Ok first of all bichirs do not “sift” through the substrate for food. They are suction feeders they find something edible and suck it into their mouths. If you keep them on gravel they can suck up the gravel however as shown at the end of your video if they suck up gravel they are capable of spitting it out. You caught it on camera in this video. I have kept bichirs for years on gravel and sand and either is fine. They will eat anything that even almost fits in their mouths because they are predators. They startle if they don’t feel comfortable or have enough plant and wood cover. With the amount of cichlids in that tank even with your fake plants he probably still doesn’t feel like he can ever get away. Bichirs are amazing fish and I agree a species only tank is a great idea but you need to do some more research on how they eat and how they act in the wild.
Hayley, thanks for saving me from typing a response. I agree with all your points. I think there is a lot of bad information on the net about bichirs. Cheers.
Your correct on everything except I would not keep them on gravel ever. I have had lots of people have dead bichirs do that and it’s just no worth the risk.
yeah, ive got 3 senegals. biggest puppy dogs ever. love being petted and eat from my hand, hell they try to eat my some times lol. but i have a tiger oscar and blood parrot and 2 gold fish in the 75g tank too, and they are super chill. hang out on top of rocks and fake wood. he definitely needs to do better research.
@@TCS_Aquatics82 they will kind of sift the sand out their gill and spit it out. the day i added sand to my tank, previously bare bottom, all my polys dug in and played in it for a couple hrs.
Bichirs definately do better in a species only tank. I used to keep them with other fish, and it can be done but it always comes with sacrifices. They do get spooked pretty easily but they eventually get used to routine maintenance and other disturbances. I have to approach the tank slowly to avoid spooking them. Sometimes they get minor scrapes and scratches on their scales, but they are a very tough fish and heal quickly. I think the main reason they freak out is that they have very poor vision and dont see you coming until you are really close to the tank. They are a very interesting oddball fish and definately one of my favorite fish.
By Far my Favorite Fish. Really Love how they Look. Mini Dragon's tbh. Have 3 juvenile Senegals (2 Leucistic, 1Normal) in a 125 all to themselves! Been kinda wanting a Eastern Happy to go along with them though. Not many videos about them.
I have a senagal as well with a male and female african clawed frogs. I can hand feed my bichir no problem it's always out and about even with a ton of hiding places. I have medium light but my tank has and huge drift wood stump in the middle that releases alot of tannins. I think that is the biggest thing, the water is still crystal clear but dark if that makes sense. I think it gives them a sense of being hidden I'm just speculating tho. But long story short mine is more friendly than most cats if it could live outta water it would probably try to get in my lap, all jokes aside by far the most friendly and aware fish I have.
I understand your opinion. My girl is alone in her own tank. I plan to keep her alone but my family wants her future set-up to be a community tank, so we'll see how that goes. She's friendly with the snails unless they're trying to get her food. I do agree with the night hunting strategy. I added shrimp to see her personality. She was docile with them during the day, yet all the shrimp disappeared a few days later. Plus a slight bump will cause her to freak out but it's only for a few seconds. She's still scared of my phone but she's quite communicative with me ever since the first day I purchased her. I selected her at the store because she would hide behind a floating plant and when the employees were around and will swim around when they were gone. At home, she continues to swims around and watches me from under one plant placed in the corner of the tank. I wiggle my fingers and she comes. I pet her with one finger through the glass and lowers her head down. I use the Fluval Stratum. It has an earth/dirt smell and helps her determine the difference between the substrate and the food. She did grab a piece once but spit it out. I don't like sand due to the possibility of an impaction. I use a warm low light when she's out and about and I want to see her. That specific light setting doesn't hurt her eyes that much. I really do care for her.
I feel like I got super lucky and ended up with one of my two Bichirs that likes being touched, I think it likes having under it's chin rubbed with a finger, and will even swim up to the surface when I put my hand in the water. Try feeding them sink pellets by hand over time they will trust you a lot more and become less skittish.
@@zanerasmussen5350 I mean, It could easily swim away if it wanted to, I don't chase it around with my hand or something. It seems more then happy to come out of it's cave and to the surface when it wants if i rest my hand in the water, it seems to like my hand for some reason. but I agree most fish don't like being touched.
@@zanerasmussen5350 really bc i have a tank full of fish that swim to my hand everytime i put it in the tank and let me pet them. matter of fact , my oscar and polys wont normally leave my hand alone until they have been petted.
