Polypterus lapradei

[Xeno]

Hey,
I recently got back into keeping bichirs and I want to use my 200x55cm/ 78.7x21.6in tank to house them in
(I decided to rehome my large silverdollar species. I successfully rehomed the schomburgkii into a 6.5ft by 3.3ft tank now the rubripinnis are next. I am considering donating them to the public aquarium of Cologne).
At the moment I do have three Polypterus delhezi and two Polypterus ornatipinnis. The original plan was to get some more delhezi but I recently caught interest in lower jaw species.
Longterm the tank would not be deep enough to house a let's say 70cm endlicherii. So I started doing research on Polypterus lapradei which seem to be rarely kept in Germany.
One of my fishdealers could ship a specimen of around 20cm size to me for 50€ (plus shipping).
As far as I know after researching this species on German and English websites/ forums they do have the potential to reach 70cm (German source w/o proof) but do stay around 45-55cm in aquariums with 60cm long fish being very rare wild caught specimen.

A 45-55cm bichir with no urge to swim around would be ok to me in my aquarium.

I'd be interested in the opinion of people who have actually kept this species.

 

[kno4te]

I’ve had them several lapradeis and not currently. It’ll hit the 60cm but will take a while. Will slow down after 30-38cm from experience. Can get away with keeping one in the tank.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
so it's very likely for a specimen kept in an aquarium to reach 60cm?
I mean I do have a 55cm long Mastacembelus dayi and I know that a 60cm "log" can't be compared to let's say a 60cm Pangasius or Cichla but I am not sure if I would be comfortable with a 60cm bichir in a 55cm wide tank.

 

[kno4te]

If it’s wild then yes but will take a few years. If it’s a cb lapradei then it’ll be fine.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
sadly I can only get WC Lapradei from Ughelli/ Nigeria.
Do you know if there are any differences in the potential size of laps from different biotopes?

I could get CB endlicherii but those can get even larger than laps...

 

[Xeno]

Too slow to edit the previous post:

The endlis I could get are "mass produced" specimen from Czech.
Do they even get as large as a wc lap?

 

[kno4te]

Hey,
sadly I can only get WC Lapradei from Ughelli/ Nigeria.
Do you know if there are any differences in the potential size of laps from different biotopes?

I could get CB endlicherii but those can get even larger than laps...

No size differences with the different biotopes.

Cb endli will get about 50cm. Still an option.

Too slow to edit the previous post:

The endlis I could get are "mass produced" specimen from Czech.
Do they even get as large as a wc lap?

Cb endlis can be close to 50cm. They will get big as wc laps and more girth.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
first of all I want to thank you for your replies!

So if it was your tank and you were looking at these species with having the option of a wc lapradei or a cb endlicheri in a tank the size I mentioned above with some upper jaws which species would you personally choose in regard of keeping it comfortably longterm in this aquarium?

 

[kno4te]

I’d keep a wc lapradei, esp koloton. They have a better yellow coloring. Not all wc will hit the 24in mark. The end tail fins will be long and bend but not bend the body of the fish which is more of a concern to me.

 

[Xeno]

Hey,
and I did it.
I got some pictures of the available laps and I must say that I really like the Nigerian variation.
I will switch to a darker substrate before I set up the 6.5ft tank as predator tank.
For now it is in a 120gal to gain some more size.

I took the pic on the first day I got it.
It will be a decent visual contrast to the ornatipinnis and delhezi.