Black Ghost Knifefish
- Thread starter tehSAC
- Start date
Umm. From what I understand they can be kept in a 55G tank, but I read somewhere that it should only be ONE of them per tank due to some sort of aggression problem with its own species...here...this may help you 
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_aptero.php
Here ya go. I hope it helps, and good luck with your BGKf
Shane,
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_aptero.php
Here ya go. I hope it helps, and good luck with your BGKf
Shane,
Whoa!!! Those guys need more like a 200 gal!! They can get 20", a 55 gallon is 12" wide. Do that math. You want room for the fish to turn arround. They dont co-exist well because of an electro sensory organ which they use to navigate/hunt. the electrical current produced by two in proximity causes disorientation. They are semi-aggressive, but are also not well at defending against attack because of the limited range of "sight" (they are actually almost blind, and use an electrical navigation)
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0390&view_records=1
Keep in mind that the AC profiles seem to give a suguestion of tank size based on needed volume(90gal for this fish) as opposed to actual tank demensions. You want something that will be at minimum 24".
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0390&view_records=1
Keep in mind that the AC profiles seem to give a suguestion of tank size based on needed volume(90gal for this fish) as opposed to actual tank demensions. You want something that will be at minimum 24".
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Wow, I was way off. I'm sorry about that. Seems my meds are kicking in and making me, well, not exactly "on par". I completely forgot that I read somewhere that those fish do get massive after a while.
My apologies again!
Shane,
My apologies again!
Shane,
You might be thinking of the African Knife Fish
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0534&view_records=1
http://www.aquariacentral.com/species/db.cgi?db=fresh&uid=default&ID=0534&view_records=1
Ah, yes, that would definatly have been the one I was talking about. Like I said, way off. LoL
Shane,
Shane,
HA!! I have made that mistake more than once. Theres a few other Knives I used to get mixed up, so I usually double check before I posts lol! :thud:XxDr@g0nTamerxX said:
Theres a few other knives out there, the clown that gets 30"+ and a brown ghost (no not a brown african, brown ghost, a cousin of the SA BGK) That swims head down
theres more but thats all I can remember right now.
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tehSAC a BGK can do very well in a 55 gallon. I think our friend was thinking of the African version and not the more common Amazonian ones. 55 is the small end of the spectrum for this guy though.
I have one in my tank and would not have bought him if he would not do well. Elvis, my BGK fish does very well but a few things to consider. First, SEVERAL hiding spots. because once you have one all your fish will go for it.
Second, lots of plants, the love to swim around the and thru the plants. No sharp objests in the tank, as it was mentioned earlier these guys are pretty much blind so they bump into a lot of things.
i'd reccomend only one due to their semi agressive nature, also they are hunters so they'd be after the same prey in your tank. they can be included in your communty tank but only if the other fish don't fit in it's mouth. Mine gets a long with most evrybody but he and the pleco do go for the same spots often. normally the BGK leaves the pleco to do what he wants.
Live food for them. if anything just to simply see the true spectacular nature of their swimming you need live food. to see how they detect live prey is simply amazing to watch. they remid me of little old men with metal detectors.
a smooth substrate, the spend a lot of time on the bottom of the tank and that bottom fin can be torn.
that's all i can think of. besides the cool think is you can get them to eat out of your hands. way cool.
I have one in my tank and would not have bought him if he would not do well. Elvis, my BGK fish does very well but a few things to consider. First, SEVERAL hiding spots. because once you have one all your fish will go for it.
Second, lots of plants, the love to swim around the and thru the plants. No sharp objests in the tank, as it was mentioned earlier these guys are pretty much blind so they bump into a lot of things.
i'd reccomend only one due to their semi agressive nature, also they are hunters so they'd be after the same prey in your tank. they can be included in your communty tank but only if the other fish don't fit in it's mouth. Mine gets a long with most evrybody but he and the pleco do go for the same spots often. normally the BGK leaves the pleco to do what he wants.
Live food for them. if anything just to simply see the true spectacular nature of their swimming you need live food. to see how they detect live prey is simply amazing to watch. they remid me of little old men with metal detectors.
a smooth substrate, the spend a lot of time on the bottom of the tank and that bottom fin can be torn.
that's all i can think of. besides the cool think is you can get them to eat out of your hands. way cool.
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HYPERASHEL, please read the link I provided in my first post. A BGK should get 20". A 20" fish is NOT suitable for a 12" wide aquarium. Same goes for that pleco of yours if it's a common.
DO read the article, a small knife will work in a 55 gal till it gets big, mine is still small enough to be in my 55, however you have to make plans for the future, I will be building a 1100 gal tank for all my fish, because of the ghost knife, not because it needs that much room, but the fact that I want mine to exibit normal behaviour, all you will get with a 9 inch ghost in a 55 gal is one unhappy fish, HYPERASHEL, Ghost knives are blind but mine does not bump into everything, if yours is then you have too many fish in one spot, too much light and no floating plants, Please research this fish again.