Brittany - 2012-02-10 I was thinking about getting a BGKF, but I have 4 Dojo Loachs, and 3 Bala Sharks. Does anyone know if this would be a bad idea or do you think they would be alright? I dont want anyone of them to get killed.
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Clarice Brough - 2012-02-16 The Black Ghost Knife is an awesome fish. They can get aggressive with their own species, and other knifefish. But would probably be okay with the Dojo's and Bala Sharks in a large enough aquarium. Both the Black Ghost and the Bala Sharks get very big, so 100 gallons minimum to start and then you'll need a larger tank as they grow.
samiran roy,india - 2011-11-04 I have a BGK which i bought when it was about 2 inches long.now a after a six month period it has grown to around 7 and a half inches and has consumed lots of pellet food in the process.
Chad H. - 2010-09-13 I have a 55 gallon aquarium that houses 2 Clown Loaches, 3 Tiger Barbs, 1 Pleco, 1 Khulli Loach, & 1 Blind Cave Tetra. I am fascinated by the Black Ghost Knife fish....would it be a good addition to my tank? I have 3 caves for hiding space and will add more if needed.
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jake - 2011-10-12 Be careful with the tiger barbs. I have 3 in my tank (plus other fish). I put in 2 bgkf, one of which didn't have all the white on its tail, just a white tip which the tiger barbs bit whenever it was out..... sadly it died not long after. In saying that however, the other bgkf is doing extreammally well!
david - 2011-06-12 Can I keep an Apteronotus albifrons in a 55 gallon aquarium with 2x Geophagus steindachneri and 3x Metynnis argenteus?
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Charlie Roche - 2011-06-13 Nope-sorry. The Knifefish needs a minimum of 100 gallon tank on his own. They can be agressive and they do get huge and if it fits in their mouth, they will attempt to eat it.
samiran roy,india - 2011-09-02 If the BGK is about 2 inches, it can be kept, but you should have a future planning for the fish because they get to be 40 cm or more.
Andrew Prosser - 2011-07-26 I had two black ghost knife fish. For some reason they both died . I don't know why. If anybody has a clue why they died, Please let me know. I bought another one last he doing pretty good. What that kind of fish usually eat? The night I bought some guppies for them to eat.
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Charlie Roche - 2011-07-27 Any symptoms - strange behaviors - anything? How long had you had them? Check out Fish Diseases and Treatment - link should be here and see if your ghost displayed anything at all unusual as described in the symptoms. Also, check to make sure your tank and living conditions are appropriate for that size fish. They need lots of room. Animal World recommends at least a 100 gallon tank.
samiran roy,india - 2011-09-02 They relish on neon tetras.
Tori - 2011-08-29 My ghost knife is out all the time cruising round for food,it eats everything I put in tank. I have a community tank and feed bloodworms,pellets,flakes,turtle food. He loves to swim upside down on surface of water hoovering up food,and eats from my hand every night along with the Siamese fighter. He is a very cool fish and am surprised how active he is!!
Marianne Tacliad - 2011-07-20 i just bought my black ghost knife about 3 weeks ago and I put him with my 7 wagtail platys, 5 zebra danios, 5 cory cats, 2 albino red-tailed shark, 1 betta and 5 black mollies including 2 of its fries. I read in some comments that they eat other fishes especially smaller ones, but mine doesn't. He's very gentle to his tankmates and he eats feed granules (with spirulina algae and shrimp enzyme) more than bloodworms (funny, considering they're carnivorous) especially if the granules sink to the bottom like rain. He comes out of his house (he usually stays inside the nipa hut-like ceramic decor) and catch the falling feeds with his mouth. The only thing he murders is the cabomba plant. My mom saw him twice with the plant in his mouth running around the tank like a torch bearer. She says it's hilarous. I wish I caught it on cam so I can upload it.
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Charlie Roche - 2011-07-20 I sincerely hope you have one absolutely totally enormous tank because that is a whole lot of fish and just based on 1 inch per adult size needing a gallon. You say the Black Ghost Knife doesn't eat the other fish. The sentence is a little off. The Black Ghost Knifefish HASN'T eaten any other fish "YET" It will. The Black Ghost is going to go about 20 inches and anything he can get his mouth around, he is going to eat. You might want to re-think your tank and community and separationa and size of tank for the others. So good news is the Black Knife HASN'T eaten any of the other fish "YET"
Zardo - 2011-05-23 Hey I have a black ghost knife fish, his tail is different to the one shown but I think it's nothing. How do I get him to not hide behind my Fluval 2 filter? Is it ok to feed him dead crickets? Please respond. Thanx
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Charlie Roche - 2011-05-24 Yep it is OK. The documents say wingless crickets and you purchase them.
