Above: In the picture is a nice premium quality Albino Bichir, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: These are fabulous looking fish, with unique prehistoric characteristics.

Origin: Their ancestors lived across a wide area of Africa, but now skillful fish farmers raise them for aquariums, and so they're found living in aquariums all over the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums, Bichirs can grow to be about 12" long, and sometimes larger if fed properly, and if the water quality is good.

Behaviors: Bichirs are usually mildly aggressive fish that will sometimes eat smaller fish.

Compatibility: Some recommended tankmates include most fish that are not too aggressive and not too small.

Our DrTom has kept Bichirs that are not huge with mild tempered Cichlids like Eartheaters, and with fish like Silver Dollars, Clown Loaches, Pink Kissing Fish, Plecostomus, and other Catfish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Bichirs live best from about 75 to 80-degrees F. with 78 being perhaps ideal.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is best to feed to Bichirs.

Feed them smaller sized pellets when they are small, and larger sized pellets when they're bigger.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: They are used to hard alkaline water, but these fish can adapt to most types of water, and so as usual it's best not to try to change the pH or alkalinity.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: when young and under 5" long Bichirs will do fine in an aquarium with at least 30-gallons of water, but of course bigger is better.

Later when they've grown to 6" and larger, they'll need to live in an aquarium with at least 60-gallons of water.

As they grow larger, they'll need a larger aquarium. Eventually they may grow big enough to need a very large aquarium with about 250-gallons of water and a large powerful filtering system.

Decor: Bichirs do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live plants are beautiful and improve the water quality, and may be essential to Bichirs.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.

Most 60-gallon aquariums have room along the back for at least two Penguin 350B Filters, and this is sort of a minimal set up for adults of this species.

Better is a 80, 100, or 120-gallon or bigger aquarium with as many Penguin 350B Filters as will fit across the back.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Bichirs can live for several years. Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they may live even longer lives perhaps as long as 25-years.

Gender: The males anal fin is usually thicker and larger than the female, but it's difficult to see the difference.

Breeding: There are some reports of this wild fish breeding in captivity, but it's rare. Professional fish farmers now raise Bichirs for aquariums.

Bichirs scatter their eggs among the leaves of live plants, then first guard their eggs and then later guard the fry after the eggs hatch.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Popularity: This fish is still rather rare in the hobby, but now that they are being produced on fish farms, they should become much more popular.

Names: The scientific name for these Albino Bichirs is Polypterus senegalus.

Variations: There are many variations of Bichirs in the wild and in the aquarium hobby.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Wild Fish, including a picture gallery.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.

DrTom - 09/24/2015