I think knife fish look neat. Are there any that can be kept in a 55 or a 75, and what kind of tankmates are good with them?
Knife fish
- Thread starter nursie
- Start date
patoloco
De seguro no sabes lo que dice aqu
Knife fish need a lot of room. Currently, i have a clown knife that is 8" in a 230 gl. tank. It was 5" when I got him about 3 motnhs ago. So they grow quickly. Maybe a 75 gallon will fit one or two younger ones, but as an adult they will need more space.
These are predatory fish. Mine is feeded with tubifex, earthworms, feeder guppies and sometime you can see him eat the flakes intended for other fish.
As for tankmates, get some fast swimming non agressive fish that are not small enough to fit his mouth. For instance, I placed four platties that were 1½ inches long in the same tank and I was astonished he ate them in a moment. When I found out they were becoming snack I tried to take them out, but there was only one left and was seriously bitten.
This knife is mostly a nocturnal hunter. It requires some place for hiding during the day. Mine used to hide in an ornamental cave, but now he cant fit. Now he sticks behind a plant until the food arrives or the light go off.
These are predatory fish. Mine is feeded with tubifex, earthworms, feeder guppies and sometime you can see him eat the flakes intended for other fish.
As for tankmates, get some fast swimming non agressive fish that are not small enough to fit his mouth. For instance, I placed four platties that were 1½ inches long in the same tank and I was astonished he ate them in a moment. When I found out they were becoming snack I tried to take them out, but there was only one left and was seriously bitten.
This knife is mostly a nocturnal hunter. It requires some place for hiding during the day. Mine used to hide in an ornamental cave, but now he cant fit. Now he sticks behind a plant until the food arrives or the light go off.
Sounds like knifefish not an option. Glad I asked. I saw some going for cheap at Walmart. Looked a little ragged, but thought I could nurse them back to health. Best to leave alone I guess.
Nursie,
The African knife fish Xenomystus nigri rarely gets above 7". Perhaps wild specimens are found larger. They will eat small fish but their mouth is somewhat limiting. They generally don't tolerate hard water.
Though harder to find and more expensive some South American knife fish, mostly the genus Hypopomus, stay about the same size as well.
As you've likely seen on this site the clowns get absurdly large for a tank. The black gosts can get rather large as well (20") but by that time you'd have an excuse to upsize.
The African knife fish Xenomystus nigri rarely gets above 7". Perhaps wild specimens are found larger. They will eat small fish but their mouth is somewhat limiting. They generally don't tolerate hard water.
Though harder to find and more expensive some South American knife fish, mostly the genus Hypopomus, stay about the same size as well.
As you've likely seen on this site the clowns get absurdly large for a tank. The black gosts can get rather large as well (20") but by that time you'd have an excuse to upsize.