How to Keep Bichirs? Detailed Guide to Care and Daily Management
Bichirs are large living-fossil fish that are relatively easy to keep and are almost unfussy eaters. Quite a few people keep bichirs at home, so how do you keep a bichir?
1. Water quality: Bichirs have very low demands on water quality, and you do not need to pay attention to the pH and hardness of the water the way you do when keeping some ornamental fish. They usually live in slightly acidic or neutral water, and generally tap water left to stand in the sun for a few days is ready to use.
2. Temperature: The suitable water temperature for adult bichirs is 20°C-25°C. If the water temperature is slowly lowered to 20°C, it will not harm them either; the water temperature for juvenile bichirs should be kept at 25°C and above, but must not exceed 30°C.
3. Tank: Bichirs have a large body and are soft-bodied, and their demands on their living environment are not that strict. The choice of tank size depends on the size of the species you are keeping. For example, the bichir king needs to be kept in a large aquarium; if you can grow it to 50 cm, you need to prepare a 1.5 m aquarium; while for smaller species of around 30 cm, a 60 cm tank is enough. If you want to give it a good water environment, then the bigger the tank the better.
Spread some substrate sand in the tank and put in a piece of driftwood (it is said that agarwood can release chemical substances in the water that keep the fish calm, and it can also serve as its hiding place). You can also put in some hollow PVC pipes for it to play hide-and-seek in.
4. Feeding: The bichir is a thoroughgoing carnivore, and it is almost unfussy, whether it is small fish and shrimp or animal organs and meat, they will take it all. Its usual hunting strategy is to wait passively, quietly waiting for prey; when the prey appears near it, it will quickly bite it and then swallow it directly. Of course, if it is hungry, it will also take the initiative to attack.
Bichirs look very peculiar and are loved by many people. Bichirs are also very easy to feed, so owners must take good care of them.