It's here! BUY The Bichir Handbook today at: www.thebichirhandbook.co.uk UPDATES & CHANGES since this video has been uploaded. • Bichirs don't stop growing, their growth just gets progressively slower over time until it seems unmeasurable. Therefore we could expect to see sizes larger than the current known records in the video as time moves on. • Do feed oily foods, it is very beneficial, just be sure to use a surface skimmer or something to remove the layer of film. • Barebottom is not ideal as they rely on the traction of a substrate to help slow down, without it can cause injuries bumping into the glass. The light reflecting off the base of the tank can also spook them. • P. teugelsi (and now P. ornatipinnis) reach 30 inch not 27", likely larger than 30". The record 30 inch Teugelsi and Ornatipinnis died very recently. • Records of P. weeksii are now larger than 21 inch, 24 inch is a size believed to be the potential of captive specimens. • Some P. ansorgii individual's markings fade with age (most others that size have retained their markings), • P. ornatipinnis have not been found in the ocean, this may likely of been a mistranslation of the great salt lakes where they have also been discovered to inhabit. BIG UPDATES: • Polypterus senegalus meridionales is no longer a subspecies, turns out it was no different to P. senegalus. P. senegalus meridionales is no longer valid nomenclature. • Through a morphometric study, Polypterus bichir bichir and Polypterus bichir lapradei were shown to be the same fish. The previous nomenclature is no longer valid, and are just called Polypterus bichir. • Polypterus palmas palmas and Polypterus palmas buettikoferi are found to both be the same fish which follow a trend in marking changes the further they moved to the coast. Their previous nomenclature is not valid and are now to be called Polypterus palmas. • Not a Bichir, but a 100 year controversy behind the scientific name of the Ropefish is still ongoing. The scientific name was changed to Calamoichthys calabaricus as concluded in a recent study by Dr. Pedro P. Rizzato; however this was recently rejected by Britz in 2019, returning it to it's former name, E. calabaricus. www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/all-bichir-polypterus-species-updated.684410/
This is extremely helpful. You rock, man. I love all your vids. I used to have a bichir that was sold at a pet shop as a Dinosaur Eel. I knew it wasn't an eel, but it was so different and gorgeous. Found out a lot about it the hard way. This video is super educational and just really cool. Thank you, mate. :)
Great guide!! This is one the most interesting videos on Polypterus I've seen on youtube. You should consider doing ID videos on other species, for instance: Cteopomas, Butis Butis Gobies, Zebra and Tiger Knifefish, Leaffish, Pikehead fish, Arowana's and Freshwater Eels. There is a need for these types of informational videos. Thanks.
Hi Skipp, thanks for the feedback. I do videos mostly on fish I have kept and studied for a long time, as I know then that I'm not pumping out videos with misinformation in. I have done African Arowana, but I am planning on working on Black Ghost Knifefish, Channidae, Mastacembelus (from the larger growing Armatus group), and true Gars.
Yes! Check your local sewage monitoring first to see if it's safe. Then be sure to give them a wash, and make sure all the mussels you collect are closed. Though if you want to play it safe, get store bought ones which were harvested from farms.
Soooo much info packed into this video. You are a godsend XD Thank you for all your research and hard work this must have taken. You've got a new subscriber for sure!
Hi Tsun, best not, it can be very hit or miss with a lot of risk, plus most snakeheads are subtropical and can't be kept in the tropical water which bichirs need.
this a a great video dude. and i love your knife fish. i have a ghost knife and its one of my favorite fish. and i also have a lapredai and an ornate bichir. i cant wait until they reach full size
Very informative video. My two are a couple of years old now and one is just under a foot long the other is about 8. So some do grow farer than others. But the smaller one is a very active swimmer always on the move follows the Gar around.
I am a fairly experienced fish keeper, but I am new to all Polypterus. Can 4-6 Delhezi live happily ever after in a 150 Gallon? Or do they fight? I rather want to keep a group of bichirs, then just one big one. Amazing video by the way. 🎩
4-6 should be fine in that tank size Zack :) wild ones can reach 16 inch+, however most available in the hobby aren't as genetically diverse being farmed in smaller gene pools than the wild, so often only reach 12-14 inch. Just remember footprint is more important than depth. Delhezi are quite a passive species, I don't know them to fight at all, maybe the occasional hierarchical dispute with some fin nips, but that's usually the worst of it. Most of the upper jaw species will be fine in a tank that size in a group actually, if you want to keep it peaceful though, avoid Ornatipinnis and Teugelsi as they can get very territorial. :) good luck!
Josh's Fish Thanks for answering. Footprint is of course important. I get that. I think I will keep 3-4 in there. Since the tank is extra tall and only 20 inches front to back.
I’m pretty sure my rope fish had macrogyrodactylus polypteri. I never saw the worms themselves, only their eggs/larva underneath my fish’s scales. I treated them with praziquantel (prazipro) and they were healed in less than a week. Credit goes to MFK forums for the help, they wouldn’t have survived without the expert advice I found there.
Speaking from personal history with them and plecos, Gold nuggets(mine was a L081) are not good tankmates, the blue phantom L128 and my royal pleco never bothers her.
Hi Lunar, a 55g will be okay for a couple of years for the smallest species P. mokelembembe or the smaller albino colour morph of P. senegalus senegalus, but I'd recommend at least 130 gallons for any of the species which stay smaller than 16 inch.
I think I can read reasonably fast, but I have to keep pausing/rewinding to be able to read everything... it would be nice if each group of text was displayed for at least twice as long. Lol
Thanks i can know lot more bout this fish. I have one plec in same aquarium with my albino bichir, i guess i have to place either on of them to another tank. Btw what is the best tank cleaner mates to combine with bichir aside plec coz i love it so i dont wanna take risk. Okay I get it,flagtail is good alternative, i should read it more carefully sorry. I hope its not pricy though, lol.