taxman - 2011-07-11 I have ghost fish in a "L" shape tank. 1 is "odd" shaped due to being injured several times as a youngin. 2 larger ones now about 11 and 12 inch respectively - "Hunchback" only about 6 inches (if I could straighten out) - so your "different tail" could be due to injury or variation to breed. Put more places for GK to hide and will be more likely to leave filter alone - glass pipes work well - can see them, but they think they're hidden - also too much light will send them looking for cover. Re crickets - I have fed mine crickets that have gotten into house, flies, even the occasional moth. I've been keeping GK's for over 15 years and only lost 1 (approx 15 inches) after moving house and using a temporary filter - that died while I was at work. They've all started from less than 2 inches; when purchased. Hope that gives you some assistance and reassurance.
Kyle - 2010-02-21 I have received lots of comments regarding my post on BGKs. And although the inch per gallon rule doesn't apply to large fish, my knifefish isn't that big. He's only five inches or so. Secondly, he has a large home to move into. Once my BGK is big enough, he has a 200 gallon tank with 3 tiger oscars to move into. I'm just growing him in a smaller tank until he can live with oscars without being a snack. And if you keep on top of your water changes, you can push the rule to the limit and have healthy and happy fish. I clean my tank every saturday morning and I usually do a 20-25% water change. And lastly bottom feeders like pleco contribute 75% less waste than any other fish so they practically don't count towards the inch per gallon rule. Because of this a 10" pleco counts for about 2.5-3" of space. Because of this many people say they just don't count. Do you even know how to tell when a pleco is too long for the tank? If a pleco is at the top of the tank and his length is 2/3 the length of the glass then he is too long. Many people don't know that. Thank you Calvin for your support. Its finally nice to talk to some one who actually knows what they're talking about (unlike J and Z). To give you a brief summary of my 44 G tank, it isn't your standard rectangular tank. Its a custom made corner unit (explaining the unusual size). My BGK has a cave that looks like the Roman Colosseum. He usually spends the most of his time during the day in his little hideaway, but during feeding time, he rushes out to gobble down a small chunk of frozen bloodworm. He spends his nights swimming in all sorts of weird patterns. My pH is about 7.4. in my set up. I would also like to hear about your unique sounding setup. I look forward to hearing back from you.
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Becka - 2010-10-09 Hi Kyle, I've just been reading your posts and you seem to know what you're doing. My partner recently set up our aquarium but we are TOTAL novices. We've got 5 neons (ghost fish ate one), 2 glow tetras, 2 angelfish, 2 balloon mollies, a longfin fighter fish (who's now recooping in a breeder tank after our BGKF blew one of his eyes out) and our blessed little BGKF who's around 5 inches too.
We're in New Zealand (South Island) so the water here is about as close to neutral as it gets and super clean.We only have a 50 gallon tank though. We knew when we bought the fish we'd eventually have to upgrade the tank, but after reading all these posts I'm worried our tank is already overcrowded?
We already have all the fish, and upgrading the tank right now is difficult because our town just had a massive earthquake.... erm any ideas?
Lisa - 2010-12-09 Kyle - You are SO terribly wrong about the plecos. Plecos are one of the heaviest waste producers in a tank. They poo ALL the time. So no, a pleco is NOT a low waste producer, they're actually pretty bad.
And I would still be hesitant to add your BGK to a tank with 3 large? oscars, even if the BGK is a decent size. Because it's narrow, it could still end up as lunch for the oscars.
Anita - 2011-02-21 I agree with Lisa. Plecos are huge waste producers. I have several, trust me. My big guy in my 125 gal is the messiest fish I've ever had, and that's saying something considering some of the fish I've kept. I think when you're referring to your inch per gallon rule with bottom feeders you're thinking of things like loachs and catfish. Cory cats aren't bad with waste and my clown loaches and botia's aren't bad with waste either. And even then, I still don't agree. Any person I've ever talked to with serious experience has told me that bottom feeders count just the same.
Anthony powell - 2011-05-01 I totally agree with the comments regarding the plecos. I originally had 2 plecs but the waste produced by them was that bad I reduced it to one thinking that would be better. Nope didn't make a difference at all. I'm sure the other plec produced more waste just to spite me cuz I got rid of his mate. So I got rid of that one too. In summary. Plec = lots of waste.
david - 2011-06-12 Plecostomus (I believe we are talking about Glyptopterichthys gibbiceps) is a very large waste producer. A Plecostomus by itself will require a thirty gallon tank. Therefore, if you have a 55 gallon, the Plecostomus alone will take up 30 gallons of that tank. On a waste producing chart, G. Gibbiceps are right alongside Oscars. Trust me.
