Compatible fish with African Knife

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Lazersniper

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Mar 9, 2004
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This is the first time the African Knifefish is regulary available in my city. Kinda took an interest in them after seeing them. Anyone with any comments pursuading me from buying or not buying this fish? (additude, aggression, etc) The knifefish is about 3 inches.

It would go in with 2 oscars (both 2-3 inches), a bristlenose pleco (4-5 inches), a peacock eel (10 inches), 2-3 pictus (~2 inches), and possibly 2 striped rapheals (4-5 inches).

I've read they are pretty aggressive, but I figured oscars shouldn't be a problem, most things don't bug plecos, the eel is most often in the gravel as well it's nocturnal, so it should be active at the same time as the knife, dunno how the cats would fair, but by the time the knife gets big the pictus should be their full size too.

Tank space shouldn't be a problem. If it becomes one in the future I already have a home for it.

I havn't bought it yet, just contemplating. Are there any fish I could put in there that won't become lunch for the oscars, yet swim around? (including or excluding the knife) I was thinking gt's or something of that sort, but I want something a little more exotic, or at least looks exotic.
 
Actually the BGK is quite timid. I have my little (4 inches) guy in a 25 gallon for now, with 2 cory, and even 2 guppy, 2 dojo loaches, 2 pearl gourami, now a pictu cat (I know the bigger tank is on the way) and he doesn't bother except if anyone comes near his hangout, he'll knock them away. A difficult feeder, only bloodworms, and of course the faster fish scoop up most.

I presume he'll graduate to feeders in time, but he's a slow grower. You can put him in with most anything but another electric fish, and bigger cichlids which might harrass him. And some eels. The tire track I think. I don't know about oscars. The BGK likes very clean water, being a scaless fish, and oscars, I've heard, are quite messy. Oh, and a nice planted tank will make him happy. He likes to glide through plants and is quite pretty to watch. Quite a different environment from an oscar tank, I think.
 
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retraction

The eel will probably be ok with a BGK, I did some reading because I'm intrested myself. But, I'm sure I read somewhere not to keep a BGk withsome type of eel (an electric one?) or one that uses sonar to navigate as he does. I'd guess.
 
african brown knife

i had a african knife for quite a while. It was in a community tank and it was pretty good to the fish it sometimes picked on the small fish. I then switched to semi-aggressive and the knife was fine with them. It sadly got a fungus disease and died after having it for 8 months. It was very calm and did not get very aggressive at all. It is a really cool fish though for only $8. mine was 6". well i hope this helps.
Semper fi
Eric
 
Sorry abou losing him. As I said, they really need clean water. That's what I was advised when I bought him. Its because of their scaless skin, hard to treat if they come down with anything because the med will kill them. I'm hoping I can keep up the conditions for him to thrive. He's not really too demanding except for the need for clean water, at about 77F. They like it cooler.
 
What size is the tank?
 
Only 25 gallons, but he's a little guy and will be moved to a bigger setup after Christmas. Right now he's pretty happy remains in his lava cave sleeping with his nose sticking out during the day, floats around the tank when the mood hits him, and gets along well with my clown pleco, but nudges other fish away from his 'appartment'. He can be maintained in the 25 for a couple months and I will move him when he hits the 6 inch mark.
 
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