Bichir with Oscar or Convicts?

[BigDaddy420]

i just caught my bichir finishing off one of my new corycats. ive decided its time for him to move.

the convict tank is a 20 tall, m/f convict but they seem to have no interest in breeding and its been over a month i think. i have 3 caves in there, a coconut, a flower pot and one very big rock formation cave and some hornwort floating around. i was thinking of moving him into there maybe instead of the 55.

the 55 is inhabited by 2 plecos which will be removed when they get bigger than 6 inches,probably back to the pet store. multiple caves, you can see pics of it in the rate my tank section. the oscar is in there, obviously, and about 20 convict feeders that the oscar cant catch.

the bichir has to go into one of these tanks, plz help me choose which one would be the best, i cant get another tank without a divorce lawyer. and i cant part with this eel because it was a gift from my father. if you had to choose between the 2, where would you put it?

 

[BigDaddy420]

he's now eaten 2 more mollies, and every cory that was in there, and one more platy, he must have a taste for cories, he's going in the 55 tonight, pray for him. lol

 

[tubbs24]

I'd put him in the 55, for size sake.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I agree. I doubt the oscar could do anything to him, or vice versa. And depending on the size, he's probably already too big for the 20g or else he will be eventually anyways. Make sure to have enough caves in the 55g for both plecos and the bichir.

 

[BigDaddy420]

thanks i have 4 or 5 caves, 2 or 3 are to small for the oscar so the bichir will have refuge, i cant believe he ate all my fish all of a sudden like that. my tank looks bare now, all my cories are gone and 2 of those were in there way before him, he even ate a full size platy, which he woulda had to eat chunk by chunk he was to big to eat whole. if he messes with the oscar he goes to the convicts and i know they can handle him.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

He must have just figured out that he could eat them and that they tasted good... and then he went to town. Nice of you to provide him such a neat hunting experience...

 

[BigDaddy420]

well he's living with the oscar and seems to be doing well, ive seen the O take a nip at him once or twice but nothing major, no marks or whatnot. i just recieved a 30 or 40 gallon tank complete, im thinking of moving him into there, i just hate to waste a tank that big on one fish, and its not even really a fish, its an eel!

 

[straitjacket]

It's not an eel, it's a fish.

Dinosaur, cause the family has been around that long
Eel, because it superficially resembles one.

What I've seen sold as a "dinosaur eel" is Polpyterus senegalus. Usually max out at about a foot in length. Have voracious appetities, as you've discovered. They should have a tank with a minimum footprint of 48"x12" to give the fish plenty of room to move. It doesn't have to be kept singly, only ith fish not small enough for it to eat. If that 40gl tank fits the suggested footprint it could easily be paired ith a medium sized fish (like that con who will grow to a thick 6") for company. Or a firemouth, or blue acara, etc. Heavy filtration and make sure any and all holes are covered and the lid is weighed down to prevent it from escaping because these fish are VERY good at it.
Good luck.