I’ve got 1 in a 75gal with 1 angel, 1 bala shark, a couple of neon tetras 5 of the ghost catfish and 1 busy body catfish and my substrate is a larger than normal gravel. Seems to be doing alright so far.
I don’t know. I’ve owned a pair of these for years. They are always out, are fun to watch eat and don’t startle. They also don’t attack my other fish. Maybe I’m just lucky?
I love my bichir got 2 they are fun to watch swim around with the other fish. My bichir are super active and I've learned that they really love live pray that's why I keep smaller feeder fish in the tank for them. They dont eat my guppies or my mollies. I also throw feeder snails into the cage for them. I rescue unwanted fish and will gladly take any that you have.
never had any of the issues you listed while owning this for years.. it was in with like 25 diff ciclids and predator fish, did great and was ALWAYS out exploring and even came to the glass everytime i went to the tank, cool little fish
i came from reptiles , so it brought me here been wanting something that can give me that hybrid feel of having a reptile and fish, plecos kind of give me the vibe to
These fish are adorable and deserve our love! I have one who's actually a bit deformed (he got sick, don't ask) and I love him to bits! How can you get bored or "sick" of owning one?
That's a fine lookin Dempsey! That being said, polys and ropes are awesome fish. Very unique look, interesting personalities... I don't think a species tank is a must, but selecting compatible species and setting the tank up based on their comfort would probably be the best bet for success...
They’re really easy to take care of if you have a sand tank and minimal decorations (large heaving rocks and driftwood). I have 2 Senegals, 1 delhezi, 1 large pleco, 1 Siamese algae eater, 1 paradise gourami, and 1 Oscar. I’m looking to add another delhezi. I have low light plants and lots of wood they use as caves. I have a very timid Oscar that leaves all the fish alone. I personally am a big fan of bichirs. The Senegals are very active, but the delhezi likes to hide.
I have bichir in with my oscar so far so good they doing good together I have gravel in 55 they both babies but going to larger tank I will put sand in it.
Keept my saddled bicher with my discus till he was about 6” then moved him into my 125 because he was being to much of a spaz for them but they are still my fav fish, idk they so cute
As someone who owns 18 bichirs, I can say they're not for everyone. They've killed plenty of my fish. Thats actually why I don't keep catfish, especially synodontis. There's a reason the people who keep them all have very similar looking tanks with similar stocking lists, especially when you get to the larger species like ornate or endlicherii.
I have 3 bichers In 3/4 Sand 1 Part gravel planted with a Colombian pike and red terror a striped Raphael cat and a megalodonis Irwin ripsaw catfish 🤩… in a 75G grow out for the next year everybody is 3.4 to 5 inches
I have a bichir in a gravel tank and he does perfect I homed him with my tiger oscar , 2 Jack Dempsey and ofcourse the bichir they all get along surprisingly my oscar is the biggest in the tank and doesnt mess with any of them they all have been tank mates for almost a year
I have 3 bichers In 3/4 Sand 1 Part gravel planted with a Colombian pike and red terror a striped Raphael cat and a megalodonis Irwin ripsaw catfish 🤩… in a 75G grow out for the next year everybody is 3.4 to 5 inches all Fine and never had any of the issues you’ve had never seen my bickers do no death rolls what so ever I have Delhezi a red teagulsi and an ornate …
I miss my 9'' bichir. I was moving and but my fish in a bucket with a net on top with my fluvel canister filter and some how he got out. He lived for one night and found him dead in the morning 😭. The bichir is this tank looks just like him....
Bichirs got me into fish keeping. I do like Oscars and have one,but my tank is setup for bichirs(sand/hiding spots). Come on,they have lungs and can death roll,what else could you ever want in a fish?!?!? 😜 to each their own.
God a bichir is a literal monster, it can tear flesh out of a goldfish even though it’s around the same size AND mine does not fear the arowana not a dent but that’s what I love about em
Interesting point of view. My 4 Senegal bichirs are going great in my 7 x 2ft tank. Huge mixed community. Three are 4 inches and ones 6 inches. The big guy slowly ate out 11 small clown loaches.
