TankmateChecker

Can bichirs live with black skirt tetras?

Verdict

No

No. Bichirs and black skirt tetras should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.

Bichir

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Black skirt tetra

Black skirt tetra70–80°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.
Watch outBichirs grow to 12 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for black skirt tetras.

What works

Both are fine at 72–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bichirs the bottom, black skirt tetras the mid.

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

	Bichir	Black skirt tetra
Temperature	72–82 °F	70–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	12.0 in	2.5 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bichirs

All bichir tank mates

Better tank mates for black skirt tetras

All black skirt tetra tank mates

Questions

Can bichirs live with black skirt tetras?

No. Bichirs and black skirt tetras should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 2.5 inches black skirt tetras do.

What temperature suits both bichirs and black skirt tetras?

72–80 °F. Bichirs need 72–82 °F, black skirt tetras need 70–80 °F.

What size tank do bichirs and black skirt tetras need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the bichir. Add space for each extra fish.