Can bichirs live with boesemani rainbowfish?

Verdict

No. Bichirs and boesemani rainbowfish should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches boesemani rainbowfish do.

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches boesemani rainbowfish do.

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bichirs the bottom, boesemani rainbowfish 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	Boesemani rainbowfish
Temperature	72–82 °F	75–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7–8
Adult size	12.0 in	4.0 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
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 boesemani rainbowfish

All boesemani rainbowfish tank mates

Questions

Can bichirs live with boesemani rainbowfish?

No. Bichirs and boesemani rainbowfish should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 4 inches boesemani rainbowfish do.

What temperature suits both bichirs and boesemani rainbowfish?

75–82 °F. Bichirs need 72–82 °F, boesemani rainbowfish need 75–82 °F.

What size tank do bichirs and boesemani rainbowfish need together?

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