About May 2023 I purchased a 5 inch endlicheri bicher and housed him in a 25 gal bare bottom aquarium with several clumps of java fern and anubias.
The bichir grew very fast to 9 inches and 1 week ago I moved him to a fully cycled 60 gal with sand, a few large pieces of driftwood, and several 'easy' plants.
I researched compatible tank mates for the bichir and decided a Leopard Bush Fish Ctenopoma would be a nice addition given its habits and being also from the Congo.
I asked around to about 5 local fish stores, and not one of them said they could procure a leopard bush fish for me.
So I searched online, and I found a few suppliers that had small 1-2 inch captive bred fish. Knowing these would probably not survive with the 9 inch bichir, I continued my search.
I found a shop in Connecticut, US with a 4 inch + bush fish fish for sale and willing to ship to Southern California.
I was assured it was healthy and eating well so I went ahead and ordered ( this was my first fish purchased online, as I prefer to buy locally).
It took a bit of back and forth to get the tracking number, but UPS eventually reported I would receive the package by 7 pm Pacific time yesterday Oct 4, 2023.
I checked the details and it was seeming placed in the truck at 9 am. It rode around in the truck all day and was eventually delivered at 6:45 pm.
No damage to the box, and no stickers such as "live animals' or "this side up" on the box.
I opened the cardboard box, followed by the internal styrofoam box, to a soggy mess of wet newspaper. I unwrapped all that to thin double bags with a couple teaspoons of water and an apparently DOA bush fish! I was supper stressed and immediately siphoned 2 gals of water into a bucket with the non-responsive bush fish.
Imagine my surprise when after about 5 minutes, the bush fish was revived and milling about in the bucket! After about 20 minutes in the bucket, I moved the bush fish to the 25 gal tank upstairs that was still setup as a potential grow out tank. This was instead of introducing him to the bichir in the 60 gal so the bush fish could recover.
I checked the bush fish a few times in the night and he seemed fine. He is cruising around this morning 10/05 but not interested in a red wriggler worm I offered him.
I read these fish have a labyrinth organ and can breathe air so maybe that helped him survive his torturous journey?
Maybe I should name him 'Lucky' !
(I'll try to get better pics of the leopard bush fish once he settles in more)
The bichir grew very fast to 9 inches and 1 week ago I moved him to a fully cycled 60 gal with sand, a few large pieces of driftwood, and several 'easy' plants.
I researched compatible tank mates for the bichir and decided a Leopard Bush Fish Ctenopoma would be a nice addition given its habits and being also from the Congo.
I asked around to about 5 local fish stores, and not one of them said they could procure a leopard bush fish for me.
So I searched online, and I found a few suppliers that had small 1-2 inch captive bred fish. Knowing these would probably not survive with the 9 inch bichir, I continued my search.
I found a shop in Connecticut, US with a 4 inch + bush fish fish for sale and willing to ship to Southern California.
I was assured it was healthy and eating well so I went ahead and ordered ( this was my first fish purchased online, as I prefer to buy locally).
It took a bit of back and forth to get the tracking number, but UPS eventually reported I would receive the package by 7 pm Pacific time yesterday Oct 4, 2023.
I checked the details and it was seeming placed in the truck at 9 am. It rode around in the truck all day and was eventually delivered at 6:45 pm.
No damage to the box, and no stickers such as "live animals' or "this side up" on the box.
I opened the cardboard box, followed by the internal styrofoam box, to a soggy mess of wet newspaper. I unwrapped all that to thin double bags with a couple teaspoons of water and an apparently DOA bush fish! I was supper stressed and immediately siphoned 2 gals of water into a bucket with the non-responsive bush fish.
Imagine my surprise when after about 5 minutes, the bush fish was revived and milling about in the bucket! After about 20 minutes in the bucket, I moved the bush fish to the 25 gal tank upstairs that was still setup as a potential grow out tank. This was instead of introducing him to the bichir in the 60 gal so the bush fish could recover.
I checked the bush fish a few times in the night and he seemed fine. He is cruising around this morning 10/05 but not interested in a red wriggler worm I offered him.
I read these fish have a labyrinth organ and can breathe air so maybe that helped him survive his torturous journey?
Maybe I should name him 'Lucky' !
(I'll try to get better pics of the leopard bush fish once he settles in more)
