Can angelfish live with bichirs?

Verdict

No. Angelfish and bichirs should not share a tank. An adult bichir is twice the size of an angelfish and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.

Angelfish76–84°F · pH 6–7.5

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult bichir is twice the size of an angelfish and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
Watch outBichirs are much bigger and pushier than angelfish, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.

What works

Both are fine at 76–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: angelfish the mid, bichirs the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Angelfish	Bichir
Temperature	76–84 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	30 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for angelfish

All angelfish tank mates

Better tank mates for bichirs