Black Ghost Knife

F

funatnight

What am I doing?
Feb 27, 2005
47
0
0
47
Brevard, Fl.
I went to the LFS yesterday to pick up a CAE, and while I was there I noticed that one of the 2 Black Ghosts was laying on its side in the tank looking very dead. The owner said he was alive (which he was) but was under a lot of stress since the other BGK was more dominant. So anyhow he gave me the sickly one (no charge) so that I could try to revive him. As soon as he was in my tank he perked right upand found the little cave that I built for him.

Here is my concern: He (Jermaine) is swimming around quite well but he leans to the side sometimes and looks like he does not have any balance. He is sometimes directly on his side and not swimming upright. Any ideas why this would be? Is this normal for a BGK? If not, will this correct itself?
 
Is he eating well now that he's in your tank? It could be that while Jermaine was at the LFS with the other dominant BGK, he wasn't eating well because of his stressful living conditions. Thus he is exhausted and doesn't have much energy.

But on the other hand, BGK's have very erratic swimming patterns, and swimming on their side is pretty normal. Do you have any pics? It sounds like he's okay, but keep an eye on him.


HTH,
Serg
 
mine 'Spook' sleeps on his back, nose up, or on his side, or hangs upside anything vertical (I think he likes the gentle hum of my filter intake). He swims, vertically, backwards, sideways, upside down and does loop de loops if he smells anything interesting. Not your average fishy nope. :dance2:
 
I have not tried to feed him yet, but that brings on the next question. How can I make sure that he gets fed? I know they like live food, but unfortunately so do the Gouramis that are in the tank, and they are pigs. Jermaine is still a little shy and hangs out in a cave that I made for him most of the day. Is there any way to directly feed him?
Thanks
 
After they acclimatize, feeding is easy since they have a terrific sense of smell. I float tubifex on top of the water in little bits (it takes awhile for the others to eat it all) and you see him waking up and zipping to the surface. I discovered he loves tubifex! You can try melting bloodworms in a cup of water. Pour it directly over where he hides out. The weight of the water will take it to him, or even better stinky brine shrimp melted in water. (use the weight of about a cup of water to push it down to the substrate) It'll get his mouth watering and send him out looking for it.

It takes patience. They are shy fish, being blind, they need to learn the layout before they feel secure. It could take awhile, but once he's feeling at home, the fun starts. :)
 
Will they eat frozen brine? I have seen frozen brine in little packages like gum, and I was wondering if this will sink down right in front of his cave? I tried the dried bloodworms last night, but the others ate them before Jermaine even knew that they were in the tank.
 
frozen brine is good, even dried bloodworms if you soak them and then put them in a good cup of water, pour it from high and let it go down to the bottom, he'll sniff it out. It might take a week or so. Don't worry after a few nights of checking out his digs, he'll relax and begin to eat.

Is he jet black with bright white areas? They are scaleless and are a bit sensitive to water quality, but they do enjoy water changes. Use slightly cooler than tank water. I find adding cooler water benefits all the fishes, and they become more active as a result. I think the cool water boosts their health in general. (my opinion) :idea: I've been doing this for a few months now and my fish respond well.
 
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