Can African Clawed Frog and Ornate Bichir Live Together?

African Clawed Frog is a semi-aggressive species (8/10), while Ornate Bichir is moderately assertive (6/10). This modest difference means African Clawed Frog may occasionally assert dominance over Ornate Bichir.

African Clawed Frog and Ornate Bichir both frequent the Bottom (Substrate) region of the setup. This overlap can increase competition for space, so providing ample room and cover is important to keep both species comfortable.

Worth noting: Ornate Bichir is nocturnal and will be most active after lights-out, naturally reducing daytime encounters. Also, African Clawed Frog is a known jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is essential.

There is no temperature overlap between African Clawed Frog (16–24°C) and Ornate Bichir (26–30°C). This fundamental mismatch makes long-term cohabitation impractical.

Both fish can tolerate a pH between 6.5 and 8. Maintaining a stable value within this band is more important than hitting an exact number.

For general hardness, the shared comfort zone is 5–20 dGH. Regular testing will ensure conditions stay within this range.

To house African Clawed Frog and Ornate Bichir together, plan for an aquarium of at least 680 litres with a minimum length of 180 cm. This recommendation combines the stricter species minimums with a community-load allowance so the pairing has realistic long-term space and filtration headroom.

Providing a mix of open swimming space and sheltered areas with rocks, driftwood, or plants will keep both species comfortable and allow natural behaviour.

Specific environmental needs for this combination include: Smooth Gravel (Sensitive Barbels), Sand (Sifters), Driftwood (Digestion/Hiding). Meeting these requirements will help both species thrive.

Both species do well with low (still water) water movement, so a standard filtration setup rated for the tank volume should suffice.