What else for a 55?
- Thread starter Hrafnkel
- Start date
cause uhm they told you why in many differnt responces that they get very large and a 55 gallon would be tooo small for a gk........theirs a lfs close to me who has one and its huge.....theirs no way it could live in a 55 gallon....heck i bet the fish displaces more water then that......
If you wanted to start one out in a 55 it would be ok....but for a limited time
If you wanted to start one out in a 55 it would be ok....but for a limited time
BGK's can be territorial towards other fish if the tank's not large enough and other fish are constantly swimming around his private territory so to speak.
Also as they grow they will tend to eat smaller fish, so those Danios may end up missing at some point.
If given the space and the water quality/maintenance is kept up and they are provided with a variety of foods then they should grow pretty quick. One of my customers has a BGK that is a little more than 14 inches and has had him for about a year and a half. The BGK was 6 1/2 inches when he bought him.
Sure you could keep a BGK in a 55 gallon for a little while, but as soon as it reaches about 10 inches I would move it to a bigger tank as a 55 gallon is only about 12 inches wide....doesn't give the BGK much room to move and turn around if you ask me....length wise he would be okay but that's only if he just sits there, but he does swim around and get very active at night, so those measurements are going to be slightly restrictive.
The way I see it (and this may just be me) why bother getting a fish if you know how big it's going to get but only keep it in a tank that's barely big enough for him? When people buy fish they need to think about their health and life in the long term. ONLY if you ARE going to get a BIGGER tank should one even consider getting a fish that's going to grow that large...it's for the fish's benefit. Just think of someone having to live in their closet or bathroom their entire life....to me that would be boring not to mention unhealthy....you would get lazy and just sit around, eating and drinking etc and then no way of working all of that off to stay healthy.
The bottom line is this. Don't put a fish that you know is going to get big into a tank that's not suited for it's needs in the long run. It's not right. How about looking into a different type of knife fish. I know there are certain African Knifes that reach a max of about 8 inches or so. They would be better suited for a 55 gallon tank and you wouldn't have to worry about them outgrowing it. Just a suggestion
To sum it up LoL
BGK's can be territorial towards other fish.
They will eat smaller fish as they grow.
Just not fair to the BGK to house him in the bare minimum.
Hope that answered a few questions you had
Good Luck! Keep Asking questions too!!! We're here to help! :bday:
Also as they grow they will tend to eat smaller fish, so those Danios may end up missing at some point.
If given the space and the water quality/maintenance is kept up and they are provided with a variety of foods then they should grow pretty quick. One of my customers has a BGK that is a little more than 14 inches and has had him for about a year and a half. The BGK was 6 1/2 inches when he bought him.
Sure you could keep a BGK in a 55 gallon for a little while, but as soon as it reaches about 10 inches I would move it to a bigger tank as a 55 gallon is only about 12 inches wide....doesn't give the BGK much room to move and turn around if you ask me....length wise he would be okay but that's only if he just sits there, but he does swim around and get very active at night, so those measurements are going to be slightly restrictive.
The way I see it (and this may just be me) why bother getting a fish if you know how big it's going to get but only keep it in a tank that's barely big enough for him? When people buy fish they need to think about their health and life in the long term. ONLY if you ARE going to get a BIGGER tank should one even consider getting a fish that's going to grow that large...it's for the fish's benefit. Just think of someone having to live in their closet or bathroom their entire life....to me that would be boring not to mention unhealthy....you would get lazy and just sit around, eating and drinking etc and then no way of working all of that off to stay healthy.
The bottom line is this. Don't put a fish that you know is going to get big into a tank that's not suited for it's needs in the long run. It's not right. How about looking into a different type of knife fish. I know there are certain African Knifes that reach a max of about 8 inches or so. They would be better suited for a 55 gallon tank and you wouldn't have to worry about them outgrowing it. Just a suggestion
To sum it up LoL
BGK's can be territorial towards other fish.
They will eat smaller fish as they grow.
Just not fair to the BGK to house him in the bare minimum.
Hope that answered a few questions you had
Good Luck! Keep Asking questions too!!! We're here to help! :bday:
Everything I have ever seen on the black ghost says that it can reach a 20" length in the wild but more realistically a 10 to 13" length in captivity.
[edit] that is assuming that you are keeping it in a averaged size tank and not in a tank buster tank [edit]
Either way it would end up becoming a real issue for you in a tank like a 55. These fish need great water quailty to thrive and it would be hard to keep it as clean as they like it when that fish reaches 8" or more in a 55 especially with other fish in the tank.
They eat like champs and are big waste producers when they get big
[edit] that is assuming that you are keeping it in a averaged size tank and not in a tank buster tank [edit]
Either way it would end up becoming a real issue for you in a tank like a 55. These fish need great water quailty to thrive and it would be hard to keep it as clean as they like it when that fish reaches 8" or more in a 55 especially with other fish in the tank.
They eat like champs and are big waste producers when they get big
Fair enough. Didn't mean to seem like an *** (not sure if I can say it here), was just wondering. I've heard in a few other places that a 55 would be fine for it, even with those fish, so I was wanting a bit more than "It wouldn't work" and "They get ___ long" to explain why I shouldn't get one.
What could I get instead? I'm not sure what other fish I'd like that I could get in place of the BGK. Any ideas?
What could I get instead? I'm not sure what other fish I'd like that I could get in place of the BGK. Any ideas?
Last edited:
