Smallest size Tankmate for Bichirs

[Narwhal]

So I have long been intrigued by Polypterus species. But when it is generally tankmates that make me cautious about them. Most places I see, say as long as it cannot fit in the mouth, but without knowing how big the mouth is that is not particularly useful. Sometimes though, they will take on bigger fish, or rip a slightly bigger fish into pieces. But when I looked at the Bircher care by beblondi, I saw the compatibility included some pretty small fish.
the species I am particulary interested in would be the Senegal Bichir as it is pretty small compared to some other species, the compatibility included kribs (which are about 4 inches), which is the most interesting as I would want to keep them in a west African biotope. I have seen other people suggest upside-down catfish (I assume Synodontis nigriventris, also about 4 inches, but they could have meant eupterus) and the congo tetra (which is just over 3 inches). My question, especially with cichlids as they sleep near the bottom, how big is safe with a Senegal bichir?

And also how about P. ornatipinnis or some of the other species just for reference?

 

[Zilch]

Upper jaws like the Senegal are not really great fish assassins. Their months are much smaller than their lower jaw counterparts so the fish you can keep with them can be pretty small. Senegals stay smaller than most other types so you're probably safe with 4 inch fish. I've never seen one of my guys grab into another fish and take out a chunk, though I'm sure if the other fish was dead they'd probably go to town.

Bichirs are very lazy predators... More opportunistic than a hunter, and their eyesight stinks

You might not want to go ornate, they're pretty but they grow much larger and are considered a more aggressive upper jaw. You might want to look at delhezis and Palmas species as they stay pretty small too. Mokelembembes stay the smallest but are harder to find

 

[Polyaddict86]

I think senegal will be the safest poly with other fish, aslong the tank mates are wide enough not to be swallowed. Lenght is not important to any poly, you might have a skinny 4" fish and that can easilly be eaten by a 8" senegal, but if the fish is wide enough than the senegals mouth you should be fine.
One more thing is polys are lazy and most likely will not defend their own, so if adding a tank mate make sure they are not aggressive too, most cichlids are aggressive.

 

[Narwhal]

So fish like loaches or sword tails which are pretty dainty and elongated, so in the case of more peaceful cichlids a Steatocranus tinanti is a worse choice than a Large Female Krib, smaller Angelfish, or smaller Aulonocara species.

 

[tlindsey]

Welcome aboard Ime with Senegal Bichir are exactly what the others have stated and I have been keeping Sen's for a few years now. I have kribensis but in a separate aquarium but have thought about 1 day adding a few to the Polys aquarium. Kribs should be fine but if they pair up they are mean little customers and will defend until the end. I've actually had my Megalodorus Irwinni in with the Kribs lol and it reminded me of a Whale Shark in there with them lol. Be blonde has some great info in her stickies.

 

[tlindsey]

Don't put Angel fish with them the Polys may nip at the long trailing pectoral fins. Clown Loaches would probably be ok but make sure their thick and healthy not skinny enough for Senegal to attempt to eat the CL.

 

[Narwhal]

How about cichlids like Pundamilia nyererei (one of the smaller Vics and very pretty, and generally I have found with Rift Valley Cichlids, as long as they have enough other cichlids to chase about, and the other fish is larger and keeps out of their way they will leave them alone) or some of the West Africans like Jewels or Pseudocrenilabrus that are a bit less cylindrical than Kribs

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Don't put Angel fish with them the Polys may nip at the long trailing pectoral fins. Clown Loaches would probably be ok but make sure their thick and healthy not skinny enough for Senegal to attempt to eat the CL.

I have CL's in with my polys, they've been in since about 2" but they have bigger school mates so I think that helped deter the polys from ever grabbing them lol.

 

[Polyaddict86]

I think a 4"-5" clown loach or any loach aslong as its thick will be fine with senegal, ornate or the other hand grows big and imo the most aggressive upper jaw.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

I think a 4"-5" clown loach or any loach aslong as its thick will be fine with senegal, ornate or the other hand grows big and imo the most aggressive upper jaw.

agreed, mine have been in with sens, dels, ornates and a koliba. no casualties.