TankmateChecker

Can bichirs live with kribensis?

Verdict

No

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

Bichir

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Kribensis

Kribensis75–80°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 75–80°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	Kribensis
Temperature	72–82 °F	75–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	12.0 in	4.0 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bichirs

All bichir tank mates

Better tank mates for kribensis

All kribensis tank mates

Questions

Can bichirs live with kribensis?

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

What temperature suits both bichirs and kribensis?

75–80 °F. Bichirs need 72–82 °F, kribensis need 75–80 °F.

What size tank do bichirs and kribensis need together?

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