Bichirs are tropical fish from Africa, so need around 25-28°C (77-83°F) if your pond temperature is going to be much lower than that, the Bichirs wont survive for very long, especially during Winter or a cold night.
I just bought 2 bichirs an albino one i forgot what it was called and a lapradei bichir right now i have them in a 40 galon their pretty small right now like babies should i use a heater for them waters are roughly about 75
Hi, Polypterus bichir lapradei is no longer a valid species/subspecies, and is just refered to as Polypterus bichir, which is a species that grows over a metre in length. Though most captive bred ones in the trade wont grow much larger than 20 inches, so a 40g or a 75g is way too small unfortunately. They're from tropical Africa, so need a heater, 82F (28C) is ideal.
Hi, Koi aren't tropical fish like Bichirs, they need temperate/cold water. Dwarf Gourami are too small for any species of Bichir and will be eaten, and Featherfin Catfish are notorious for feeding on the Bichir's slimecoat. None of these fish can really go together, sorry.
I bought a 10 inch one from eBay a few years ago. seller told me it was a Palmas bichir. he arrived sick and it was a lap bichir. I give it medicine to get she or he recovered and I still have it alive and healthy. prime water conditioner is the best hands down.
I need help please I have 2 baby bichirs on the way but I also have a placo right now that is 2x bigger than it will that be fine or worst as I’m thinking the placo is to big to suck on them but I don’t know
Timid and like to be in groups of their own species, rarely seen biting other bichirs. Still opportunistic and will eat small fish, but as far as bichirs go, P. retropinnis are one of the most placid. They can be a little more sensitive to water quality though.
Hi Biewtiful, assuming those measurements are in metres and not feet, the tank size isn't an issue. The only Bichir you'll be able to put in a great lake tank would be Ornatipinnis as they can survive pH that high. If you have Haps and Peacocks you could get away with it, but anything else like Mbuna I wouldn't even consider as they'd just nip the Bichirs constantly.
I like that the aquarium in this video has red sand or gravel. With large freshwater aquariums, I get tired of seeing all the entirely brown aquariums.
Hi, they're now known to reach 30 inch. There are some particuarly inbred specimens which may stay under 20 inch, however, most will exceed 20 inch in time. For a Teugelsi I'd advise a tank no smaller than 6ft long, 3ft wide and 2ft deep
I know this is a bad thing to do but I have a p.senegalus and a pleco together and they recently fought I plan to take the pleco back to the store but what does mean when they fight
Hi Joshua, it likely won't eat while the worms are still on it or during treatment, I wouldn't worry :) once the M. polypteri are gone and it's settled back down, it should start eating again
Do you think a striped bichir and some Microctenopoma ansorgii could be kept together? Both are freshwater, both carnivore, both slow mowing and the bichir is bottom dwelling while the micro. ansorgii is a top dweller. but the micro ansorgii is quite small, opinions?
hey dude, love the video. considering swapping to a cat litter substrate. any sugestions? also what are you using as substrate please? i can only find like grey/light brown litter so far..... thanks
Depends on the species. The smaller ones such as P. senegalus senegalus, P. delhezi, P. mokelembembe, P. retropinnis etc. can live in a 5x2x2ft for life, while the larger species can need up to 6x3x2ft or 6x4x2ft. Depth isn't an issue with them, but they need a nice wide floor space :)
Awesome awesome video, how many pollis or delhiziz would fit a 75 gallon? Also would defrosted seafood mix(mussels, shrimp, swuid, scallops) be good for these guys?
Hi, 3 or 4 would be a nice fit for a a 75g, provided they have plenty of turning room at the largest sizes mentioned on the video. Seafood mix is good for them, don't ever feed cooked though as it becomes a constipative (and many add salt). If you can, feed fresh not frozen due to the thiamanese which raises in frozen seafood. A better alternative to frozen seafood mixes like that is Tilapia which doesn't contain thiamanese. :)
How big was the Bichir and how big the stones? They may of been too small to cause a blockage or it might of coughed them out. If not it will cause a blocakge of food and waste in the lower digestive tract which will lead to death in a few days to weeks. Keep me updated mate, hopefully it has already passed it. Add some epsom salts, it will loosen the muscles like a laxative and will help pass the stones.
ADA, as in the soil? I'm not sure if I'm honest, never put them on it before. I can't imagine it would cause issues like compaction, but Bichirs do like to dig, so it might be very messy haha. If that doesn't bother you though, soil will be fine. Bichirs don't mind bad water clarity, as long as you have good water quality.
Hi, I accidentally bought a dinosaur bichir because I though he was cute. I'm keeping him in a community tank with goldfish, angelfish, little African frogs, and a beta. I really don't know what to do with him now, and I can't take him back to the pet store. I would love some helpful advice.
Hi Cela, sorry for the late reply. That setup isn't ideal for any of the fish really sorry to say. The Goldfish are coldwater to temperate fish (up to 22c), so can't live in tropical water (25-28c) The Angelfish will be nippy towards the Betta and the African Frogs will eat your small fish. Your Bichir, which I'm assuming is P. senegalus senegalus, will reach a size where it will eat or try to eat all of your stock (the African frog being part of their natural diet) Ideally I'd move your Bichir into a tank with fish that don't have long tails or tassels and are too big to eat. Will need around a 5x2x2ft tank in the long run as they can reach over a ft long, but they're okay in a smaller tank for now if small. Keep in mind, they can grow half an inch a month up until 9 inch which then gets progressively slower :)
Pretty much just their jaw protrusions buddy. The video details most of it :) Although Lower Jaws tend to be less active and (with the exception of Ornate, Weeksii and Teugelsi) often more aggressive, especially when juvenile.
