ghost knife fish help!?

Question

hi,

i have a tropical aquarium at home which has been running for about a week now, at the moment i'm raising some baby guppies, but when the shop take them off my hands i will be looking to have a black ghost knife fish. i was just hoping you could give me a little insight on the fish and how long i should have my tank for before i get one?

Answer 1

Hi, I have 3 aquaiums and 3 Black ghost knives. thay are the most beautiful fish out there in my opinion. Depending on the size of the tank you should wait at least a month to make sure the water is properly filtered. Having fish in the tank before getting a ghost knife is a good idea as it helps the water mature. Over the past few years i have read up loads on ghost knives and i also have alot of experience in keeping them.

Firstly, you will read everywhere that they are quite a hard fish, however this is not the case. They are quite a soft fish and can become ill quickly if not properly cared for. However do not let this put you off!!

Ghost knives are nocturnal so will need places to hide, get some driftwoord and some tubes, i got tubes that are used for hamsters and my ghosties love em. also lots of plants.

Also, ghost knives grow very large, and will eat small fish such as guppies, neons etc. It needs to be kept with docile fish and NO FIN NIPPERS! from experience i have learnt that ghost knives do not get on with red tail sharks and Plecos. Silver sharks are perfect company, as well as clown loach and quite a few others.

It also states everywhere that 2 ghost knives cant be kept in the same tank, I have 2 in 1 tank now, 1 is 13" long the other about 7-8 inches. if you are going to have 2 you need a good filtration system.

Ghost knives also give off an electrical current so do not mix it with other fish that have this such as elephant nose.

for food they like blood worm, cichlid pellets (which are also fed to fighters)

I hope this info has helped

Answer 2

Black Ghost Knifefish can grow up to 19 inches (over a foot and a half) and need an aquarium with 55 gallons when they are young, and 100 gallons or more when they are fully grown. If you have an aquarium this size, then you want to have it fully cycled (ammonia rises and drops to zero, nitrites rise and drop to zero, and nitrates rise and drop), and you want to make sure you have your pH and temperature at ideal levels for the fish. He will need plastic tubing longer than his body length and taller than his height to hide in (2ft long pieces of tubing 6 inches in diameter should last him to full grown). He will be aggressive with other knifefish unless you have an incredibly large aquarium, so don't keep more than one. He has a mild electric charge which means you shouldn't keep him with other "electric" fish like baby whales. The electrical field could also stress other fish in the aquarium if there isn't sufficient space. And he will eat small tropicals. The guppies he could probably eat now, and he could eat any small tropicals when he is fully grown. Here's some more info http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html

Answer 3

Black ghost knife fish can grow to 12-16 inches in length so make sure your tank is big enough. They much prefer to be in a group and need a planted tank with plenty of places to hide. They are a nocturnal fish so if you want to see them you would do best setting up a moonlight tank. They like bloodworm and black gnat in their diet. They also give off a constant electrical charge but not enough for you to feel. Good luck with them, they are a great fish.

Answer 4

I had one of these great fish, but they are VERY sensitive to chemical changes in the water and also the overall quality of the water. I made the mistake of getting one too early and he never really did to well and then died about 1 month later. These fish don't have scales and therefore require VERY good tank maintenance. They also shouldn't be treated with ick medications or anything of that nature. Below is an article i found for you, feel free to message me if you have any questions!

Answer 5

How big is the tank? Black ghost knife fish need a minimum of 55 gallons when small. Here is a website all about them, http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html

Answer 6

Try this may help on what you need to know on the fish

Answer 7

they're lovely fish, and i would get the tank first before getting the fish, otherwise you'll have to keep it in the bath