Bichir with Mbuna and Featherfin cats

Guys,

I have a question.

could one introduce a small polypterus into a mbuna tank with Featerfinns if its about 2 - 2.5 inches?

 

He /she might get harassed by the mbunas but generally they will leave the birchir alone.

Mine is close to 20cm now and still gets chased out of the caves by the mbunas, but they grew up together.

 

Thank you any difficulties with his diet/feeding him/her?

I might get one on the way home

 

Yeah, because they are slow feeders and mbunas just chow everything, best will be to first feed the mbuna nice and full and then feed the Bichir. Preferably a hour or two after lights out.

Another thing to look out for when they grow up. They will hunt down the small cichlids.

 

Aah, Thanks allot.

might get one If i go through with my decision on my way home. So far luckily all my cichlids are bigger than the Polypterus at least. It will then depend on how quick it grows as well when I get it

 

Hi @Ortaega

Yes, the Polypterus species are meat eaters who aren't extremely competitive when it comes to food in the aquarium. They are slow eaters. They also require a high protein diet which is unsuitable to your Mbuna cichlids who will be first to eat every time.

For this reason I would guess it's not a good combination as you would not be able to keep your Polypterus in optimal health due to difference in diet.

 

Hi,

Thank you for your input, I will definitely take all into consideration before I indeed decide to take it, If not suitable for my Mbuna Tank I will keep it in a separate tank if needed or not take it at all. Just loved the look of it immediately when I saw it @ the store yesterday.

 

I do agree with both Reedfish and Jack. Even though I keep one with Mbunas, it is a real pain to feed the Bichir. I normally will put in a pvc pipe then "deliver" the bichirs food to him directly. but sometimes the mbunas will still steal some of that food.

 

which are you getting? I got the p.delhezi

 

@Ortaega

Sorry I should have mentioned that one can side-step the incompatible diet issue by target feeding the Bichir. It's not often done as requires time and dedication from the aquarium owner on a daily basis, or near daily anyway, predators should be giving a day of fasting around once or a week.

There is also the risk that the Bichir will eat smaller Mbuna if given the chance. Anything that fits in it's mouth is the general rule, maybe + 30% for predators with eyes bigger than their stomach (or mouth). They will also compete for territory if you leave the Bichir to make his/her home in the rocks, if you're going to try it you should probably try and provide a pipe like cave at a size and position in the tank that does not entice the Mbuna to make it home but in which the Bichir is happy.

 

Phoned the shop, they told me its a Polypterus Senegalus now, yesterday they said something else, but it looks something like this:

http://fishprofiles.com/profiles/freshwater/OthersFW/Polypterus_senegalus/

 

From experience they do target the baby mbunas. I've caught 'silent bob' with a juvenile in his mouth before. And since I have quite a think layer of PFS, he will hide in the sand with only his nostrils and eyes sticking out.

But a very interesting thing that I've observed is if the bichir goes into the mbunas cave, he gets nudged out slowly.

My bichir is very chilled but heard that the Senegalese is very active. Not sure how the mbunas will react to that.

 

Agreed!

 

Think I will rather keep it then in a separate tank, just to be safe.

Thank you all for your input!!!

 

I don believe have sufficient knowledge to get involved I a poll like this however I will try..

Just my 2c, but surely the answer is always Maybe and can be justified in any number of ways however the bottom line is that in order to have these species living together you would always have to go to lengths beyond the norm to ensure the survival of all of them. There would surely be constant aggression in this proposed environment, competition for ground and cave territory let alone the dietary differences etc.. Someone in this scenario ends up dead 9 times out of 10 im sure..

Thanks,

 

Thanks @GregM,

Decided against it for now until I have more experience in fish keeping and will rather attempt keeping it separate.