# ropefish/bichirs



## BIG_ONE (Aug 18, 2008)

i got questions about these fish...are they brackish??? i read some information about they are brackish and they are freshwater. But which do they live best on?


----------



## DDyerfamily (Jul 31, 2008)

ropefish and birchir are not brackish.
I have both and are in freshwater doing fine :-D


----------



## BIG_ONE (Aug 18, 2008)

i see, will both of them be a fine tank mate with ea other???


----------



## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

How big is this tank..... birchir alone get pretty big, most people can not have a tank large enough to house them.


----------



## skarasek (Aug 25, 2008)

I am about to try the same thing. I have a 125 gallon tank. Bichir get very big, but ropefish get even larger. They are very similar fish, both will eat anything they can fit in their mouths, but neither are extremely aggressive, and should be fine with each other. As for the brackish question, it is a no for sure. I converted a fresh tank, housing a bichir, into brackish water very slowly, but even so, it stopped eating, became very lathargic, and died shortly after.


----------



## BIG_ONE (Aug 18, 2008)

my tank is small around 20...saving up for 150...


----------



## djrichie (May 15, 2008)

Than you should wait until you have a tank that can house the first properly.......IMO


----------



## DDyerfamily (Jul 31, 2008)

BIG_ONE said:


> my tank is small around 20...saving up for 150...


Hello Again 

Size of birchirs depends on species.
Some stay small some grow big and some turn into monsters. LOL
Most you see in pet stores are the small species.

I had to go to a local importer to get a Ornate birchir.($40 for 4" )

Ropefish get long not big...LOL
They also grow slow IMO.
I have had 2 and they live in peacefully together.
They will fight over food like worms,great fun to watch.

I am sure you can keep one or even two ropefish.
This would limit the amount of fish you could put in that tank.
Only a couple or 3 fish at most.

I keep 2 adult fish per 20 gal in my fishroom unless it is small fry.
(depend on the species of fish in the end,some stay solo )


You could research while you save money for a bigger aquarium.

This is a fantastic family of fish.

Good Luck

Members of the genus Polypterus
There are approximately 45 species in this genus:

P. aethiopicus · P. annectens · P. ansorgei ansorgei · P. ansorgei delhezi · P. ansorgii (Bichir) · P. bichir (Nile Bichir) · P. bichir bichir (Bichir) · P. bichir katangae · P. bichir lapradei (Bichir) · P. bichir lapradii · P. bicker · P. birchir · P. bichir subsp. katangae · P. delhezi (Barred Bichir) · P. dolloi · P. endlicheri (Saddled Bichir) · P. endlicheri concicus · P. endlicheri congicus · P. endlicheri endlicheri (Saddled Bichir) · P. endlicherii congicus · P. endlicherii endlicherii · Erpetoichthys calabaricus · P. faraou · P. senegalus subsp. senegalus · P. endlicheri subsp. congicus · P. endlicheri subsp. congicus · P. retropinnis · P. mokelembembe · P. ornatipinnis (Ornate Bichir) · P. ornstipinnis · P. palma (Marbled Bichir) · P. palmas (Marbled Bichir) · P. palmas buettikoferi · P. palmas congicus · P. palmas palmas (Marbled Bichir) · P. palmas polli · P. retropinnis (West African Bichir) · P. retropinnis lowei · P. retropinnis retropinnis · P. endlicheri subsp. endlicheri · P. senegalus (Gray Bichir) · P. senegalus meridionalis · P. senegalus senegalus (Bichir) · P. teugelsi · P. weeksii (Mottled Bichir)


----------



## skarasek (Aug 25, 2008)

You said ropefish grow slowly. What is an approximate estimation in inches a month? Plenty of food in a 125, starting at about 8"? And same question for a 3" senegal bichir? Any experience mixing those two with a clown knife? I plan to get one soon, and just want to make sure the bichir gets big enough to have a fighting chance and to not appear as easy food before I get the clown.


----------



## Zmouvek (2 mo ago)

skarasek said:


> I am about to try the same thing. I have a 125 gallon tank. Bichir get very big, but ropefish get even larger. They are very similar fish, both will eat anything they can fit in their mouths, but neither are extremely aggressive, and should be fine with each other. As for the brackish question, it is a no for sure. I converted a fresh tank, housing a bichir, into brackish water very slowly, but even so, it stopped eating, became very lathargic, and died shortly after.


From what I understand (and have seen) Bichir are actually the larger of the 2, because while ropefish are longer, they are much Skinner than bichir, whist bichir are more girthy and thus larger.


----------

