# Bichir, Clown Loaches, and Pictus Catfish?



## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

This is purely out of curiosity lol so don't jump the gun.

I know Bichirs get to be around a foot long roughly and I know they are very often kept with Clown Loaches (as well as other larger fish but that's the main fish i recognize every time). I know Clowns get just as big as well. What I'm curious about is... will the hyperactive Pictus Catfish get eaten? 

I know Pictus' get to be around 5" full grown, give or take, and compared to a 1' Bichir I'm not sure how small that would be in comparison as the Pictus would be about half it's length.

All 3 of their temperatures fall between the 70-80 F range, their pH is 'fairly similiar, though if the pH were to balance out at around 7 it would be at the very lowest of the Pictus' preferred pH range. And all 3 require a KH of below 12 pretty much.

So the real worry would just be if the smaller Pictus would be gobbled up? Even if the Pictus were introduces first to the tank and allowed to grow a bit before added the Bichir?




Just simple curiosity because I love Bichir and Pictus Catfish, but both require large tanks and I don't want more than one large tank.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The clown loach will take along time to get that big,but have spines that discourage other fish from eating them(besides speed).
Maybe if you could "train" the bichir to eat frozen or freeze dreid shrimp(large) it wouldn't see the pictus as food?Just a thought!
What size tank are you planning?


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

The size depends on what Craigslist offers me, but no less than a 100g tank.
(though i do plan to start with a 10g tank and get a betta as a start up, put him in my room or something.)

edit: (had to do some cleaning so couldn't get everything written down)

Im sure clowns take awhile to get a foot big. ahhaha no doubt. My Idea was just to make sure the Bichir was well fed (i dont mean 'fat' or 'constantly bloated' when i say this.) it wouldn't bother the pictus too much, especially if they were all raised from youngsters ya know? Cus pictus are pretty fast and they do have fin spines (on their fins and dorsals... i don't think they have them on the tails) so I'm sure it'll be like shoving a cactus in your mouth hahaha. I didn't know Clowns had spines too o-o that's interesting.


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

-nudge- :3


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

anyone?


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

I would be wary with putting the cat in with the bichir. Bichirs will eat anything that will fit, or even barely fit into their mouths, and they are well known for eating tank mates that are too small.


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