Knifefish

Before I got my knife, I researched and asked questions.
My LFS told me he would need a 48 inch long tank (which I now have)
My tank is only 16 nches wide, a 24 inch wide tank would suit a 20 inch long fish a tad better, don't you think? (turn around space?)
That brings the tank volume to 90 0r 100 gallons depending on the height.
I still go with the facts. Most all sites on the bkg knife, state a tank size of 75 minimum gallons. I think 100g, if you plan on larger tankmates (nothing he can eat) as severum, angelgfish and larger pleco.

Leipostus, if you consider the needs of a 17 inch long fish, although true its not bulky like an oscar, and not a swimmer like a chilid, for its general size and health, the larger tank is the best choice for the fish isn't it?
Perhaps your 17 inch knife would have reached 20 inches or more if he had been housed in a larger tank? Just a thought.

We can agree to disagree but be nice about it.


Very nice links, I feel better now and might not run out for that 100g just yet, although more fish is nice too :)
 
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You don't get it at all. I said that an African dosnt need more than a 25. A black ghost should have nothing short of a 180 gallon. And I'm not saying that it won't do better in a larger enlosure, but it by no means needs one to thrive. Matak, I am sorry for going after you, it seems as though there was a mis-understanding between you, swimfins and I - An African only needs a 25, a black ghost needs much larger. However, 'ol Nat was the first to start the personal attacks, which was needless, but if he was going to do it I was going to be right behind him, which I was. Also, I believ that I was the first to state that BGK get to 26", was I not? No one needs to lecture me on the size that black ghosts can attain. And for the record, I am one of the moderators that Spartan linked to, and have just received a knife from Brian, the writer of those articles and owner of that site. I'm not hardly going back on what I said regarding Nat, though. There was no misunderstanding there, and I'll carry this as long as he wants to. However, like I said, I do apologise to Matak and Swimfins, as after reading the reply from Swimfins I think that there was a misunderstanding, but correct me if I'm wrong. And we shouldn't agree to disagree on this subject, as on this subject there is fact, and fiction. It would be great to have all of you at ATK, inculding Nat - maybe we can all learn a few things.
 
No need for apologies. I'm a newbie trying to understand alot of info and misinfo. Its all been insightful. Passionate fishkeepers have attitude, is what I've learned :argue: I'd hate to be in a roomful of them :)
 
Well, if your one of the mods on there, I will be sure not to visit. Yes my largest tank is a 75 currently, and no discus will not normally reach close to a foot, you there are sadly misinformed. The only discus on record that even comes close, coming in at 10" is Wayne Ng's Blue Knights. All the others generally don't get much more than 8" if ever, I would say the average is around 7" as a max. I've been keeping discus, and breeding them for quite a few years now. I keep a single pair in a 29gal (oh my such a SMALL tank) that spawns on a regular basis, which is quite the norm in the discus world, don't believe me, then its time you got some more information, I'd reccomend visiting http://www.simplydiscus.com or http://www.discusasahobby.com Far more expirienced people there than I that will tell you that your extremely misinformed about discus. Back to the knife, my info is not wrong and fishbase is anything but out dated. Their information is constantly being updated..but guess ya didn't take the time to go and look did ya? I do have first hand knowledge about knives, I worked at a LFS where we got them in all the time. Browns (your little african buddies you keep refering too) in sizes you say are not attainable in the aquarium, black ghosts that really did grow rather fast (funny what feeding them the right diet and giving them an adaquate tank will do) putting on 1/4-1/2" of growth a month, and clowns well, they just get big regaurdless.

As to the personal attack thing, please do pull out the quote where I was the one that started attacking you, I didn't call you any names or anything remotely close, I just said you were misinformed and needed to do some more research. Your the one that started with the attacks.

As to calling me ignorant and such and berating me about ONLY having a 75gallon, I assure you that many of the people on this forum will tell you I am one of the most informed and knowledgable people here. I don't just randomly throw out figures, if I don't know the info from first hand knowledge or previous learnings, then I go find the information from good sources and then put an accurate reply out. So go on and think your the God of all things knifefish and keep insulting people because they don't agree with you and I will keep posting accurate information contrary to what you have, but I know better ;)

Oh and by the way, thanks for lookin at my tanks, gave me another notch up on the number of views, really thoughtful of you.
 
