TankmateChecker

Can bichirs live with crayfish?

Verdict

No

No. Bichirs and crayfish should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches crayfish do.

Bichir

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Crayfish

Crayfish65–77°F · pH 6.5–8

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches crayfish do.

What works

Both are fine at 72–77°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.

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	Crayfish
Temperature	72–82 °F	65–77 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–8
Adult size	12.0 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	One per tank
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bichirs

All bichir tank mates

Better tank mates for crayfish

All crayfish tank mates

Questions

Can bichirs live with crayfish?

No. Bichirs and crayfish should not share a tank. An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches crayfish do.

What temperature suits both bichirs and crayfish?

72–77 °F. Bichirs need 72–82 °F, crayfish need 65–77 °F.

What size tank do bichirs and crayfish need together?

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