The Black Ghost Knifefish is the most well known species of knife fish in the aquarium industry!
I was thinking about getting a BGKF, but I have 4 Dojo Loachs, and 3 Bala Sharks. Does anyone know if this would be a bad idea or do you think they would be alright? I dont want anyone of them to get killed.
The Black Ghost Knife is an awesome fish. They can get aggressive with their own species, and other knifefish. But would probably be okay with the Dojo's and Bala Sharks in a large enough aquarium. Both the Black Ghost and the Bala Sharks get very big, so 100 gallons minimum to start and then you'll need a larger tank as they grow.
I have a BGK which i bought when it was about 2 inches long.now a after a six month period it has grown to around 7 and a half inches and has consumed lots of pellet food in the process.
I have a 55 gallon aquarium that houses 2 Clown Loaches, 3 Tiger Barbs, 1 Pleco, 1 Khulli Loach, & 1 Blind Cave Tetra. I am fascinated by the Black Ghost Knife fish....would it be a good addition to my tank? I have 3 caves for hiding space and will add more if needed.
Be careful with the tiger barbs. I have 3 in my tank (plus other fish). I put in 2 bgkf, one of which didn't have all the white on its tail, just a white tip which the tiger barbs bit whenever it was out..... sadly it died not long after. In saying that however, the other bgkf is doing extreammally well!
Can I keep an Apteronotus albifrons in a 55 gallon aquarium with 2x Geophagus steindachneri and 3x Metynnis argenteus?
Nope-sorry. The Knifefish needs a minimum of 100 gallon tank on his own. They can be agressive and they do get huge and if it fits in their mouth, they will attempt to eat it.
If the BGK is about 2 inches, it can be kept, but you should have a future planning for the fish because they get to be 40 cm or more.
I had two black ghost knife fish. For some reason they both died . I don't know why. If anybody has a clue why they died, Please let me know.
I bought another one last he doing pretty good.
What that kind of fish usually eat? The night I bought some guppies for them to eat.
Any symptoms - strange behaviors - anything? How long had you had them? Check out Fish Diseases and Treatment - link should be here and see if your ghost displayed anything at all unusual as described in the symptoms. Also, check to make sure your tank and living conditions are appropriate for that size fish. They need lots of room. Animal World recommends at least a 100 gallon tank.
They relish on neon tetras.
Is $8.94 to cheap for black ghost knife fish, and is the ph a big deal for them?
Yes it's a good deal half the normal price.
i got mine which is about 2 inches for 100rs, which is about 2 dollars.
My ghost knife is out all the time cruising round for food,it eats everything I put in tank. I have a community tank and feed bloodworms,pellets,flakes,turtle food. He loves to swim upside down on surface of water hoovering up food,and eats from my hand every night along with the Siamese fighter. He is a very cool fish and am surprised how active he is!!
i just bought my black ghost knife about 3 weeks ago and I put him with my 7 wagtail platys, 5 zebra danios, 5 cory cats, 2 albino red-tailed shark, 1 betta and 5 black mollies including 2 of its fries. I read in some comments that they eat other fishes especially smaller ones, but mine doesn't. He's very gentle to his tankmates and he eats feed granules (with spirulina algae and shrimp enzyme) more than bloodworms (funny, considering they're carnivorous) especially if the granules sink to the bottom like rain. He comes out of his house (he usually stays inside the nipa hut-like ceramic decor) and catch the falling feeds with his mouth. The only thing he murders is the cabomba plant. My mom saw him twice with the plant in his mouth running around the tank like a torch bearer. She says it's hilarous. I wish I caught it on cam so I can upload it.
I sincerely hope you have one absolutely totally enormous tank because that is a whole lot of fish and just based on 1 inch per adult size needing a gallon. You say the Black Ghost Knife doesn't eat the other fish. The sentence is a little off. The Black Ghost Knifefish HASN'T eaten any other fish "YET" It will. The Black Ghost is going to go about 20 inches and anything he can get his mouth around, he is going to eat. You might want to re-think your tank and community and separationa and size of tank for the others. So good news is the Black Knife HASN'T eaten any of the other fish "YET"
Hey I have a black ghost knife fish, his tail is different to the one shown but I think it's nothing. How do I get him to not hide behind my Fluval 2 filter? Is it ok to feed him dead crickets? Please respond. Thanx
Yep it is OK. The documents say wingless crickets and you purchase them.
