D@rkPr!nce - 2012-12-23 I have a black ghost knife about 12', an silver aro 22' and a pair of full grown parrots, in a 125g, the parrots r about 5+yrs old, what else can i put in.. I was thinking of Stingray, n moonys, kindly suggest some fishes.. Thanks a ton, in advance.. :D
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-12-23 That tank is maxed out. The arrowana is going to get huge! A bottom feeder like the stingray would normally work but with these messy fish it would be extremely difficult to keep the water conditions right for the addition.
chris - 2012-05-26 i bought 2 BGK fish, both about 5 cm (2 inches) they look fine but I am not sure if this is normal. One during the day just lies next to a plant not moving at all. I always think it's dead so I knock on the tank to be sure. I think it's just sleeping or something since it's a nocturnal fish. At night it's very active it swims all over the place but the other BGK stays in a pipe I put in the tank all day an night just swimming in the same place unlike the other one. Are they ok? My tank is 9.25 gallons (35 litres)is that ok? and how long does it take for them to grow to 15 cm(6 inches)?
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lauren - 2012-07-19 They get BIG like 18 to 20 inches in captivity and need a large tank. They are not super active swimmers they need probably a 50 gallon or more.
Eryn - 2012-10-29 10 gallons is not even close to big enough for one of these fish, much less two. They are small now, but they will grow quick (even quicker if they are fed a high protein diet). You need to upgrade to a 50 gallon (minimum), or find a new home for these fish, before they get stressed out and die.
J - 2012-09-27 I have 7 1'-1.5' Clown Loaches and 5 2' Weather/Dojo Loaches, with a 2.5' BGK. They are more then happy now, but I know loaches are slow growers, especially after 4-5'. Will The BGK outgrow the Clowns and Dojos, or should they all grow about the same rate to be safely tanked together? Please let me know. If not I will take BGK back to the store (deadline for return is in 6 days) and wait a year to give my loaches time to get a head start on growing. (PS tank is 80 gals [planning to upgrade to 200] with over 800gph filtration and a 320gph water pump and 2 air stones). Thanks for any advice!
sonja - 2012-09-25 My ghost fish means the world to me. As my kids call him puppy dog he loves his blood worms, I would just like to know how do you learn them to eat from your hand .
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-09-25 Use forceps or tongs and dangle in front of the fish. Bring it closer to the surface as the fish gets use to it. I would not recommend using your fingers. Humans carry germs and bacteria that is not good for fish.
BEV - 2012-08-04 I have had my ghost fish for many years, recently he has started turning white, is this a disease?
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Clarice Brough - 2012-08-05 They do have a more silver 'nocturnal' coloring. Fading is also attributed to a water chemistry change (often a pH change), so recommendations are to start with a 50% water change.
Clarice Brough - 2012-08-05 Also, here's a bit more from my research. Besides water conditions, Bob Fenner says (wetwebmedia.com) 'poor water quality, stress, age, diet, there are many things that can attribute to these fish changing color'
colleen - 2012-06-21 I have just got my first BGK today.He is just lovely,he has already made a home in a rock that is in the tank and comes out and swims around checking out his new home.There are also a couple of other places he can call home in the tank as it is quite big. My son will be very happy when he gets home from school as he wanted me to get him one a few months ago. He is appx 5 inches long and I look forward to watching him grow into a big happy healthy fish. I hope he will be ok as he is just delightful,his tank mates are 2 clown loaches,2 silver sharks,1 silver dollar and 3 smaller fish that I hope he won't eat.
desirea - 2012-06-03 I have a BGK for almost a year now n he seems like hes 4 in. But I have it in a 14g tank... is that too small??? And I heard that when they are mating their tails will flash red.... is that true???
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-06-04 If is is the only fish in the tank, 14 gallon tank is fine. Will need bigger as he grows.
katelyn hampton - 2012-02-11 I have recently bought a BGK and I have been trying to feed it blood worms,brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. I have not seen it eat anything and I am concerned that it is not eating please reply soon.
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Charlie Roche - 2012-02-11 Your little guy is probably just fine. It takes them a couple of days to aclimate to new surroundings.
Alex Burleson - 2012-02-11 It is not uncommon for them to not eat during the first few days that they're adjusting to their environment. Continue to feed the fish, and eventually, he should eat. Additionally, Knifefish, tend to be more nocturnal. Feed the fish, with the lights off.
Collecting Clownfish - 2012-02-14 Those are SO cool! I do know that the only time I remember having success with them, was when there were not too many bottom feeders to compete, no aggressive tank mate, and larger water changes. They like their water 6.0 to 8.0 pH, but more importantly, the stability of this pH, and the cleanliness of the water quality. They are very sensitive to any water quality changes for the bad. I have read 40% to 50% every two weeks being the optimum in keeping this eventually 20' long fish alive.
If your tank is very well established, there may be foods in the substrate he is eating. Look at his sides and see if they are thinning. Getting LIVE black worms or blood worms that wiggle may be what he needs as far as getting a feeding response. BGK can be funny in that they suddenly change their personality even IF feeding at first, so don't take it personally. You may want to check your water parameters, look and see what other fish are possibly scaring your BGK and look at his sides to see if he may be eating while you are sleeping. Otherwise, enjoy your cool fish!
katelyn hampton - 2012-02-14 Thank-you for responding so quick I do feed him in the dark I have had him for a little over a week
Jeremy Roche - 2012-02-17 Try some Tibifax worms. Sometimes in an overfed tank the Knife with will eat off the bottom while you sleep. If the Knife is maintaining size it is probably just shy. May just be a trial and error on that it likes to eat. Any aggressive fish in the tank with it? Water testing should be done as well to make sure that isn't putting extra stress on it.
