If you have ever wondered about having something completely different, a little more unusual in looks for your tank, the Bichir (Family Polypteridae) would take some beating.
Like a ‘living fossil, this ancient fish looks like nothing else out there. It’s a primitive freshwater fish that certainly delivers on all fronts. Twelve species of Bichir exist, but we’ll concentrate on the most commonly available ones.
Truly a prehistoric fish, the Bichir, also known as the dinosaur eel, dragonfish, and swamp dragon, looks part eel, part fish, part dragon, part ancient history come to life! They are believed to have been around for over 60 million years.
Native to the tropical swamps, lagoons, and marshes in Africa, these fish are nocturnal and come to life at night. If you acquire one, they are almost always wild-caught as they aren’t commercially bred. They live a long time too, so ensure you are up to the task of their care, considering they are being taken from the wild.
They are very interesting to include in a suitable tank community and are known to be escape artists, so buyer beware. With fins that they use like legs, they have been known to crawl across the land to get where they want to be.
Are you tempted to have an ancient dinosaur-like creature in the tank? We will delve into the unique characteristics and care required to keep this unusual creature happy and healthy.
Bichir Behavior
If you choose to embark on the journey and acquire a Bichir, you will have the pleasure of witnessing some unique behaviors of this incredible fish.
Don’t be surprised if you see your Bichir ‘walking’ on the substrate. They are bottom dwellers but use their pectoral fins like stumpy legs and will move them alternately as they drag their torso along with them.
They are partially blind and use their excellent sense of smell to locate their prey when they hunt for food. Their olfactory organs are so good that they follow the scent trail of their future meal much like a dog tracks a scent.
Another interesting fact is that these fish can breathe air and utilize oxygen from our atmosphere, not just their water habitat. By using their mouth or spiracles, they can ‘inhale’ air and breathe. Spiracles are tiny holes on the top of their heads that can draw in air when they close their operculum, and it forms a seal.
They are nocturnal and are most active at night, which is when they should be fed. When they do feed, they will eat just about anything. This is probably a good thing since they gather their foodstuffs differently from other fish.
By opening their mouth rapidly and expanding their mouth cavity, they vacuum up their intended food along with everything else nearby. This action is known as inertial suction. This is a good reason why gravel substrates are not ideal for these fish, but more on that later in the setup!
Another move the Bichir has is the death roll, more commonly associated with alligators and crocodiles. After getting hold of their prey, the fish will spin rapidly, which not only confuses the prey and can give them a stunned effect but it allows the Bichir to tear up the prey into manageable bite-sized pieces.
This technique allows them to not only prey on smaller, mouth-sized fish but things that are closer in size to themselves. Don’t be surprised if you see your Bichir with a distended belly as its stomach tries to accommodate a hefty meal!
Finally, these fish possess electroreceptors which are specialized organs that pick up electrical pulses. Yet another way they help themselves locate prey, these organs can sense the tiny electrical pulses emitted from the muscles of their prey.
Bichir are known to be moderately aggressive and can nip at the fins of smaller fish; however, they do well with larger species.
Bichir Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Bichirs, you could expect them to live for on average around 10 – 15 years, although it’s not uncommon to hear of Bichirs reaching the ripe old age of 20!
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Bichir Appearance
Long slender eel or snake-shaped bodies are covered in scales, and they have wide, broad pectoral fins that assist them to ‘walk’ on the tank bottom when they decide to explore on land to find a better water source. Interestingly, these fish can survive on land for a lengthy amount of time, weeks, even as long as the air is humid and moist.
They have a row of dorsal fins as opposed to a single fin. They resemble the scales of a stegosaurus just to hammer home the dinosaur comparisons.
They all have a long flowing arrowhead-shaped caudal tail and visible nostrils.
The Senegal Bichir can be found in greyish tones most typically, but they are also possible to find in white, blue, or pink tones. These are the smallest species and reach around 14 inches in length.
Ornate Bichirs have a base color of grey or brown and then yellow patterns overlaid. It can reach up to 24 inches in length and is one of the largest, needing a very large tank.
Albino Bichirs are just that but are most often seen in the Senegal species when it happens.
The Saddled Bichir can reach 30 inches and are a yellowy-white shade with dark vertical bands located along the length of the body.
The Delhezi Bichir is grey with green or yellow spotting, making them quite popular too.
Bichir are generally considered a species for the hobbyist with some experience due to tank size requirements and the need for live food sources as they are purely carnivorous.
Bichir Habitat And Tank Requirements
As always, we want to achieve optimum health for fish we keep in captivity by closely mimicking their natural habitat. Their wild origins are the freshwater basins, muddy waters, and bogs of Africa and some of the Indian subcontinent.
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed to provide these epic fish with a great quality of life that best suits them for optimum health.
Tank Conditions
First and foremost, you need a secure lid. Although they are bottom dwellers, they love to gulp air and jump. To avoid having your Bichir go on a little late-night excursion in your home, it’s best to ensure it’s always secured and allows good ventilation with enough of a water gap at the top to allow them to use the air but not do a runner.
