dinosaur bichir

Question
hey there i'm an ameture and i just bought a dinosaur bichir he's the only fish and WILL be the only fish in my 20 gal tank is a 20 gallon an okay tank? for a dinosaur bichir

Answer
Hi Welsey,
These fish get about a foot long max and a 20 gallon will be too small for him in the future.  Make sure it is the Polypterid fish and not the dragon fish because local fish stores mislabel these fish all the time.  You might end up with a dragon fish that looks very similar.  If you plan to keep him now, then its ok but you must upgrade tanks as he is bigger.  People say fish never outgrow their tanks and stay small.  The reason why is because it actually "stunts" its growth.  It may or may not cause health problems down the road.  If you do plan to add fish, make sure they are really agressive such as cichlids to survive in the tank as the Polypterids are very agressive and eat smaller game fish.  
-Matt-