Can African Butter Fly Fish Live With Bichirs?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Surface dwelling fish are some of the best tank mates for predatory Bichirs

. African Butterfly Fish are Arowana relatives with very unique habits. They mimic fallen leaves and debris while waiting for small fish and fallen insects to drift nearby.

What can a dinosaur Bichir live with?

Dinosaur bichir tankmates

Good tankmates include

other bichirs, knife fish, oscar fish, Jack Demspey fish, and flowerhorn cichlids

.

What fish can live with African butterfly fish?

Tankmates should be chosen with care. Though butterflyfish are not efficient fish predators, small fish that venture too close to their mouths will be eaten.

Larger tetras and barbs

are safe from predation. Small bottom-oriented cichlids, catfish, Ctenopoma species, and mormyrids are also excellent choices.

What can live with a butterfly fish?

The temperature should be ideally set to 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The butterfly fish can be fed on a standard diet of tropical fish food and flakes with a mixture of plants and meat. Tank mates can include

gobies, parrotfish, and clownfish

, but some species may be more territorial than others.

Can bichir live with goldfish?

Tankmates for Bichirs

And being so tolerant of a wide range of water conditions Bichirs can be kept in both soft and hard water aquariums.

I recommend staying away from slow-moving fish with long fins, such as fancy Goldfish

.

Can bichir live with koi fish?

can i keep 3 bichirs with 3 koi in a pond?

Me personally will not keep the Birchirs in a pond with Koi's

. Remember they grow between 12′′ and up to 39′′ long depending of the species. They like to bite slow moving fish although to larger size fish they are more careful.

Can a bichir drown?

Bichirs use both lungs and gills to breathe. However, their gills are not powerful enough to absorb all the oxygen they need from the water, which is why the fish rise to the surface now and then to breathe using their lungs.

If a bichir is prevented from reaching the surface, it will drown

.

What size tank does a bichir need?

A: Bichirs need an aquarium of

at least 50 gallons

in capacity.

How big does a bichir fish get?

Most species grow to

between 30 and 60 cm (11.8 and 23.6 inches) long

. Some members of the largest two species, the saddled bichirs (P. endlicherii) and Congo bichirs (P. congicus), grow to lengths of 75 cm (29.5 inches) and 97 cm (38.2 inches) and weights of 3.3 kg (7.3 pounds) and 4.4 kg (9.7 pounds), respectively.

Can butterfly fish live together?


Butterflyfish generally stay in groups unless they are a particularly territorial species

. A solitary Butterflyfish is usually travelling in search of a mate. They are one of the very few fish who find a mate, and then hunt, live and travel together for life.

Do African Butterfly Fish like current?


It's important to make sure you don't have a current in their tank as well

. Find filtration and pumps that allow you to run what you need without stirring up the water. African Butterfly Fish like their water to be calm!

What do I feed my African Butterfly Fish?

Since they are carnivores, the African Butterflyfish will eat

all types of protein foods

. They especially like live insects. Feed flies, mosquito larvae, small spiders, worms, small fish, brine shrimp, small prawns, and large flake food. We have had good success feeding them small crickets.

How long do African butterfly fish live?

The African Butterfly Fish typically lives for

five to six years

. If you look after it, feed it a balanced diet, and ensure suitable water conditions, it can live even longer.

Are African butterflies Hardy?

These African butterflies are

hardy fish

and are relatively easy to care for. For these particular fish to survive appropriately, you need to control the aquarium's temperature steady, which is ranges from 75 to 86 °F (24 to 30 °C).

How long do butterfly fish live?

Due to climate changes and ocean pollution in the last couple of decades, the number of butterflyfish has decreased drastically. How long do butterflyfish live? The average lifespan of a butterfly- fish in the wild is

seven years

..

How old is the bichir fish?

Bichirs are the living remnants of a very old lineage of , which split off from other fish lineages some

400 million years ago

. While they mostly live in lakes and rivers, they will sometimes crawl across dry land with their fins.

How much does a bichir cost?

Despite being exotic and ancient Bichirs are fairly common in the hobby. Typically they cost

between $20 and $150

, depending on the size and species. The Senegal or Gray Bichir (Polypterus senegalus) is one of the most commonly encountered, and also one of the smallest.

How long do Senegal bichirs live?

Given enough time, any fish that can fit in the bichir's mouth will be eaten This fish should not be kept with any other fish smaller than three inches. It will also bite fins of other fishes if it can. P. senagalus can reach

10-15 years of age in captivity

.

Can catfish live with Bichirs?


Hoplo Catfish

These South American natives are in the same family as the popular Corydoras. However they grow much larger, making them excellent tank mates for predatory Bichirs.

Can Axolotl live with bichir?


None of those fish are compatible with your axolotl

. The bichir, pleco, and possibly the rainbow shark are likely to attack the axolotls, and the axolotls are likely to eat the platies and ghost cats, but more importantly axolotls need cool water and those fish need warm water.

How can you tell if a bichir is male or female?

Sexes can be told apart by looking at the anal fins.

Male bichirs would have a broader anal fin than the females

. However, this is only true for mature males and not the young ones. Also, males seem to have thicker dorsal spines than the females, though normally, females tend to be larger than the males.

Can you keep Bichirs together?


You can keep multiple Birchirs together

. They will often form ‘poly piles' and are quite sociable creatures. You'll need a large aquarium, and all the fish should be a similar size.

How do you breed bichir fish?

The female Bichir will deposit from 100 to 300 eggs during several days. She deposits several eggs each time, and the eggs are fertilized by the male when he cups his anal and caudal fins around the genital area of the female Bichir. The male takes the eggs, fertilizes them and they are then scattered over the plants.

Does bichir jump?


Bichirs are natural jumpers and you dunno when they will jump out

. With cover, unless it is very secure, the chase to suicide jump is reduced.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.