Bgk; Yay Or Nay?

[TotallyTropical]

After forgetting about this site for a full 2 years (I truly do miss it, actually

), I have come back to make sure that I don't make any terrible mistakes (even though I made quite a few in the time I was gone).
Since the new arrival of a lovely 75 gallon tank, I have had the opportunity to explore fishkeeping a lot more than my 10 gallon allowed me to.
It is currently stocked with:
-4 Platys
-6 Gouramis (2 Blue, 2 Gold, 2 Fire Dwarf)
-7 Zebra Danios
-8 Black Neon Tetras
-1 feisty little Flying Fox
-1 small Pleco (under 5", I can't seem to remember the breed)
-1 Black Kuhli Loach (the last one left from the shoal in my 10gal; may get some more in the future)
It does seem a bit overstocked in my opinion, but from all of the LPS employees/owners I've talked to, they say it should be fine.
Now here comes the terrible question:
Would it be possible to add a BGK as a final tank member?
They have peaked my interest for the longest time, and I would absolutely love to have one, though I've heard that they grow fast and can be generally agressive. Could I put one in, or would that just be asking for trouble?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They are predatory fish and all the other inhabitants would end up menu items... so sadly that's not a viable option.  BGKs need very specialized set-ups and are not 'community' fish.  

 

[TotallyTropical]

Ah, that's what I suspected. Thanks for the info.

 

[gmc1]

How long have you had your gouramis?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Unless you rehome most, if not all, your current stocking and rescape the tank to be suitable for BGK then would be a nay from me am afraid.
 
So basically with your current set up, its asking for trouble

 
A litlle more information on BGK which may help
 
Black Ghost Knife
 
and
 
Apteronotus albifrons

 

[Byron]

I concur with what other members have suggested, but I would also add one important aspect not mentioned so far, and that is the tank size.  While a juvenile BGK will manage in a 75g, it will grow (assuming it is healthy) to 20 inches and being inflexible it cannot bend its spine, so to swim around a tank the tank must be at least 2 feet in width (front to back), and 6 feet in length (3 times the BGK length).  So unless you intend or have an aquarium this size, I would not get a BGK as it will soon develop problems in small tanks.
 
This species also has some very particular needs when it comes to its environment, but we needn't delve into that.
 
Byron.

 

[TallTree01]

Nay, in my opinion, black ghost knifes can rarely be looked after properly and should not be so readily available on the market. Their massive size and impressive ability to eat things make them unsuitable for the vast majority of aquariums.

 

[NickAu]

 
Would it be possible to add a BGK as a final tank member?

As somebody who had a Black ghost knife in a community tank with Lace Gouramis, Shrimp and Rasboras I would say HECK NO.
 

 
This species also has some very particular needs when it comes to its environment, but we needn't delve into that.

Yup.
 

 
black ghost knifes can rarely be looked after properly and should not be so readily available on the market

I could walk into Pet Barn ( A chain pet shop ) and right now they have about 10 BGK ( about 3 to 4 inches long ) in a 2 foot display tank, And if I wanted to buy all 10 that would be fine by the sales person, and I quote " They don't get much bigger than they are now, And yes sir they will be fine in a 20 US gallon tank " they cost $ 15 bucks each.
 

 
ability to eat things make them unsuitable for the vast majority of aquariums.
 

If it fits in the BGK's mouth it will eat it, is what I have discovered.

 

[TotallyTropical]

How long have you had your gouramis?

Roughly about a month for the gold and blue ones, and a couple of weeks for the dwarfs. They seem to be doing rather well, other than a bit of chasing.
 

Unless you rehome most, if not all, your current stocking and rescape the tank to be suitable for BGK then would be a nay from me am afraid.
 
So basically with your current set up, its asking for trouble

 
A litlle more information on BGK which may help
 
Black Ghost Knife
 
and
 
Apteronotus albifrons

Thanks for the links! It was just a fish I've always wanted to have (along with Oscars), but I'm happy with the setup I have now. Maybe I'll look into it in the future.

