Endli x Sen Growth Rate

[saucryognathus]

Recently i got two new, very very very young polys, which im growing in a smaller tank by themselves. They are healthy and said to be around the same age, half year old each, but what confuses me is their growth rate, as i got them around the same size but it changed drastically.

The Senegalus is very active and eats everything i put in the tank, including the Endli's food, but i always make sure the Endli eats just as much (if the sen ate its food, ill give it a little more to even it out), keeping them separated from each other at times. So essentially they are eating the same ammount.

Despite everything, the Endli is considerably smaller. It is a little calmer than the sen so maybe its the constant moving of the other that makes it grow faster? They are both healthy, swim normally, search for food as expected and everything. The water parameters are also good, and they are both in the same tank so I highly doubt thats it.

The tank im growing them for now is 20l (5,2 gallons or something), but again, they are both in there and are still growing differently.

Recently i tried to feed them live fish, as i have a delhezi that used to be like the endli that started to grow faster as i did the same thing before, but the endli just didnt catch anything.

Any tips on how to maybe boost its growth? I never had a Endli before so maybe its a species thing? Maybe it is a shortbody?

Will be attaching a picture of the endli in my hand and another (poor quality) one alongside the senegalus for scale.

 

[rayoddballfish]

Endlicheri and Senegal growth rates will vary from specimen to specimen but generally, 2-5 cm per month for juvenile endlicheri bichir and 1-3 cm per month for Senegal bichir.

There are a few factors that influence the growth rate:
- Genetics: Many captive breed fish have worse genetics due to inbreeding causing slower growth rates or semi short/sb fish
- Diet: Feed high protein varied foods like tilapia, silversides, shrimp (sparingly), pellets
Water Quality: Higher percentage (75 percent +), weekly water changes encourage growth spurts in bichirs and most of the esteemed community members with bichirs here generally do large and frequent water changes

To me the fish does not look short or semi short but you'll have a better understanding as it grows larger. I will add, if you plan to grow them out in a smaller tank like a 20L you must perform more frequent water changes and highly recommend getting at least a 100L tank for faster and better growth. As you prob are aware, Senegal bichir can reach up to 30 cm (most will get 15-25 cm) and Endlicheri bichir can reach to 50+cm (most will get 35-55 cm) so longterm they will need a much larger aquarium.

Hope this answers some of your questions. Best of luck! Feel free to ask me anything I might have missed or new questions

 

[saucryognathus]

Endlicheri and Senegal growth rates will vary from specimen to specimen but generally, 2-5 cm per month for juvenile endlicheri bichir and 1-3 cm per month for Senegal bichir.

There are a few factors that influence the growth rate:
- Genetics: Many captive breed fish have worse genetics due to inbreeding causing slower growth rates or semi short/sb fish
- Diet: Feed high protein varied foods like tilapia, silversides, shrimp (sparingly), pellets
Water Quality: Higher percentage (75 percent +), weekly water changes encourage growth spurts in bichirs and most of the esteemed community members with bichirs here generally do large and frequent water changes

To me the fish does not look short or semi short but you'll have a better understanding as it grows larger. I will add, if you plan to grow them out in a smaller tank like a 20L you must perform more frequent water changes and highly recommend getting at least a 100L tank for faster and better growth. As you prob are aware, Senegal bichir can reach up to 30 cm (most will get 15-25 cm) and Endlicheri bichir can reach to 50+cm (most will get 35-55 cm) so longterm they will need a much larger aquarium.

Hope this answers some of your questions. Best of luck! Feel free to ask me anything I might have missed or new questions

Thank you so much!! I was doing weekly water changes already but that was it! Will go after more varied food for them, and about the tank, im just trying to get them big enough so they wont be eaten by the others, but i plan on moving them on the much larger tank soon!!

Again, tysm, that was bugging me for quite a while!!