Eventually it might. Bichirs are coated in a layer of ganoine which makes their slimecoat slightly salty, so when a slimecoat feeder such as Pterygoplichthys gets the taste of it, it's about as addictive as cocaine Pringles haha
Can I keep my bichir with a flowerhorn??coz I'm going to upgrade my tank and I want to buy a baby flowerhorn.Can I keep them together?? Im going to upgrade my tank from 60 g to 75 g
Advice from more experienced people out there. Im looking to maybe get one of these as a centre piece , have always had large catfish or Plecos before so want something different. I think my tanks okay for a smaller species, 180 litres but its longer than it is deep, with soft sand and plenty of plants and bogwood. Im worried about tankmate though. I have a selection of rainbows and some giant danios that are all big so I doubt they'll be an issue but I have Corys. Will they be a problem? I also have a large catfish that spends its life upside down on the same log. Had it so long I cant remember the species but its not a predatory one. Dark, large sail fins. Its not lining up to be lunch anytime soon though. Any advice? Should I get one and if so which one? My local aquarium sells Ornates but with their max size I think my tanks too small.
No species would be suitable for those tank mates, as all will get large enough to eat the Danios, Cories etc. Best not kept with Plecs or especially Upside Down Catfish either as they can aggressively feed on the Bichir's salty ganoine slimecoat. The tank size is also very small for a Bichir. A P. mokelembembe could fit in there, but ideally needs double that tank size.
Look into some of the Macrognathus spiny eels; many of them stay smaller than the more common species from the Mastacembelus genus. There are also loads of African Knifefish which could be suited to that tank too :)
Hi Tsun, best not. In home aquaria they stay too small for any bichir and will likely be eaten. If you can find one Chinese Algae Eater around 11 inches, then you can keep it with the smaller bichir species, but finding one that size is super rare in the trade.
Hey, i need you josh, my endlicheri's dorsal fin is bleeding, they became weaker everyday, and i lost two of them, what should i do, and what actually happen to them ? Thanks
Okay so, I have Pictus Catfish right now, about 7-9 inches, and I saw a Dinosaur Bichir at PetSmart. There is only one DB (Dinosaur Bichir) but I have 2 PC (Pictus Catfish) Will they get along? The DB is only a baby, about 6-7 inches. The video is very informative! Thank you! I am looking forward to get a Bichir, one more question, are DB easy to maintain(Cost) Lol, ONE more, will the DB try to escape out my tank? The only open space I can think it can fit in is through my filter, the filter has a opening..
Hi, thanks for watching :) I don't know much about Pictus Catfish, but I do know Bichirs like to bite off their tassel-like whiskers. I wasn't aware Pictus got that big either, do you maybe have a Synodontis? Some species of those can really beat up Bichirs and may feed on their slimecoat. By Dinosaur Bichir do you mean Polypterus senegalus senegalus? They can average around 12 inches. They will try to escape if they can, so everywhere needs to be sealed up well with a weighted lid and a gap between the surface and lid for them to come up to breathe. They're a moderately inexpensive fish to keep. A tank with a large footprint around 400-500 litres will house them for life. The only costly thing for them really is food. They need a high protein diet. sinking carnivore pellets and fish fillet are the best staples. :)
Awesome video. Question I want to get one soon and right now my lfs has a ornate that they say will be fine in my 75 gal. tank do you agree with that? Also im waiting to get my ph down which is at 8.0 right now and they said I need it at about 7.2, Thanks
Hi Gamer central, many Ornates are found in the great African lakes, so pH 8 is fine for them. They can reach 26 inch and very girthy, so I would recommend a minimun of a 5x3ft footprint in the long run, but a 5x2x2ft will be fine for a couple of years :) the tank you have at the moment seems a bit small for this species, but it will be fine for small species such as Ropefish or P. mokelembembe :)
Hey Josh I have a question. So I have a lapradei female who i got from my LFS 5 months ago. I got her when she was 9 inches and she hasn't really grown since then (maybe 1/4 inch-1/2 an inch) unlike many other bichirs i see online, she will only accept tilapia or shrimp and will eat one or two pieces until she's has a bulgy belly and then stop eating. The next few days it will just go to be smaller. Not to mention, she is also quite skinny. (Also to add, she used to eat feeder fish in the las but I switched her onto tilapia and shrimp chunks) I am suspecting because it used to eat feeders and because its wild caught it might has parasites. Do you think this is the case or should she be fine. Also if it is parasites and recommend any medicines/ Thanks so much and would love your input on this causes you are very knowledgable and have wonderful bichirs :)
Hi Ray, it's worth deworming the tank reguarly if you have any wild caught fish. Kusuri Discus wormer is a favourite of mine. Polypterids release a hormone similar to Carp which in a small volume of water can inhibit the growth of themselves and other Polypterids. Even a large tank with loads of them, the hormome can build up fast. Might just be a case of increasing water volume and doing more waterchanges. I've found a tank under 300 litres with 50% weekly wc is still in the range of restricting the half inch a month growth on even the smallest Bichir species. Something worth considering :) Sometimes the Bichirs have been sat in the shop tanks or supplier/farm vats for too long and unfortunately they can become stunted by the hormome exposure and minimal diet. (Hopefully this isn't the case) Hopefully it's just bunged up with worms (which is an easy fix) - just to add, keep some epsom salts and an antibacterial med such as Acriflavine on hand, they always seem to come in handy :)
Hey thxs for the reply! I do have her in a small 30 gallon because of space reasons at the moment (Have 100 gallon in basement) so might move her over soon. Also i do have epsom salt at home so if I use that would there be any harm? also i heard garlic may help so if i soak a piece of shrimp in garlic juice can that kill the parasite as well? Thxs so much and have a great day
also one more thing.... I am gonna buy a dewormer and found API general cure which has praziquantel... Can I use this instead of the kusari discus dewormer cause its readily available? thxs
Yeah any Epsom salt brands should be fine as long as there are no other flavours or additives. I've not used garlic as a parasite treatment, so couldn't comment on that. Any dewormer will be fine really, Kusuri Discus Wormer is just my preference :)
I just recently got a small 3/4 inch juvenile Dinosaur Bichir. I'm not sure what to feed it due to its size. Any tips on what to feed it? The last one I had which jumped into the filter 😢 was about 3-4 inches and i fed it blood worms and small shrimp.