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Flexible or not, I don't think any 8' fish would have the room it needs in a 25g. I think gobies are an excellent suggestion, they will keep you endlessly entertained.
 
Ash: 8 inch fish, not 8 foot fish. Nat, you said that discus do not normally get to a foot... which suggests that they can. As for belittling sites just because I'm a moderator there, again, you are an idiot. And you knoe that people breed full sized discus in 20 gallons of water... And guess what? They're at 8"!!! You are sadly misinformed, and do need to gather some experience before making such unitelligent comments. I am not at all saying that I know more of keeping fish than you do, but I know quite a bit more about large tanks, while you know nothing of them as you don't have one. Go ask anyone that knows anything more about knifefish than you do, which is obviously nothing. And guess what? You did insult me, and did it again. It makes you appear even more of an idiot than I previously thought. You should have reported that they were over 8". Go ask anyone that has been keeping fish ask anyone with a brain about fishbase, they make mistakes, and none of their information is gathered from captive fishes. You are a typical lfs employee, ignorant of the biology of virtually every family of fish, and very arrogant. I have fed my black ghosts properly. Were your BGK in a 300 gallon being fed vitamin enhanced shrimp and grouper filltes daily? I don't think so. Mine were. So before you go off on how I care for my fish, ask me about it. Okay? No problem about looking at your tanks, they were pretty good looking, and you have healthy looking fish. I'm sure that you know quite a bit about discus. I know nothing about discus, but I don't go advising people what to do with them as you do knives. You know as well as I do that you never kept any of those BGK to adulthood. They do have growth spirts they will grow an inch or two in a couple of months, but that's not at all indicitive of how much they grow on average. I have over 10 years experience in keeping all species of knives, so far all of which have lived well into adulthood. I've only had one knife die on me, and it was due to an attack from a tankmate.
Swimfins: You're smart, and I like you.
 
Ahhh. I think I see the root of the matter here. We are not suggesting that you are a careless or cruel fishkeeper. But I am personally convinced that any animal will thrive much better in a bigger enclosure. Like I said, I have witnessed it myself. As a matter of fact, I have two SAE's and a CAE that I will be transferring to a 180 I am building to share with a ghost or brown knife and a few clown loaches. I am certain that their behaviour will change for the better, not that they are doing poorly now.
 
I didn't say that discus can ever get to 12" at all, they don't the largest are 10" as I stated, what I did say was that they GENERALLY can get to 8". Yes they can be kept in a 20 gal as adults, but ONLY for breeding purposes. You sir are an arrogant jerk. Just because I do not have a tank larger than a 75 right does not mean I know nothing about large tanks. If you know nothing about discus then you have no right saying that they can get to 12". I do know things about knifefish, and I never said anywhere that you should keep them as you do discus. Now who were you saying had a problem reading? You keep assuming that I don't have expirience, but who are you to say that I don't? You have no right attacking me and what I have done. Sure I haven't done everything, but I've done a lot more than you assume I have. I am not the typical LFS employee either, notice I said that I did work there, I don't anymore because I couldn't stand it. Oh but wait, if I am a typical LFS employee then must be I could not have bred discus, rams, farlowella, scarlet badis....etc, but I don't have the expirience so excuse me about that. Knifefish simply are not my cup of tea, so why would I care how big ones that I have seen are. Bashing your forum, no, Just why would I want to go there when its moderated by someone like you? Arrogance abound. You can not differenciate between size fish can attain in the wild and in the tank, why because simply if given proper care they will get to their fullest potential size in an aquarium. Just because they are in an aquarium doesn't mean they limit their size, no fish does that, not even your little buddies the browns. Large tanks....they are just simply much much much easier to maintain and keep a healthy environment than smaller tanks. When something goes wrong you have much more time to react, if you even have to do anything. Oh but wait, that makes the point that larger tanks are better for fish regaurdless of their max potential size.....kinda contradicts what your saying huh? Just like a lot of other things. So please go crawl back to your forum where you can play god and belittle everyone using abhorent language, insults, and personal attacks because we don't need it or you here.

Hope you enjoyed your stay :) Stick to your little serptentine buddies that don't need big tanks though (well at least according to you) .
 
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