Powerful canister filtration is ideal for these fish to keep the waste levels as low as possible and reduce the workload on water changes.
Providing filtration beyond your tank capacity is ideal to ensure that they are getting better than clean water conditions.
Substrate choice is important for these tank bottom walkers. A thin layer of sand that is easy to clean and maintain works well and won’t cause harm when they employ their inertial suction method of eating food.
Add in rocks, caves, driftwood, and other hiding areas, which will help them feel secure when they arrive into your tank.
Live plants can be included, but they seem happy with sparsely planted tanks. Avoid floating plants which will impair their access to the water surface for air.
Water changes need to be weekly and at least 25 – 35% changed over for optimum water quality.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6.5 – 7.5
- Water hardness between 5 – 20 dKH
- Temperature between 74 – 82ºF (23 – 28ºC)
- Lighting conditions can be low, their vision is poor, and they are used to murky water
Tank Size
The minimum tank size for a single Bichir is 90 gallons, although advisable to go much larger than that for the larger species we listed.
If you plan on keeping a pair, 125 gallons would be the minimum.
However, this is the minimum, so getting something larger is even better to keep them active, curious, and healthier.
In terms of shape, you’ll want something long and rectangular that will allow them plenty of active swimming areas.
Choosing Tank Mates For Bichirs
When it comes to finding species appropriate for your Bichirs, you have plenty of options. Bear in mind Bichirs are on the aggressive end of the spectrum, so you need species that can hold their own or are large enough to avoid being eaten.
You’ll want to keep sizes of tank mates relative, nothing too small, or your Bichir will eat them. They are excellent hunters and will take advantage of anything that fits into their mouths.
Some excellent tank mate pairings that would work well include:
- African Knife
- Jack Dempsey Fish
- Silver Dollar Fish
- Clown Loaches
- Flowerhorn Cichlids
- Oscar Fish
- Other Bichir provided you have ample tank space
- Plecos
- Large species of Catfish
- South American Lungfish
- Bowfin
- Gars
- True Eels
Avoid small invertebrates like shrimp and snails as your Bichirs will inevitably consider them a meal, and you’ll notice them disappear.
Notes On Feeding Bichir
Bichirs are all carnivores and prefer live or frozen foods as opposed to dried processed types. Some will outright reject dried foods, so you must be prepared for the frozen or live food experience.
They are known for being slow to eat despite their lack of pickiness when prey is presented. So one thing to be aware of if you have them in a community with other species is ensuring that they get enough food and other fish aren’t stealing their intended meal.
As larger fish, they are capable of eating larger sources of food. Crustaceans, larvae, algae, and worms of all sizes will make them rather happy.
Exceptional quality flaked or pellet foods are possible to feed these fish if they accept it, but it should not form the base of their diet.
Bloodworms, Blackworms, Mosquito Larvae, Earthworms, and things like Krill and chopped-up fish fillets are appealing and protein-rich.
Smaller meals 2 times per day, usually at night or early morning, works well for these nocturnal feeders.
Bichir Common Health Issues
A species-specific ectoparasite known as Macrogyrodactylus polypteri is a flatworm that is particularly nasty and likes to use Bichirs as its host.
They appear like long hairs and attach to their gills, skin, and fins. If you have the facility to do so, quarantine your fish as you medicate it. Adding salt and raising the temperature to 90ºF will kill the parasite attached to your fish.
Then treat their home tank by removing all substrate and replacing or soaked in boiled water to kill off larvae. External parasite medication should also be applied to the substrate.
Most freshwater fish are susceptible to Ich (White Spot Disease), which, as the name implies, is easily distinguished by white spots on the body due to a parasitic infection.
Normally when these health hazards happen, it’s because the water parameters and quality have dropped. Even though Bichir survive in poor water conditions in the wild, in captivity, we can do better.
Health issues can be minimized with a strict water cleaning and change schedule along with regular checking of water parameters with a suitable testing kit.
How To Breed Bichir Fish
It isn’t really possible to breed Bichirs in a home aquarium, and females are not ready to reproduce until around 5 or 6 years old.
They are incredibly difficult to sex as juveniles, so even if you have room to house a pair, you won’t know until sometime later if you have a breeding pair or not.
The ones your find from stockists are wild-caught because they are so difficult to breed in captivity. As the saying goes, don’t try this at home!
Are Bichirs The Right Choice For Your Aquarium?
We think Bichirs make a great option for the hobbyist who is looking for something different and who loves to observe their fish regularly. A unique set of characteristics, prehistoric looks, and large size will ensure they are a showstopper.
Hardy and adaptable, they are fascinating to keep as long as you have the tank space and are able to commit to their carnivorous, high-protein needs with good quality and regular live or frozen food supplies.
It’s not every day you see a living fossil in the living room.
Why not try setting up your own little Jurassic Park Tank? Just be sure to keep a lid on it, or you may find a smaller, fishier version of a T.Rex walking around your house.