Best food would be small carnivore pellets, some chopped fish fillet, mussels and earthworms. Avoid bloodworm as it doesn't meet the Bichir's nutritional requirements and avoid shrimp as they can't digest their shells properly. :)
Man do males only cup or even females do? i think my delhezi is a female but i saw him earlier cupped and do they breed with other species because she had an albino senagalus tankmate.
Hi Anak, to my knowledge only the males cup. The cup flexing occurs when the male requires relief; this is how it stimulates itself to release the sperm. It will do this regardless of what Bichirs are in the tank. Although uncommon in aquaria, they can and do cross breed. However cupping only indicates the male is sexually mature, not if your Bichirs are breeding. When they do breed, the cup and scatter ritual is often not done in the open where you can see :)
Josh's Fish thanks for the reply man. So my bichir was a male after all but he kinda have pointed anal fin so i thought he was a girl. Do you have some tips on how to breed them.
The best bichir guide in youtube, thumbs up for your vid
It's here! BUY The Bichir Handbook today at: www.thebichirhandbook.co.uk
UPDATES & CHANGES since this video has been uploaded.
• Bichirs don't stop growing, their growth just gets progressively slower over time until it seems unmeasurable. Therefore we could expect to see sizes larger than the current known records in the video as time moves on.
• Do feed oily foods, it is very beneficial, just be sure to use a surface skimmer or something to remove the layer of film.
• Barebottom is not ideal as they rely on the traction of a substrate to help slow down, without it can cause injuries bumping into the glass. The light reflecting off the base of the tank can also spook them.
• P. teugelsi (and now P. ornatipinnis) reach 30 inch not 27", likely larger than 30". The record 30 inch Teugelsi and Ornatipinnis died very recently.
• Records of P. weeksii are now larger than 21 inch, 24 inch is a size believed to be the potential of captive specimens.
• Some P. ansorgii individual's markings fade with age (most others that size have retained their markings),
• P. ornatipinnis have not been found in the ocean, this may likely of been a mistranslation of the great salt lakes where they have also been discovered to inhabit.
BIG UPDATES:
• Polypterus senegalus meridionales is no longer a subspecies, turns out it was no different to P. senegalus. P. senegalus meridionales is no longer valid nomenclature.
• Through a morphometric study, Polypterus bichir bichir and Polypterus bichir lapradei were shown to be the same fish. The previous nomenclature is no longer valid, and are just called Polypterus bichir.
• Polypterus palmas palmas and Polypterus palmas buettikoferi are found to both be the same fish which follow a trend in marking changes the further they moved to the coast. Their previous nomenclature is not valid and are now to be called Polypterus palmas.
• Not a Bichir, but a 100 year controversy behind the scientific name of the Ropefish is still ongoing. The scientific name was changed to Calamoichthys calabaricus as concluded in a recent study by Dr. Pedro P. Rizzato; however this was recently rejected by Britz in 2019, returning it to it's former name, E. calabaricus.
www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/all-bichir-polypterus-species-updated.684410/
RIP lapradei
This is extremely helpful. You rock, man. I love all your vids. I used to have a bichir that was sold at a pet shop as a Dinosaur Eel. I knew it wasn't an eel, but it was so different and gorgeous. Found out a lot about it the hard way. This video is super educational and just really cool. Thank you, mate. :)
Aviss Abyss Happy to of been of help mate :)
can bichirs really eat earth worms?
The best and concise bichir care guide out there❤
Great guide!! This is one the most interesting videos on Polypterus I've seen on youtube. You should consider doing ID videos on other species, for instance: Cteopomas, Butis Butis Gobies, Zebra and Tiger Knifefish, Leaffish, Pikehead fish, Arowana's and Freshwater Eels. There is a need for these types of informational videos. Thanks.
Hi Skipp, thanks for the feedback. I do videos mostly on fish I have kept and studied for a long time, as I know then that I'm not pumping out videos with misinformation in. I have done African Arowana, but I am planning on working on Black Ghost Knifefish, Channidae, Mastacembelus (from the larger growing Armatus group), and true Gars.
Bichirs can eat saltwater mussles? Like, if I walked down yo the beach rn and grab some mussles, I can take the meat out and feed em to my bichir?
Yes! Check your local sewage monitoring first to see if it's safe. Then be sure to give them a wash, and make sure all the mussels you collect are closed. Though if you want to play it safe, get store bought ones which were harvested from farms.
The best Bichir video yet! everything you need to know.
This video has to be the best thing ever, if you want to get into Bichirs. Great Job man. Thank you!
Soooo much info packed into this video. You are a godsend XD Thank you for all your research and hard work this must have taken. You've got a new subscriber for sure!
Incredible high quality video. No nonsense. Great stuff.
What is the fish at 3:15?
The larger one behind the Senegal Bichir? That's an African Arowana :)
Thank you :)
excellent information man!, nicely compiled and presented
Returning again to gain more knowledge and reinforce forgotten memories
Check out the pinned comment for updates/changes too, as this video is quite dated now
Omg I just realized at 3:56 Can I keep them with snakeheads??
