Fish compatibility question :-)

sidneymysnake

I have a Common Pleco and a senegal birchir. My Jack Dempsy Cichlid passed on recently so I am looking for something that will go with the pleco and the birchir. I don't care if it's aggressive or passive, but my birchir will eat what he can catch so it can't be too small or slow.

The tank is a 90 gallon, two HOB Penguin 350s on it. I know the pleco is going to grow out of it, but he's too small for the pond atm so he's inside.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

kitten_penang

blood parrots,Oscar maybe large chilids???

1077

If you are prepared to clean mechanical portion of filter media perhaps weekly, then an Oscar would work so long as it is larger than the bichir which can grow to a foot long with proper care.
Oscars are large messy fish, and not too aggressive unless spawning and an Oscar combined with pleco, will create serious waste which could compromise water quality quickly.
Severums would also work and aren't quite as messy as Oscars and don't tend to re-arrange the tank decor to the extent that Oscars will.
I did not see where you are from, but unless your water in pond during winter does not drop below 50 to 60 degrees F the Pleco will not survive winter in the pond.

sidneymysnake

Blood parrots are out of the question. I dislike them for many reasons. I rather never even see another Oscar. I have bred them in the past and dealt with their messes and I don't really want to go back to that. I may consider sevrums again. I guess I should have noted that I don't like the parrots and the oscars, that was my mistake.

My senegal birchir is holding at about 8 inches. He was kept in a 29 gallon tank for about 2 years of his life. I found him on craigslist because he was eating the guys fish and the guy was mad so I took him. I have had him for about 5 years now and he's has maybe grown an inch. So I'm not worried about him growing and eating other fish. He much rather stick to shrimp and platties that I feed him from a pair of tongs, he has no interest in anything he can't easily catch.

I live in SW FL and being that I can go into a canal and catch wild plecos all day, I'm sure the ones in my pond will be fine. All 3 of the plecos that I have are from peoples tanks when they outgrow them and the people don't have anywhere else to take them. The 'pond' they are in at the moment is just a temporary fix until my house sells. At the new house I am actually going to build a pond, or if it has an in ground pool (as many houses here do), depending on its size I may consider turning that into a pond. But that is a farfetched dream until I can convince my hubby that it's necessary.

Thank you for your suggestions, more are welcome.

1077

For 90 gallons, perhaps synodontis angelicus or multipuctatus, maybe larger specimens of blue acara,Firemouth,polleni cichlid,and or some of the larger barbs.?Maybe large congo tetras as well?
Problem is finding specimens large enough not to draw interest from the bichir.

kitten_penang

the flower horn =) or arowanas (good for large ponds)

sidneymysnake

I would love to get an arowana, but in my neighborhood it's not very safe to do so. Ask me what happened to my Koi fish and my outside cat. I have a very strong sneeking suspicion that they were lunch for my neighbors. My neighbors have told me many stories about eating guinea pigs and other such animals, also I have seen them eating iguanas many times, so I really wouldn't put it past them.

I might look into the congo tetras as well as some of the others that you listed. I guess I'll have to go to the local fish store to see what they even have on hand or have the ability to get.

iamntbatman

Have you considered Leopard Ctenopoma (sometimes called bushfish, African leaf fish, and probably a dozen other names)? Ctenopoma acutirostre should be fine with bichir (provided you buy them big enough not to be eaten) and would make for a nice African predator tank. I think large Congo tetras would probably work in this tank, too, but I might ask someone who has tried this before attempting it myself as big Congo tetras would make for a pretty expensive treat for bichirs and ctenopoma.

sidneymysnake

As I said - the birchir sits at the bottom and waits to be catered on. He is only 6" long and hasn't grown for about a year now. So I'm not too worried about he going after anything.