Bichir thread #40
 

Here are some more photos of my PBB. The 1st picture show a nigerian lap and a PBB head. The other show the 2 different species at a further view.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...B/P1160866.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...B/P1160885.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...B/P1160846.jpg

Can across this interesting picture of a polypterus in a japanese website, can anyone tell if it's a nigerian or PBB?

http://big-in.jp/img_item/100630_2258110.jpg
http://big-in.jp/img_item/100630_2258123.jpg
http://big-in.jp/img_item/100630_2258122.jpg

Btw it's Congicus season now, hopefully our importers will bring in some for us. :)
Anyone got those long fin albino senegal recent batch last friday? I heard got a few very nice with super long fins. Post some photos to show lei

Seems like a PBB to me.

Anyway guys, I just saw my lapradei flipped belly side up and when I tried to help it back, it swam away in that tilted position. Currently, it's breathing heavily and remains in a slightly tilted position. It was fine yesterday and when I turned on the lights today, I saw it in a pretty awkward position but didn't think much into it, until my brother realised it flipped over! Tankmates are all bichirs of smaller sizes. No abnormality regarding the water condition and no other bichirs exhibit such a behavior. Also, large air bubbles escape from its gills and it curls up opposite side down occasionally. When it goes into this state, it is even possible for me to touch it with my bare hands, so you can imagine the seriousness of its condition. I desparately need some advices on how to save it, so please render any form of help you can. Thanks in advance:(

I had a juvi endi still with external gills that experinced something like that , apparently it was.attacked , could your other bichir have attacked it?

Not likely. Here's its present condition: occasionally it turns upside down(not sure why, but my hypothesis is that it cannot control the amount of air in its body) and it'll try desparately to turn itself over but to no avail. Hence, I'll have to flip it up myself manually and when that happens, bubbles will escape from its gills. The amount of air inside its body then returns to the norm, where it can return to its original state. If my hypothesis is right, the air is trapped in an organ at the lower part of the bichir. When it is overfilled with air, it will result in the bichir flipping over and me manually flipping it over allows this excess air to escape through its gills. If this is the case for my lapradei, what can I do to alleviate this problem? Thanks.

epsom salt might help.

try epsom salt.

Thanks for the advices. How do I go about using the epsom salt and how much should I add per cubic foot? Thanks. Really worried that it might not make it to tomorrow:(

just add a little will do. it will help the fish to pass out the air.

What you feeding it mate?

I ask, as Hikari pellets, awesome that they are, can go off after a while.
I had similar problems with a little Endli once, it turned out to be off pellets producing too much excess gas in the little fishy.

It passed after a few days, and Endli was right as rain.

Good luck!