 
 

I concur with what other members have suggested, but I would also add one important aspect not mentioned so far, and that is the tank size.  While a juvenile BGK will manage in a 75g, it will grow (assuming it is healthy) to 20 inches and being inflexible it cannot bend its spine, so to swim around a tank the tank must be at least 2 feet in width (front to back), and 6 feet in length (3 times the BGK length).  So unless you intend or have an aquarium this size, I would not get a BGK as it will soon develop problems in small tanks.
 
This species also has some very particular needs when it comes to its environment, but we needn't delve into that.
 
Byron.

 

Nay, in my opinion, black ghost knifes can rarely be looked after properly and should not be so readily available on the market. Their massive size and impressive ability to eat things make them unsuitable for the vast majority of aquariums.

 

 

 
Would it be possible to add a BGK as a final tank member?

As somebody who had a Black ghost knife in a community tank with Lace Gouramis, Shrimp and Rasboras I would say HECK NO.
 

 
This species also has some very particular needs when it comes to its environment, but we needn't delve into that.

Yup.
 

 
black ghost knifes can rarely be looked after properly and should not be so readily available on the market

I could walk into Pet Barn ( A chain pet shop ) and right now they have about 10 BGK ( about 3 to 4 inches long ) in a 2 foot display tank, And if I wanted to buy all 10 that would be fine by the sales person, and I quote " They don't get much bigger than they are now, And yes sir they will be fine in a 20 US gallon tank " they cost $ 15 bucks each.
 

 
ability to eat things make them unsuitable for the vast majority of aquariums.
 

If it fits in the BGK's mouth it will eat it, is what I have discovered.
 


 
Ah, I see, so a big no for now.

 

[Byron]

Roughly about a month for the gold and blue ones, and a couple of weeks for the dwarfs. They seem to be doing rather well, other than a bit of chasing.
 

 
Keep a close eye on the gourami, as this "chasing" might well be the start of real problems that will end in the death of one or more of them.  The Blue and Gold are actually the same species, Trichopodus trichopterus, which has several man-made varieties including Cosby, Three-Spot, Opaline, Marbled, and others in addition to Blue and Gold.  As I say, they are all the same species, and males are very territorial.  If females are present, there should be two females to a male to avoid the male's attentions harassing a female to death, literally.  I have known aquarists with a female who killed the other gourami within days, so the aggressive tendancy in this species can be significant.  When there is obvious aggression it is best to separate the fish somwhow.
 
Byron.

 

[gmc1]

Totally agree with Byron.thats why I asked.i have the three spots.three blue and a gold.i male to three females.they chase each other for short bursts at a time.its what they do.but I would keep a close eye on them especially the flame dwarfs you have.good chance they will get bullied.

 

[TotallyTropical]

 

Roughly about a month for the gold and blue ones, and a couple of weeks for the dwarfs. They seem to be doing rather well, other than a bit of chasing.
 

 
Keep a close eye on the gourami, as this "chasing" might well be the start of real problems that will end in the death of one or more of them.  The Blue and Gold are actually the same species, Trichopodus trichopterus, which has several man-made varieties including Cosby, Three-Spot, Opaline, Marbled, and others in addition to Blue and Gold.  As I say, they are all the same species, and males are very territorial.  If females are present, there should be two females to a male to avoid the male's attentions harassing a female to death, literally.  I have known aquarists with a female who killed the other gourami within days, so the aggressive tendancy in this species can be significant.  When there is obvious aggression it is best to separate the fish somwhow.
 
Byron.
 

Totally agree with Byron.thats why I asked.i have the three spots.three blue and a gold.i male to three females.they chase each other for short bursts at a time.its what they do.but I would keep a close eye on them especially the flame dwarfs you have.good chance they will get bullied.

 
Ah, alright, I'll keep an eye on them. So far it hasn't been too bad, but I'll definitely fix things if it gets worse.