Hi Tsun, best not, it can be very hit or miss with a lot of risk, plus most snakeheads are subtropical and can't be kept in the tropical water which bichirs need.
This was the best bichir video I’ve found
It's quite dated now, but I've added updated and changes to the pinned comment.
Which fish is the light colored one at 6:00?
May be an Asian Arowana
the music in this video is amazing. what is it?
the first piece is soft hearted by anders baldwin.... WHAT ABOUT AFTER THAT?????
this a a great video dude. and i love your knife fish. i have a ghost knife and its one of my favorite fish. and i also have a lapredai and an ornate bichir. i cant wait until they reach full size
Cheers Josh, should upload a vid mate, how big are they?
Exactly what I wanted to do here. I love pausing the video every 5 seconds to read.
I'd hold your hand for you, but I can't do it through a computer screen 🤣
I just got a baby Senegal bichir and wanted a bit of a recap on the care for them.
Nice guide on Bichirs. I really enjoy Cygnus my Polypterus Senegalus.
I have a 75gal aquarium with small lava rock as substrate, can i house a bichir on that substrate?
Could i keep a palmas polli and a delhezi with a l114 cactus pleco ?
Very informative video. My two are a couple of years old now and one is just under a foot long the other is about 8. So some do grow farer than others. But the smaller one is a very active swimmer always on the move follows the Gar around.
I am a fairly experienced fish keeper, but I am new to all Polypterus.
Can 4-6 Delhezi live happily ever after in a 150 Gallon? Or do they fight? I rather want to keep a group of bichirs, then just one big one. Amazing video by the way. 🎩
I have been doing some more reading. Same question but with 1-3 Bichir Delhezi?
And maybe just 1 or 2 when they get to adult size?
4-6 should be fine in that tank size Zack :) wild ones can reach 16 inch+, however most available in the hobby aren't as genetically diverse being farmed in smaller gene pools than the wild, so often only reach 12-14 inch. Just remember footprint is more important than depth. Delhezi are quite a passive species, I don't know them to fight at all, maybe the occasional hierarchical dispute with some fin nips, but that's usually the worst of it. Most of the upper jaw species will be fine in a tank that size in a group actually, if you want to keep it peaceful though, avoid Ornatipinnis and Teugelsi as they can get very territorial. :) good luck!
Josh's Fish Thanks for answering. Footprint is of course important. I get that. I think I will keep 3-4 in there. Since the tank is extra tall and only 20 inches front to back.
I’m pretty sure my rope fish had macrogyrodactylus polypteri. I never saw the worms themselves, only their eggs/larva underneath my fish’s scales. I treated them with praziquantel (prazipro) and they were healed in less than a week. Credit goes to MFK forums for the help, they wouldn’t have survived without the expert advice I found there.
Hi, yes Prazipro is a very good treatment for them too! Glad they healed well. That might of been King-El who suggested it to you :)
Are bristle nose catfish any better than plecos? For tank mates Or the same problem
I'm making a care guide for the bichir. Let me know if be interested in working together on it.
a completely awesome video! Thank you for all the research and info!
Speaking from personal history with them and plecos, Gold nuggets(mine was a L081) are not good tankmates, the blue phantom L128 and my royal pleco never bothers her.
I have a 55 gallon long tank, would that accommodate one??
Hi Lunar, a 55g will be okay for a couple of years for the smallest species P. mokelembembe or the smaller albino colour morph of P. senegalus senegalus, but I'd recommend at least 130 gallons for any of the species which stay smaller than 16 inch.
I think I can read reasonably fast, but I have to keep pausing/rewinding to be able to read everything... it would be nice if each group of text was displayed for at least twice as long. Lol
How many could i keep in a 90 gallon pond/ tank?
can i keep them with arowanas
You can indeed haha
Seeing this video, refines me because mine (senegalus) is almost three years old!
Sorry but where can i get red colored sand? me personally don't think that we can dye them
You can get natural coloured red garnet sand on places like ebay :)
eBay red garnet sand :)
Thanks i can know lot more bout this fish. I have one plec in same aquarium with my albino bichir, i guess i have to place either on of them to another tank. Btw what is the best tank cleaner mates to combine with bichir aside plec coz i love it so i dont wanna take risk. Okay I get it,flagtail is good alternative, i should read it more carefully sorry. I hope its not pricy though, lol.
Really good video I get good knowledge through this thanks again
Can you have largemouth bass with them, I am building a pond and I wanted one of them with a bass. Please answer.
Bichirs are tropical fish from Africa, so need around 25-28°C (77-83°F) if your pond temperature is going to be much lower than that, the Bichirs wont survive for very long, especially during Winter or a cold night.
I just bought 2 bichirs an albino one i forgot what it was called and a lapradei bichir right now i have them in a 40 galon their pretty small right now like babies should i use a heater for them waters are roughly about 75
Hi, Polypterus bichir lapradei is no longer a valid species/subspecies, and is just refered to as Polypterus bichir, which is a species that grows over a metre in length. Though most captive bred ones in the trade wont grow much larger than 20 inches, so a 40g or a 75g is way too small unfortunately. They're from tropical Africa, so need a heater, 82F (28C) is ideal.
Can you put koi and dwarf grambies with them? And featherfin catfish
Hi, Koi aren't tropical fish like Bichirs, they need temperate/cold water. Dwarf Gourami are too small for any species of Bichir and will be eaten, and Featherfin Catfish are notorious for feeding on the Bichir's slimecoat. None of these fish can really go together, sorry.
I've kept a pleco with a bichir once together but it never strip the bichir once
can bichirs survive in low oxygen water? bc im transporting my bichir to a friend, is it possible for it to survive or no?
I bought a 10 inch one from eBay a few years ago. seller told me it was a Palmas bichir. he arrived sick and it was a lap bichir. I give it medicine to get she or he recovered and I still have it alive and healthy. prime water conditioner is the best hands down.