That thing is powerful enough to hurt itself getting away from trouble. I would have one if I could afford the tank it would prefer. That ain't happening. LOL
i had my first 2 in a 20g tank and now they are in a 75g. senegals could probably do pretyty well in a 55g. its once you get the bigger species of polys that you would definitely need a bigger tank
i had a rainbow shark with mine, but he must be their favorite meal bc as soon as the shark got like 3 to 4 inches long they tore him apart, so careful with ur red tail
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Ok first of all bichirs do not “sift” through the substrate for food. They are suction feeders they find something edible and suck it into their mouths. If you keep them on gravel they can suck up the gravel however as shown at the end of your video if they suck up gravel they are capable of spitting it out. You caught it on camera in this video. I have kept bichirs for years on gravel and sand and either is fine. They will eat anything that even almost fits in their mouths because they are predators. They startle if they don’t feel comfortable or have enough plant and wood cover. With the amount of cichlids in that tank even with your fake plants he probably still doesn’t feel like he can ever get away. Bichirs are amazing fish and I agree a species only tank is a great idea but you need to do some more research on how they eat and how they act in the wild.
Hayley, thanks for saving me from typing a response. I agree with all your points. I think there is a lot of bad information on the net about bichirs. Cheers.
Your correct on everything except I would not keep them on gravel ever. I have had lots of people have dead bichirs do that and it’s just no worth the risk.
nsane992002 No I’ve never heard of or seen them eating sand. And if some sand is ingested in can likely pass.
yeah, ive got 3 senegals. biggest puppy dogs ever. love being petted and eat from my hand, hell they try to eat my some times lol. but i have a tiger oscar and blood parrot and 2 gold fish in the 75g tank too, and they are super chill. hang out on top of rocks and fake wood. he definitely needs to do better research.
@@TCS_Aquatics82 they will kind of sift the sand out their gill and spit it out. the day i added sand to my tank, previously bare bottom, all my polys dug in and played in it for a couple hrs.
I've had mine for 21 years ... Endi , 16 inches , eats from my hand , always the fish that gets the most attention from guests in my fish room
OMG they can live up to that 😍man I'm happy
How is it now?
Bichirs definately do better in a species only tank. I used to keep them with other fish, and it can be done but it always comes with sacrifices. They do get spooked pretty easily but they eventually get used to routine maintenance and other disturbances. I have to approach the tank slowly to avoid spooking them. Sometimes they get minor scrapes and scratches on their scales, but they are a very tough fish and heal quickly. I think the main reason they freak out is that they have very poor vision and dont see you coming until you are really close to the tank. They are a very interesting oddball fish and definately one of my favorite fish.
Best fish I’ve ever kept 👏🏼 Bichir’s are my fav.
By Far my Favorite Fish. Really Love how they Look. Mini Dragon's tbh. Have 3 juvenile Senegals (2 Leucistic, 1Normal) in a 125 all to themselves! Been kinda wanting a Eastern Happy to go along with them though. Not many videos about them.
I have a senagal as well with a male and female african clawed frogs. I can hand feed my bichir no problem it's always out and about even with a ton of hiding places. I have medium light but my tank has and huge drift wood stump in the middle that releases alot of tannins. I think that is the biggest thing, the water is still crystal clear but dark if that makes sense. I think it gives them a sense of being hidden I'm just speculating tho. But long story short mine is more friendly than most cats if it could live outta water it would probably try to get in my lap, all jokes aside by far the most friendly and aware fish I have.
I understand your opinion. My girl is alone in her own tank. I plan to keep her alone but my family wants her future set-up to be a community tank, so we'll see how that goes. She's friendly with the snails unless they're trying to get her food. I do agree with the night hunting strategy. I added shrimp to see her personality. She was docile with them during the day, yet all the shrimp disappeared a few days later. Plus a slight bump will cause her to freak out but it's only for a few seconds. She's still scared of my phone but she's quite communicative with me ever since the first day I purchased her. I selected her at the store because she would hide behind a floating plant and when the employees were around and will swim around when they were gone. At home, she continues to swims around and watches me from under one plant placed in the corner of the tank. I wiggle my fingers and she comes. I pet her with one finger through the glass and lowers her head down. I use the Fluval Stratum. It has an earth/dirt smell and helps her determine the difference between the substrate and the food. She did grab a piece once but spit it out. I don't like sand due to the possibility of an impaction. I use a warm low light when she's out and about and I want to see her. That specific light setting doesn't hurt her eyes that much. I really do care for her.
What size tank is she in? Curious bc I want to do the same thing. I just want one fish alone in their own tank.
