Dinosaur Bichir and Brown Knife

Twitch

It is possible that I am getting a 60g tank for free. I'm not sure as it is someone giving it away that knows my roommate. (Just spoke to roommate and he says all he has to do is bring it home.) He is saying it is around the size of a 60g but he is not sure.

Now, I work at Petsmart (joy of all joys) and being near the fish has made me want to get into fish again. Two fish that we sell I am really starting to like is the dinosaur bichir and the brown knife. Now, can these two co-exist in a 60g? How big does the bichir and the knife get? What kind of diet is best for them?

And does anyone have pictures of adults?

Oh and as a sidenote, I won't be getting fish anytime soon. The tank is just going to sit for a while. It doesn't come with filter or anything. It is just the tank itself, so I have to wait until my husband and I get our own place (we live with roommates). Just trying to make a plan for what I want to do with it if I get it.

kitten_penang

knife fish minimum 50g average size 8", bichir grows up to 16" to 3 feet depending on species .they also need a shallower tank but both will enjoy a longer tank.

jaysee

I keep them together in a 55, along with congo tetras. I had a spotted ctenapoma (african leaf fish) in there, but it got too aggressive and was removed. I'm hoping that now that there are congo tetras, perhaps the ctenapoma won;t be all over the knife fish when I re introduce it.

Most senegals (dinosaur bichir) will grow to 12 inches or so. Both my bichir and african knife are 7-8 inches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uiw-8aGcALQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnvhY6tR9PY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJYbexKEW60

trukgirl

I'm sure if you were into fish before, that you know to cycle your tank anyways. Both of these fish need a good aged, cycled tank.

I used to keep a Brown Knife. He was my fav freshwater fish ever. He would actually let me hand feed and pet him! He ate the flakes I gave everyone (he was in a mixed community 55g, flakes were TetraColor Crisps) and also frozen bloodworm cubes. He wouldn't touch freeze-dried anything. I'm sure BK's would take other live or frozen stuff, I just tried the froz bloodworm cubes and he loved them, so I stopped there, LOL.

On a side note, they are definitely nocturnal. Mine had a great cave to hide in and would not come out till the lights were out. So make sure it definitely has a good hidey-hole, and don't expect to see him zipping about all day like they do there at the store.

jaysee

Mine is out when the lights are on, but it took like 6 or 7 months for it to get comfortable enough to be that way. They are wild caught, so lots of patience is needed while the fish adjusts.

kitten_penang

hiding places in the tanks also helps them get bolder if they are the timid type.it will take a while but they will come out more often and feel less stress or threatened.