I need help please I have 2 baby bichirs on the way but I also have a placo right now that is 2x bigger than it will that be fine or worst as I’m thinking the placo is to big to suck on them but I don’t know
What is the temperament of the retropinnis like?
Timid and like to be in groups of their own species, rarely seen biting other bichirs. Still opportunistic and will eat small fish, but as far as bichirs go, P. retropinnis are one of the most placid. They can be a little more sensitive to water quality though.
Josh's Fish thanks for the help
Is there an estimated time for the handbook release?
hi, how about a tall tank 2.6 long x 1.5 wide with full size malawi cichlids? please help
Hi Biewtiful, assuming those measurements are in metres and not feet, the tank size isn't an issue. The only Bichir you'll be able to put in a great lake tank would be Ornatipinnis as they can survive pH that high. If you have Haps and Peacocks you could get away with it, but anything else like Mbuna I wouldn't even consider as they'd just nip the Bichirs constantly.
thank you for reply ;-)
If you have a tank with large pebbles at the bottom would one be alright?
Yeah as long as they can't fit in their mouth :)
Can bichirs be kept on fast moving currents?
Best in slow moving
I like that the aquarium in this video has red sand or gravel. With large freshwater aquariums, I get tired of seeing all the entirely brown aquariums.
It says 16-27 for the polypterus teugelsi so if it does get to 27 inches what would be an appropriate tank size for one that big
Hi, they're now known to reach 30 inch. There are some particuarly inbred specimens which may stay under 20 inch, however, most will exceed 20 inch in time. For a Teugelsi I'd advise a tank no smaller than 6ft long, 3ft wide and 2ft deep
Josh's Fish thank you for the help
Is frozen brine shrimp good food for bichirs
Yeah, keep it varied, but the juveniles love them!
how about reedfish? they look similar with bichir
Can I give prawn to this fish daily.. ?
I know this is a bad thing to do but I have a p.senegalus and a pleco together and they recently fought I plan to take the pleco back to the store but what does mean when they fight
Can be may reasons why they fight. If it's a toothless Plec, it would be best to remove it before the Senegal (or the Plec haha) is harmed :)
haha thank you i will
My Bichir has those parasite worms and I’m treating it and they are going away but he won’t eat really any suggestions?
Hi Joshua, it likely won't eat while the worms are still on it or during treatment, I wouldn't worry :) once the M. polypteri are gone and it's settled back down, it should start eating again
Thank you very much!!!
Any luck with your Bichir feeding?
Josh's Fish yes he is eating and all better! Thank you for checking in on him
!
is oscar ok with bichir?
can you give then feeder fish????
This is a wonderful video!
Do you think a striped bichir and some Microctenopoma ansorgii could be kept together?
Both are freshwater, both carnivore, both slow mowing and the bichir is bottom dwelling while the micro. ansorgii is a top dweller. but the micro ansorgii is quite small, opinions?
Can i add a "channa argus" (snake-head fish) with a normal bichir?
Hi, no you shouldn't keep any species of Channa with other fish besides their own species.
@@JoshsFish Ok thanks very much!👍👍
hey dude, love the video. considering swapping to a cat litter substrate. any sugestions? also what are you using as substrate please? i can only find like grey/light brown litter so far..... thanks
how many gallons do you need for these
Depends on the species. The smaller ones such as P. senegalus senegalus, P. delhezi, P. mokelembembe, P. retropinnis etc. can live in a 5x2x2ft for life, while the larger species can need up to 6x3x2ft or 6x4x2ft. Depth isn't an issue with them, but they need a nice wide floor space :)
Awesome awesome video, how many pollis or delhiziz would fit a 75 gallon? Also would defrosted seafood mix(mussels, shrimp, swuid, scallops) be good for these guys?
Hi, 3 or 4 would be a nice fit for a a 75g, provided they have plenty of turning room at the largest sizes mentioned on the video. Seafood mix is good for them, don't ever feed cooked though as it becomes a constipative (and many add salt). If you can, feed fresh not frozen due to the thiamanese which raises in frozen seafood. A better alternative to frozen seafood mixes like that is Tilapia which doesn't contain thiamanese. :)
i have an albino bichir and when i had him with gravel he ate few rocks thinking it was shrimp pellets. will it cause any problem?
How big was the Bichir and how big the stones? They may of been too small to cause a blockage or it might of coughed them out. If not it will cause a blocakge of food and waste in the lower digestive tract which will lead to death in a few days to weeks. Keep me updated mate, hopefully it has already passed it.
Add some epsom salts, it will loosen the muscles like a laxative and will help pass the stones.
Hey, can i keep a hypancistrus pleco with a senegal?
Wouldn't recommend any fish with a sucker mouth to go with Bichirs. Hypancistrus is a lower risk than some other Plecs, but still a risk.
Great video. How do they do on ADA substrate though?
ADA, as in the soil? I'm not sure if I'm honest, never put them on it before. I can't imagine it would cause issues like compaction, but Bichirs do like to dig, so it might be very messy haha. If that doesn't bother you though, soil will be fine. Bichirs don't mind bad water clarity, as long as you have good water quality.
So much useful information in this video... But the music is very eeriee lol
Hi, I accidentally bought a dinosaur bichir because I though he was cute. I'm keeping him in a community tank with goldfish, angelfish, little African frogs, and a beta. I really don't know what to do with him now, and I can't take him back to the pet store. I would love some helpful advice.
Hi Cela, sorry for the late reply.
That setup isn't ideal for any of the fish really sorry to say.
The Goldfish are coldwater to temperate fish (up to 22c), so can't live in tropical water (25-28c)
The Angelfish will be nippy towards the Betta and the African Frogs will eat your small fish.