Kay - 2012-03-19 I have two and they are so Awesome! - They are extremely active. The one I had in the past never came out during the day, but these are constantly showing themselves. They love the frozen Plankton best, but do enjoy the blood worms. They are probably one of the coolest fish I have had the pleasure of caring for.
The Black Ghost Knifefish is the most well known species of knife fish in the aquarium industry!
I have a black ghost knife about 12', an silver aro 22' and a pair of full grown parrots, in a 125g, the parrots r about 5+yrs old, what else can i put in.. I was thinking of Stingray, n moonys, kindly suggest some fishes.. Thanks a ton, in advance.. :D
That tank is maxed out. The arrowana is going to get huge! A bottom feeder like the stingray would normally work but with these messy fish it would be extremely difficult to keep the water conditions right for the addition.
I have bought two bgk fish but i am Confucius which one is male n which one is female how to know this they are 3.5'
i bought 2 BGK fish, both about 5 cm (2 inches) they look fine but I am not sure if this is normal. One during the day just lies next to a plant not moving at all. I always think it's dead so I knock on the tank to be sure. I think it's just sleeping or something since it's a nocturnal fish. At night it's very active it swims all over the place but the other BGK stays in a pipe I put in the tank all day an night just swimming in the same place unlike the other one. Are they ok? My tank is 9.25 gallons (35 litres)is that ok? and how long does it take for them to grow to 15 cm(6 inches)?
They get BIG like 18 to 20 inches in captivity and need a large tank. They are not super active swimmers they need probably a 50 gallon or more.
10 gallons is not even close to big enough for one of these fish, much less two. They are small now, but they will grow quick (even quicker if they are fed a high protein diet). You need to upgrade to a 50 gallon (minimum), or find a new home for these fish, before they get stressed out and die.
Perhaps a better question would be, is a 4' clown loach safe with a 10' Black Ghost Knife BGK?
I have 7 1'-1.5' Clown Loaches and 5 2' Weather/Dojo Loaches, with a 2.5' BGK. They are more then happy now, but I know loaches are slow growers, especially after 4-5'. Will The BGK outgrow the Clowns and Dojos, or should they all grow about the same rate to be safely tanked together? Please let me know. If not I will take BGK back to the store (deadline for return is in 6 days) and wait a year to give my loaches time to get a head start on growing. (PS tank is 80 gals [planning to upgrade to 200] with over 800gph filtration and a 320gph water pump and 2 air stones). Thanks for any advice!
My ghost fish means the world to me. As my kids call him puppy dog he loves his blood worms, I would just like to know how do you learn them to eat from your hand .
Use forceps or tongs and dangle in front of the fish. Bring it closer to the surface as the fish gets use to it. I would not recommend using your fingers. Humans carry germs and bacteria that is not good for fish.
I have had my ghost fish for many years, recently he has started turning white, is this a disease?
They do have a more silver 'nocturnal' coloring. Fading is also attributed to a water chemistry change (often a pH change), so recommendations are to start with a 50% water change.
Also, here's a bit more from my research. Besides water conditions, Bob Fenner says (wetwebmedia.com) 'poor water quality, stress, age, diet, there are many things that can attribute to these fish changing color'
I have just got my first BGK today.He is just lovely,he has already made a home in a rock that is in the tank and comes out and swims around checking out his new home.There are also a couple of other places he can call home in the tank as it is quite big. My son will be very happy when he gets home from school as he wanted me to get him one a few months ago. He is appx 5 inches long and I look forward to watching him grow into a big happy healthy fish. I hope he will be ok as he is just delightful,his tank mates are 2 clown loaches,2 silver sharks,1 silver dollar and 3 smaller fish that I hope he won't eat.
I have a BGK for almost a year now n he seems like hes 4 in.
But I have it in a 14g tank... is that too small???
And I heard that when they are mating their tails will flash red.... is that true???
If is is the only fish in the tank, 14 gallon tank is fine. Will need bigger as he grows.
I have recently bought a BGK and I have been trying to feed it blood worms,brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. I have not seen it eat anything and I am concerned that it is not eating please reply soon.
Your little guy is probably just fine. It takes them a couple of days to aclimate to new surroundings.
It is not uncommon for them to not eat during the first few days that they're adjusting to their environment. Continue to feed the fish, and eventually, he should eat. Additionally, Knifefish, tend to be more nocturnal. Feed the fish, with the lights off.
Those are SO cool! I do know that the only time I remember having success with them, was when there were not too many bottom feeders to compete, no aggressive tank mate, and larger water changes. They like their water 6.0 to 8.0 pH, but more importantly, the stability of this pH, and the cleanliness of the water quality. They are very sensitive to any water quality changes for the bad. I have read 40% to 50% every two weeks being the optimum in keeping this eventually 20' long fish alive.
If your tank is very well established, there may be foods in the substrate he is eating. Look at his sides and see if they are thinning. Getting LIVE black worms or blood worms that wiggle may be what he needs as far as getting a feeding response. BGK can be funny in that they suddenly change their personality even IF feeding at first, so don't take it personally. You may want to check your water parameters, look and see what other fish are possibly scaring your BGK and look at his sides to see if he may be eating while you are sleeping. Otherwise, enjoy your cool fish!
Thank-you for responding so quick I do feed him in the dark I have had him for a little over a week
Try some Tibifax worms. Sometimes in an overfed tank the Knife with will eat off the bottom while you sleep. If the Knife is maintaining size it is probably just shy. May just be a trial and error on that it likes to eat. Any aggressive fish in the tank with it? Water testing should be done as well to make sure that isn't putting extra stress on it.
I have two and they are so Awesome! - They are extremely active. The one I had in the past never came out during the day, but these are constantly showing themselves. They love the frozen Plankton best, but do enjoy the blood worms. They are probably one of the coolest fish I have had the pleasure of caring for.