I have ghost fish in a "L" shape tank. 1 is "odd" shaped due to being injured several times as a youngin. 2 larger ones now about 11 and 12 inch respectively - "Hunchback" only about 6 inches (if I could straighten out) - so your "different tail" could be due to injury or variation to breed. Put more places for GK to hide and will be more likely to leave filter alone - glass pipes work well - can see them, but they think they're hidden - also too much light will send them looking for cover. Re crickets - I have fed mine crickets that have gotten into house, flies, even the occasional moth. I've been keeping GK's for over 15 years and only lost 1 (approx 15 inches) after moving house and using a temporary filter - that died while I was at work. They've all started from less than 2 inches; when purchased.
Hope that gives you some assistance and reassurance.
I have received lots of comments regarding my post on BGKs. And although the inch per gallon rule doesn't apply to large fish, my knifefish isn't that big. He's only five inches or so. Secondly, he has a large home to move into. Once my BGK is big enough, he has a 200 gallon tank with 3 tiger oscars to move into. I'm just growing him in a smaller tank until he can live with oscars without being a snack. And if you keep on top of your water changes, you can push the rule to the limit and have healthy and happy fish. I clean my tank every saturday morning and I usually do a 20-25% water change. And lastly bottom feeders like pleco contribute 75% less waste than any other fish so they practically don't count towards the inch per gallon rule. Because of this a 10" pleco counts for about 2.5-3" of space. Because of this many people say they just don't count. Do you even know how to tell when a pleco is too long for the tank? If a pleco is at the top of the tank and his length is 2/3 the length of the glass then he is too long. Many people don't know that. Thank you Calvin for your support. Its finally nice to talk to some one who actually knows what they're talking about (unlike J and Z). To give you a brief summary of my 44 G tank, it isn't your standard rectangular tank. Its a custom made corner unit (explaining the unusual size). My BGK has a cave that looks like the Roman Colosseum. He usually spends the most of his time during the day in his little hideaway, but during feeding time, he rushes out to gobble down a small chunk of frozen bloodworm. He spends his nights swimming in all sorts of weird patterns. My pH is about 7.4. in my set up. I would also like to hear about your unique sounding setup. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Hi Kyle, I've just been reading your posts and you seem to know what you're doing. My partner recently set up our aquarium but we are TOTAL novices.
We've got 5 neons (ghost fish ate one), 2 glow tetras, 2 angelfish, 2 balloon mollies, a longfin fighter fish (who's now recooping in a breeder tank after our BGKF blew one of his eyes out) and our blessed little BGKF who's around 5 inches too.
We're in New Zealand (South Island) so the water here is about as close to neutral as it gets and super clean.We only have a 50 gallon tank though. We knew when we bought the fish we'd eventually have to upgrade the tank, but after reading all these posts I'm worried our tank is already overcrowded?
We already have all the fish, and upgrading the tank right now is difficult because our town just had a massive earthquake.... erm any ideas?
Kyle - You are SO terribly wrong about the plecos. Plecos are one of the heaviest waste producers in a tank. They poo ALL the time.
So no, a pleco is NOT a low waste producer, they're actually pretty bad.
And I would still be hesitant to add your BGK to a tank with 3 large? oscars, even if the BGK is a decent size. Because it's narrow, it could still end up as lunch for the oscars.
I agree with Lisa. Plecos are huge waste producers. I have several, trust me. My big guy in my 125 gal is the messiest fish I've ever had, and that's saying something considering some of the fish I've kept. I think when you're referring to your inch per gallon rule with bottom feeders you're thinking of things like loachs and catfish. Cory cats aren't bad with waste and my clown loaches and botia's aren't bad with waste either. And even then, I still don't agree. Any person I've ever talked to with serious experience has told me that bottom feeders count just the same.
I totally agree with the comments regarding the plecos. I originally had 2 plecs but the waste produced by them was that bad I reduced it to one thinking that would be better. Nope didn't make a difference at all. I'm sure the other plec produced more waste just to spite me cuz I got rid of his mate. So I got rid of that one too. In summary. Plec = lots of waste.
Plecostomus (I believe we are talking about Glyptopterichthys gibbiceps) is a very large waste producer. A Plecostomus by itself will require a thirty gallon tank. Therefore, if you have a 55 gallon, the Plecostomus alone will take up 30 gallons of that tank. On a waste producing chart, G. Gibbiceps are right alongside Oscars. Trust me.