Your Bichir, which I'm assuming is P. senegalus senegalus, will reach a size where it will eat or try to eat all of your stock (the African frog being part of their natural diet)
Ideally I'd move your Bichir into a tank with fish that don't have long tails or tassels and are too big to eat. Will need around a 5x2x2ft tank in the long run as they can reach over a ft long, but they're okay in a smaller tank for now if small. Keep in mind, they can grow half an inch a month up until 9 inch which then gets progressively slower :)
Josh's Fish thank you for your help. I will definitely be moving him to another tank.
What are the difference between upper jaw and lower jaw
Pretty much just their jaw protrusions buddy. The video details most of it :) Although Lower Jaws tend to be less active and (with the exception of Ornate, Weeksii and Teugelsi) often more aggressive, especially when juvenile.
what is bichir at thumbail?
Polypterus polli :)
awesome video man and tons of info thanks a lot
This is amazing!
Just got around to watch this video. Love it!
Haha, thanks for the Moke clip Hampus! That is an awesome setup!
question. if pleco's get addicted do ancitrus species and Pterygoplichthys species get addicted too?
Ancistrus aren't as bad, but Commons and Sailfins are the worst for it
eeh.. welp i fcked up. never saw him sucking the bichir do
Eventually it might. Bichirs are coated in a layer of ganoine which makes their slimecoat slightly salty, so when a slimecoat feeder such as Pterygoplichthys gets the taste of it, it's about as addictive as cocaine Pringles haha
Love the all of the insight, just can't read that damn fast 😂 had to pause to keep up with the facts
So are all bichirs able to be killed by plecos?
Hi Jacob, if left to feed on their slimecoat long enough, yes.
Can I keep my bichir with a flowerhorn??coz I'm going to upgrade my tank and I want to buy a baby flowerhorn.Can I keep them together??
Im going to upgrade my tank from 60 g to 75 g
Personally I'd say no, but depends on the Flowerhorn's aggression. If you do mix, stick with the smaller growing upper jaws.
Advice from more experienced people out there. Im looking to maybe get one of these as a centre piece , have always had large catfish or Plecos before so want something different. I think my tanks okay for a smaller species, 180 litres but its longer than it is deep, with soft sand and plenty of plants and bogwood. Im worried about tankmate though. I have a selection of rainbows and some giant danios that are all big so I doubt they'll be an issue but I have Corys. Will they be a problem? I also have a large catfish that spends its life upside down on the same log. Had it so long I cant remember the species but its not a predatory one. Dark, large sail fins. Its not lining up to be lunch anytime soon though. Any advice? Should I get one and if so which one? My local aquarium sells Ornates but with their max size I think my tanks too small.
No species would be suitable for those tank mates, as all will get large enough to eat the Danios, Cories etc.
Best not kept with Plecs or especially Upside Down Catfish either as they can aggressively feed on the Bichir's salty ganoine slimecoat.
The tank size is also very small for a Bichir. A P. mokelembembe could fit in there, but ideally needs double that tank size.
Thanks for the advice! Im not sure what im going to get for the centre piece fish but oh well something will come up.
Look into some of the Macrognathus spiny eels; many of them stay smaller than the more common species from the Mastacembelus genus. There are also loads of African Knifefish which could be suited to that tank too :)
I had spiny eels years ago and they were very fun will have a look what my local has. Thank you :)
Bro any tips on albino bichirs? I have 2 of them, kept it together with a low jaw bichir too.
Exactly the same as their normal counterpart; although Albino Senegals are farmed on a large scale, they typically have shorter bodies.
Are blood worms okay for them
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it as a staple though. It doesn't meet their nutritional requirements for normal growth and health.
Josh's Fish sinking pellets how is that good or not
when you mean soil as a substrate do you mean ADA aquasoil type of soil?or potting soil type of soil?,since i may try a dirted tank with these guys
Aquarium or pond soil :)
can they eat dead sea fish or pellet ?
Yes, carnivore pellets and any type of whitefish (or oily fish if you have a surface skimmer) are great :)
thx
can they live with flowerhorn
Hi Clark, completely depends on the temperament of the Flowerhorn. I'd personally keep a Flowerhorn species only though.
Josh's Fish thank you sir
Can I keep them with chinese algae eaters?
Hi Tsun, best not. In home aquaria they stay too small for any bichir and will likely be eaten. If you can find one Chinese Algae Eater around 11 inches, then you can keep it with the smaller bichir species, but finding one that size is super rare in the trade.
@@JoshsFish @Tsun I would also be worried about the Chinese algae eaters sucking off the bichir's slime coat.
Nicely done, very informative
Hey, i need you josh, my endlicheri's dorsal fin is bleeding, they became weaker everyday, and i lost two of them, what should i do, and what actually happen to them ? Thanks
Okay so, I have Pictus Catfish right now, about 7-9 inches, and I saw a Dinosaur Bichir at PetSmart. There is only one DB (Dinosaur Bichir) but I have 2 PC (Pictus Catfish) Will they get along? The DB is only a baby, about 6-7 inches. The video is very informative! Thank you! I am looking forward to get a Bichir, one more question, are DB easy to maintain(Cost) Lol, ONE more, will the DB try to escape out my tank? The only open space I can think it can fit in is through my filter, the filter has a opening..
Hi, thanks for watching :)
I don't know much about Pictus Catfish, but I do know Bichirs like to bite off their tassel-like whiskers. I wasn't aware Pictus got that big either, do you maybe have a Synodontis? Some species of those can really beat up Bichirs and may feed on their slimecoat.
By Dinosaur Bichir do you mean Polypterus senegalus senegalus? They can average around 12 inches. They will try to escape if they can, so everywhere needs to be sealed up well with a weighted lid and a gap between the surface and lid for them to come up to breathe.
