active and never seemed to stop moving, so would echo the need for a larger tank. I used to run Aqua Clear's on the bichir tank......until my TT eel found a way to swim upstream and lived in the filter for a month. Then I switched to canister. O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herpetology! Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Heh thanks. You know it's so hard to judge but I know the anal fin has become fat more buliker and he's gained about an inch in the last 4 months. He also probably doubled in weight, it's just hard when you see them every single day and it's somewhat gradual....but one of my dad's giant danios is in with him and he's DEFINITELY grown (the danio is food and already was dispatched) The largest senegal I've seen, I think it was male, looked like a fatass compared to some of the snakier/longer breeds. Is this about right? also this bichir is insanely active. He only stops moving when he has a distended belly a few times per week. Still, I do wonder about this filter and this mulm. I know I gravel clean every week 25% wc, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyasa Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Hey there, I bought a polypterus delhezi a few months ago. I was originally worried that he wasn't getting much to eat as he was hanging out at the top of my tank and rather lethargic. I would float frozen directly in front of him which he would peck at before it sank. About 3 months later he has grown from 4" to 7" and is getting thicker. He now actively swims around the bottom and feasts on NLS cichlid pellets that get missed by my cichlids. He is a voracious eater and very active. I believe he has eaten many of my julies' fry as well. I am no longer worried. It seems he has hit his growth spurt and hasn't quit... I keep him in my 120 gallon with my 2 frontosa, 2 cytocara moorii, baenschi peacock, leleupi pair and julies. I filter with a Fluval FX5 and do 40% water change every week. I realize he may soon eat my julies and my leleupi but I am fascinated by this fish. It sounds to me that your fish is well fed and doing well. Perhaps moving him to a larger tank will boost his growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jro Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 My Senegal bicher capped out at 8". Took him 3 years to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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