Get 4 to 5 rainbows and wow they are beautiful!

mz, these days fish are farm raised, so the fish really know very little about natural habitats except for their basic instinct to roam about about...but you know something, there's a stream that I walk down through sometimes, and there are small fish in several different pockets along the banks, the fish do tend to stay within the confines of about a 4 foot by 6 foot area

but I do understand your reasoning that we tend to "imprison" fish in our glass boxes...but though man has done this for centuries, while we are doing this, we should pay mind to what the fish needs. In other words, just because we do "imprison" the fish, does not mean we must be so cruel that we place a defenseless fish in with a territorial fish, with knowing the fish will die. Of course there are feeder fish, but in the wild, there are "feeder fish" all the time.

So what I am saying as is Alasse is, if you plan to keep fish you really should respect each fish's basic compatibility requirements. Even with the bichir (which by the way is a cuvier bichir which requires a minimum of a 90 gallon tank for just 2 of these guys), if you truly cared about this caged fish - I do not want to offend, but I really need to be honest here - you would at least suit it with its natural habitat, that is it needs room to grow (Alasse is 100% correct, it is a myth that a fish will only grow as big as the limitations of the tank...the bichir (cuiver) will grow up to one foot long regardless if it is in a 5 gallon tank or a 300 gallon tank; but at least in a 90 gallon tank as a minimum size, you gives it or two of them room to "breathe"...stress more than anything else in this hobby will kill a fish quicker than anything else...a 30 gallon tank will stress the bichir to the point that it will die prematurely)...so to make my point as short as possible, if you truly cared about the bichir (either one), you will get it a tank of its own (a species tank), give it away to a friend or give it to a pet store. There are no other alternatives...that's if you truly care about this fish.

Khuli loach is a peaceful fish. IT will die, I promise you this once the other semi-aggressive fish reach their maturity. There is no way around this fact. You should trade the khuli in for dwarf chain loaches. The following is a link where you can purchase dwarf chain loaches (The cheapest on the internet - where I got mine), only the shipping and handling is a bit high:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/19616/product.web

(shipping and handling: $34.99 overnight)

Get 4, if you can, get 6...if you can find a store somewhere in your area, go for it.

On the 3 tiger barbs, the only possible reason they survived together with a bichir is, the bichir was not full grown and/or the barbs were too fast for the bichir to catch. BUt all in all, the barbs were lucky they did not become a meal.

It is good to see you have the redtail shark and the 6 baby tiger barbs. Next get the dwarf chain loaches (school of 4 to 6 (4 is the absolute minimum) and possible red minor serpae tetra (school of 6), and your tank will be set with the right compatible fish. I have one other suggestion, because dwarf chain loaches or any loaches like snails, you can purchase a few trumpet snails (they breed like crazy but the loaches will keep the population down to a steady limited rate...trumpet snails are the best food for the loaches. Don't be afraid the snails will take over your tank...and the other two great things about the snails, they constantly turn over your gravel by burrowing through it and the snails, at night, will come out and clean the glass panes.

So after all was said and done on my near "book" response, can you please ease up and either get a large tank for the bichir or give them away? My only problem I have with your tank, for it is truly progressing in a very positive manner.

Let me/us know what you decide...and how things go with the future schools of fish.

That isnt a redtailed shark either :) That is a rainbow shark (also called a redfinned shark)

Same deal though, semi aggressive, only 1 shark per tank.

It looked way different than the rainbow sharks they had. Will his colors stay that way?

Ok guys. I do love Bichirs that much. But in my real world i can only have a tank so big. So without going out and spending over 1,000$ on a 90 gal and set up.....when i transfer the semi aggressive over to the 30 gal could i keep the two Bichirs alone in the 20 gal. (long) for a year or so until i move into much larger money and get a rad set up for them? I really dont want to give up the spotted Bichir.

On my way out now to go build my tank stand. So stoked. Ill have pictures by tonight. hahahahaha

I agree 100% Alasse, people need to research fish and their requirements before they look into anything else.

90 gallon plus is best...2 bichirs in a 20 gallon, yes, only if both are only under 5 inches long....if more than 5 inches, you will stress 2 bichirs in a 20 gallon...I hate to be telling you the same thing, but from a fish's point of view, you are really doing it a disservice. But they're your fish, and if you can live with the fact you are stressing them, then so be it...even temporarily, it is not good...you should ask yourself, would you like to be temporarily confined in your tub? Because as far as size that is relative to the 20 gallon with 2 bichirs, it would be like being confined in a tub for months on end...think about it

ultimately, it's up to you