They're a moderately inexpensive fish to keep. A tank with a large footprint around 400-500 litres will house them for life. The only costly thing for them really is food. They need a high protein diet. sinking carnivore pellets and fish fillet are the best staples. :)
Josh's Fish Okay, thank you! I will find a way to deal with the Pictus Catfish, and yes, PetSmart calls them Dinosaur Bichirs, it just sounds cooler 😂
Awesome video. Question I want to get one soon and right now my lfs has a ornate that they say will be fine in my 75 gal. tank do you agree with that? Also im waiting to get my ph down which is at 8.0 right now and they said I need it at about 7.2, Thanks
Hi Gamer central, many Ornates are found in the great African lakes, so pH 8 is fine for them. They can reach 26 inch and very girthy, so I would recommend a minimun of a 5x3ft footprint in the long run, but a 5x2x2ft will be fine for a couple of years :) the tank you have at the moment seems a bit small for this species, but it will be fine for small species such as Ropefish or P. mokelembembe :)
Do bchirs jump out of water or the tank just curious cause I really want a bchir but I don’t have a lid for my tank
They will jump out the tank.
Can you do one for your lungfish?
Great idea Zoe! I think that might be the next one :)
Can common pleco and bichir get along
Hi Francis, I wouldn't recommend keeping any toothless Plecs (including Common Plecs) with Bichirs.
Hey Josh I have a question. So I have a lapradei female who i got from my LFS 5 months ago. I got her when she was 9 inches and she hasn't really grown since then (maybe 1/4 inch-1/2 an inch) unlike many other bichirs i see online, she will only accept tilapia or shrimp and will eat one or two pieces until she's has a bulgy belly and then stop eating. The next few days it will just go to be smaller. Not to mention, she is also quite skinny. (Also to add, she used to eat feeder fish in the las but I switched her onto tilapia and shrimp chunks) I am suspecting because it used to eat feeders and because its wild caught it might has parasites. Do you think this is the case or should she be fine. Also if it is parasites and recommend any medicines/ Thanks so much and would love your input on this causes you are very knowledgable and have wonderful bichirs :)
Hi Ray, it's worth deworming the tank reguarly if you have any wild caught fish. Kusuri Discus wormer is a favourite of mine.
Polypterids release a hormone similar to Carp which in a small volume of water can inhibit the growth of themselves and other Polypterids. Even a large tank with loads of them, the hormome can build up fast. Might just be a case of increasing water volume and doing more waterchanges. I've found a tank under 300 litres with 50% weekly wc is still in the range of restricting the half inch a month growth on even the smallest Bichir species. Something worth considering :)
Sometimes the Bichirs have been sat in the shop tanks or supplier/farm vats for too long and unfortunately they can become stunted by the hormome exposure and minimal diet. (Hopefully this isn't the case)
Hopefully it's just bunged up with worms (which is an easy fix) - just to add, keep some epsom salts and an antibacterial med such as Acriflavine on hand, they always seem to come in handy :)
Hey thxs for the reply! I do have her in a small 30 gallon because of space reasons at the moment (Have 100 gallon in basement) so might move her over soon. Also i do have epsom salt at home so if I use that would there be any harm? also i heard garlic may help so if i soak a piece of shrimp in garlic juice can that kill the parasite as well? Thxs so much and have a great day
also one more thing.... I am gonna buy a dewormer and found API general cure which has praziquantel... Can I use this instead of the kusari discus dewormer cause its readily available? thxs
Yeah any Epsom salt brands should be fine as long as there are no other flavours or additives. I've not used garlic as a parasite treatment, so couldn't comment on that.
Any dewormer will be fine really, Kusuri Discus Wormer is just my preference :)
thanks a lot! love your vids btw keep it up! Wish I had your fish/tank lol
I have one problem my bricher fish is with 3 oscars the ground is gravel
If the gravel can fit in their mouth, best to remove it.
I just recently got a small 3/4 inch juvenile Dinosaur Bichir. I'm not sure what to feed it due to its size. Any tips on what to feed it? The last one I had which jumped into the filter 😢 was about 3-4 inches and i fed it blood worms and small shrimp.
Best food would be small carnivore pellets, some chopped fish fillet, mussels and earthworms. Avoid bloodworm as it doesn't meet the Bichir's nutritional requirements and avoid shrimp as they can't digest their shells properly. :)
Man do males only cup or even females do? i think my delhezi is a female but i saw him earlier cupped and do they breed with other species because she had an albino senagalus tankmate.
Hi Anak, to my knowledge only the males cup. The cup flexing occurs when the male requires relief; this is how it stimulates itself to release the sperm. It will do this regardless of what Bichirs are in the tank. Although uncommon in aquaria, they can and do cross breed. However cupping only indicates the male is sexually mature, not if your Bichirs are breeding. When they do breed, the cup and scatter ritual is often not done in the open where you can see :)
Josh's Fish thanks for the reply man. So my bichir was a male after all but he kinda have pointed anal fin so i thought he was a girl. Do you have some tips on how to breed them.
www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/bichir-breeding-information-post-your-experiences.684419/
Josh's Fish thanks man.
can i keep with oscar fish
Yes, just dependant on the Oscar's aggression
Mate i wanna ask u is bichir are blind?
Best n detailed vdeo on utube
Good day sir! I just bought a baby polypterus endlicheri bichir. And can you help me? I dont know what to feed. Can i feed it with mealworm?
Yeah you can feed it mealworm, they grow well on carnivore pellets and finely chopped fish fillet too. Just make sure it can fit in their mouth :)
Josh's Fish Carnivore pellets? Never heard of that. Can you give me a link where can i buy it?
Carnivore pellets are any pellet that is designed in mind to feed predatory fish.