I feel like I got super lucky and ended up with one of my two Bichirs that likes being touched, I think it likes having under it's chin rubbed with a finger, and will even swim up to the surface when I put my hand in the water. Try feeding them sink pellets by hand over time they will trust you a lot more and become less skittish.
BusKyDawg fish don’t like being touch dude they aren’t dogs
@@zanerasmussen5350 I mean, It could easily swim away if it wanted to, I don't chase it around with my hand or something. It seems more then happy to come out of it's cave and to the surface when it wants if i rest my hand in the water, it seems to like my hand for some reason. but I agree most fish don't like being touched.
@@zanerasmussen5350 really bc i have a tank full of fish that swim to my hand everytime i put it in the tank and let me pet them. matter of fact , my oscar and polys wont normally leave my hand alone until they have been petted.
My fish greet me 😂 kinda bizarre
I’ve got 1 in a 75gal with 1 angel, 1 bala shark, a couple of neon tetras 5 of the ghost catfish and 1 busy body catfish and my substrate is a larger than normal gravel. Seems to be doing alright so far.
That sounds almost exactly like my tank is he still doing pretty good with them?
I prefer my ropefish, love em
I don’t know. I’ve owned a pair of these for years. They are always out, are fun to watch eat and don’t startle. They also don’t attack my other fish. Maybe I’m just lucky?
I love my bichir got 2 they are fun to watch swim around with the other fish. My bichir are super active and I've learned that they really love live pray that's why I keep smaller feeder fish in the tank for them. They dont eat my guppies or my mollies. I also throw feeder snails into the cage for them. I rescue unwanted fish and will gladly take any that you have.
never had any of the issues you listed while owning this for years.. it was in with like 25 diff ciclids and predator fish, did great and was ALWAYS out exploring and even came to the glass everytime i went to the tank, cool little fish
Talking about why you DONT like keeping things is very valuable. TY for the upload.
What a stunner of a jack!
i came from reptiles , so it brought me here been wanting something that can give me that hybrid feel of having a reptile and fish, plecos kind of give me the vibe to
These fish are adorable and deserve our love! I have one who's actually a bit deformed (he got sick, don't ask) and I love him to bits! How can you get bored or "sick" of owning one?
I got 3
One is 24" big !! the other is 17" and the other is 10"...they with 4 Oscar...2 plecos and I love those guys!!!
That's a fine lookin Dempsey! That being said, polys and ropes are awesome fish. Very unique look, interesting personalities... I don't think a species tank is a must, but selecting compatible species and setting the tank up based on their comfort would probably be the best bet for success...
They’re really easy to take care of if you have a sand tank and minimal decorations (large heaving rocks and driftwood). I have 2 Senegals, 1 delhezi, 1 large pleco, 1 Siamese algae eater, 1 paradise gourami, and 1 Oscar. I’m looking to add another delhezi. I have low light plants and lots of wood they use as caves. I have a very timid Oscar that leaves all the fish alone. I personally am a big fan of bichirs. The Senegals are very active, but the delhezi likes to hide.
Mines is in a planted tank with driftwood and is doing good
I have bichir in with my oscar so far so good they doing good together I have gravel in 55 they both babies but going to larger tank I will put sand in it.
Keept my saddled bicher with my discus till he was about 6” then moved him into my 125 because he was being to much of a spaz for them but they are still my fav fish, idk they so cute
As someone who owns 18 bichirs, I can say they're not for everyone. They've killed plenty of my fish. Thats actually why I don't keep catfish, especially synodontis. There's a reason the people who keep them all have very similar looking tanks with similar stocking lists, especially when you get to the larger species like ornate or endlicherii.
Could I keep plecos and goldfish in the same aquarium?
