Feed bichirs a varied, animal-based diet: use sinking carnivore pellets as a convenient base or supplement, and rotate thawed frozen, freeze-dried, and suitably sourced fresh or live meaty foods. Offer small portions two to three times a day as a starting point, ideally in the evening or after lights-out, and watch to make sure your bichir gets its share.
What do bichir fish eat?
Bichirs are carnivores, so their diet should center on animal-based foods rather than ordinary plant-based flakes. A practical rotation combines sinking carnivore pellets with meaty options such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, tubifex, and crustaceans. Larger bichirs may also take suitably sized pieces of prawns, mussels, squid, or fish.
No single food is established as best for every bichir. Choose foods the individual fish accepts, size them so it can swallow them safely, and provide variety over time.
Which foods should you offer?
Sinking carnivore pellets
Sinking pellets are a convenient prepared food for a fish that feeds along the bottom. MTF Aquatics notes that juveniles can be trained to accept sinking carnivore pellets, and Hikari’s catalogue describes a sinking carnivore formula for bottom-dwelling fish including bichirs. Treat pellets as part of a varied diet, and choose a pellet size your fish can swallow safely.
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- Perfectly balanced to offer a daily diet most carnivores love
- Higher levels of carotenoids promote brilliant colors
- Free of unwanted parasites and bacteria common with live foods
- Higher digestible protein levels that carnivores need
- Absorbs water rapidly taking on a texture of a live fish
Frozen and freeze-dried foods
Options listed by Petco include brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, bloodworms, tubifex, and crustaceans in live, frozen, or freeze-dried forms. Thaw frozen food before offering it. Smaller prey such as bloodworms can suit juveniles; larger bichirs can take larger shrimp or appropriately sized fish pieces.
Fresh and live meaty foods
MTF Aquatics lists earthworms, raw prawns, mussels, and squid as additional foods. Use earthworms and live foods from clean, reliable suppliers. Cut fresh foods to a size the fish can manage, and remove uneaten pieces rather than leaving them to decay in the aquarium.
Rank #2
- Perfectly balanced to offer a daily diet most carnivores love
- Higher levels of carotenoids promote brilliant colors
- Free of unwanted parasites and bacteria common with live foods
- Higher digestible protein levels that carnivores need
- Absorbs water rapidly taking on a texture of a live fish
How much and how often should you feed a bichir?
Petco advises offering small portions two to three times daily, limited to what the fish eats in 1–2 minutes. Use that as a starting point, not a precise weight-based formula. Adjust portions to your fish’s age, body condition, activity, temperature, and tank mates; monitor uneaten food and water quality as you do so.
When should you feed a bichir?
Bichirs are nocturnal, so offer food in the evening or after the aquarium lights go out. This timing can also help a bichir get food before faster tank mates take it. Bichirs feed slowly and methodically, so observe the meal rather than assuming food placed in the tank reached the intended fish.
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Rank #3
- High Palatability : Sword Prawn Flavor - A blend of wild sword prawns, fresh squids, vegetables and seaweed. A perfect 7:3 meat/vegetable protein ratio even the pickiest bottom feeding fish can’t resist. Quickly soften with water and does not disintegrate easily. Suitable for bottom feeder that use live bait as their staple food
- Superior Quality Ingredient : Made from carefully selected ingredients. All natural protein from fresh meat, vegetables and seaweed. No additives, no artificial flavors or coloring, no byproducts and other harmful ingredients
- Healthy Growth Formula : Rich in protein and vitamin D. It's not only tasty but also keeps fishes healthy! Jam-packed with a variety of vitamins (A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B6, B12) great for bottom feeding fish's growth and keeping color vibrant. Added probiotics to increase the feed conversion rate, improve immune system and gut health
- Supplemental Use : Ultra Fresh food do not contain adhesives, the flat food sticks to the glass simply by applying pressure. Can be combined with the original feed to supplement additional nutrition. Adequate and diversified sources of nutrients will make the fish more healthy and strong. *Feed 1-3 times per day, no more than your fish can consume within 3 minutes
- No More Cloudy Water : 3 million CFUs/g probiotics are within the food to help dissolve fish excrements, residuals and keeps water clean. Tablets won’t dissolve or break down easily, so the food will not cloud the water
How can you make sure your bichir gets its food?
- Watch the fish during feeding and check whether it actually eats.
- Offer food near the bichir if faster tank mates are intercepting it.
- Feed after lights-out when that improves the bichir’s access.
- If competition persists, separate competing fish temporarily while feeding.
- Remove uneaten fresh or frozen food to limit waste in the aquarium.
How do the food options compare?
| Food type | Practical advantages | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Sinking carnivore pellets | Convenient to store and portion; designed to sink to bottom-feeding fish. | Acceptance varies by fish; use an appropriately sized pellet and include other foods in the rotation. |
| Frozen or freeze-dried foods | Offers variety, including shrimp, worms, and crustaceans. | Frozen food needs thawing; frozen items require freezer storage. |
| Fresh or live meaty foods | Can add variety and may prompt a feeding response. | Source carefully, size portions to the fish, and remove uneaten pieces. |
Choose among them based on what your bichir accepts, prey or pellet size, variety across its diet, and the storage and cleanup each option requires.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why might a bichir not be eating?
First check whether the fish is being outcompeted: observe feeding, then try offering food near it or after lights-out. Also check that the food is suitably sized and that frozen food has been thawed. The feeding guidance cited here does not establish a complete diagnostic list for appetite loss; persistent refusal to eat warrants advice from an aquatic veterinarian or an experienced fish-health professional.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- High Palatability : Sword Prawn Flavor - A blend of wild sword prawns, fresh squids, vegetables and seaweed. A perfect 7:3 meat/vegetable protein ratio even the pickiest bottom feeding fish can’t resist. Quickly soften with water and does not disintegrate easily. Suitable for bottom feeder that use live bait as their staple food
- Superior Quality Ingredient : Made from carefully selected ingredients. All natural protein from fresh meat, vegetables and seaweed. No additives, no artificial flavors or coloring, no byproducts and other harmful ingredients
- Healthy Growth Formula : Rich in protein and vitamin D. It's not only tasty but also keeps fishes healthy! Jam-packed with a variety of vitamins (A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B6, B12) great for bottom feeding fish's growth and keeping color vibrant. Added probiotics to increase the feed conversion rate, improve immune system and gut health
- Supplemental Use : Ultra Fresh food do not contain adhesives, the flat food sticks to the glass simply by applying pressure. Can be combined with the original feed to supplement additional nutrition. Adequate and diversified sources of nutrients will make the fish more healthy and strong. *Feed 1-3 times per day, no more than your fish can consume within 3 minutes
- No More Cloudy Water : 3 million CFUs/g probiotics are within the food to help dissolve fish excrements, residuals and keeps water clean. Tablets won’t dissolve or break down easily, so the food will not cloud the water
Rank #4
- Ideal For: Betta Fish, Tetras, Barbs and other small mouthed tropical fish.
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