They look like a combo of Axolotls and Arowanas
I love mine it’s a great bichir mines in a 125 with my purple rose queen no probs at all
😍😍I love mine and hahaha he is very active at 2 am for some reason but still cool and unique pet!, 😍❤️
I have 3 bichers In 3/4
Sand 1
Part gravel planted with a Colombian pike and red terror a striped Raphael cat and a megalodonis Irwin ripsaw catfish 🤩… in a 75G grow out for the next year everybody is 3.4 to 5 inches
I have a bichir in a gravel tank and he does perfect I homed him with my tiger oscar , 2 Jack Dempsey and ofcourse the bichir they all get along surprisingly my oscar is the biggest in the tank and doesnt mess with any of them they all have been tank mates for almost a year
i did not see my bichir act like this
Somewhere in the video -This fish shouldn’t be in a tank with gravel because it might eat a piece of gravel. 3:05 fish swallows a rock
My favorite fish in the hobby
I have 3 bichers In 3/4
Sand 1
Part gravel planted with a Colombian pike and red terror a striped Raphael cat and a megalodonis Irwin ripsaw catfish 🤩… in a 75G grow out for the next year everybody is 3.4 to 5 inches all
Fine and never had any of the issues you’ve had never seen my bickers do no death rolls what so ever I have Delhezi a red teagulsi and an ornate …
I miss my 9'' bichir. I was moving and but my fish in a bucket with a net on top with my fluvel canister filter and some how he got out. He lived for one night and found him dead in the morning 😭. The bichir is this tank looks just like him....
I love your South American cichlid tank
Bichirs got me into fish keeping. I do like Oscars and have one,but my tank is setup for bichirs(sand/hiding spots). Come on,they have lungs and can death roll,what else could you ever want in a fish?!?!? 😜 to each their own.
I got a bishir and then the next morning I woke up he had eaten the fins off of my goldfish while they were sleeping
Probably my favorite fish
Bichirs are awesome fish to keep. Just don’t usually do the best with agressive cichlids.
I have 3 love em ❤❤❤
God a bichir is a literal monster, it can tear flesh out of a goldfish even though it’s around the same size AND mine does not fear the arowana not a dent but that’s what I love about em
Interesting point of view. My 4 Senegal bichirs are going great in my 7 x 2ft tank. Huge mixed community. Three are 4 inches and ones 6 inches. The big guy slowly ate out 11 small clown loaches.
Just recently purchased a 3in female bichir with a 20 gallon tank for now. Any recommendations for tank mates for the bichir?
Flowerhorn
I got a albino baby last week little Dino is cool
Why you pronounced bichir like "bikers" not like "beach-ìr" ??
2:25 What is the big blue fish?
This is about as cool as having Justin Bieber hair.
@ClintOnAquatics has a bichir, I've watched vids of it on Facebook, he's pretty cool.
i love them just wish they dident get so big
says the guy with a 12 dojo oach.
Can you make a video on the rope fish
I love bichers😮
That thing is powerful enough to hurt itself getting away from trouble. I would have one if I could afford the tank it would prefer. That ain't happening. LOL
i had my first 2 in a 20g tank and now they are in a 75g. senegals could probably do pretyty well in a 55g. its once you get the bigger species of polys that you would definitely need a bigger tank
bichir w/ arowana is a great combo bro try it.
like bichir 👌💓
Your Jack Dempsey is so handsome! I have one and he is my favorite.
I love my bichir
I’ve got a alligator gar he’s destrutive😅
I've personally been considering getting a albino Senegal since they're of the smaller species
Hunter They still can get 10-14 inches
A bit late, but maybe you'd want Delhezi, they grow up to 30cm.
@@ethanfallon2576 lmao they barely reach 7"
@@humanbean392 they get bigger than that 😂🤦🏾♂️
@@PeanutDaBoss Do you have proof of a CB albino senegal over 8"? Lmao get your facts straight
That JD 😍
They either sit around and do nothing or they are annoying as hell and just dart across the tank non-stop. Not a good fish to own in my opinion.
i have 1 1year ago only grow 7 inch when i bought 2 inch i bought on December 2017
Ba-sheer it's pronounced lol 🤣 you generally don't put them in a tank with ciclids and gravel
i have 2 albino
I love bichirs and would welcome him anytime if you're looking to rehome!
You look a small bit like logan paul in this video
My Senegal only likes my smaller Senegal and red tail shark
i had a rainbow shark with mine, but he must be their favorite meal bc as soon as the shark got like 3 to 4 inches long they tore him apart, so careful with ur red tail
Ryan Doza I watch them all the time they get along relatively well and when there is an altercation it’s usually the shark chasing off the bichir
@@men-o-mayhem1840 mine never had any issues either until I woke in the morning to find the missing his stomach
I have never had one. They cost more and look like they would kill something and look boring.
Not as boring as your personality
@@saitosplay-mix3960 you're just jealous of my mushroom
b'krrrr.
lol
I hate pike they attack my bichers
hmmmm
1st
How can I block this channel?
Lame