Black Ghost Knife Fish Biotope

[Africa aquatic]

Hi all

Does anybody have an idea for tankmates for a SA biotope tank with BGKF as the centre piece. As they tend to be low key in terms of being easy to see what else can be put in with them that would be found in the same waters and liven the tank up without being disruptive. Any ideas appreciated.

Luke

 

[Davo86]

Hi, What sized tank have you got available for this?

BGKs tend to come from the faster flowing parts of South America so suitable tankmates could consist of

Catfish, - plecos, corydoras, hoplos, pimelodus, pimelodellas
Cichlids - Laetacara dorsigera, Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Characins - Red-Eyes, Phantoms, Colombians, Serpae, Hatchetfish

 

[Africa aquatic]

I don't have a tank set aside yet for it, I am looking at 200 l tank or will I need something larger.

Luke

Hi, What sized tank have you got available for this?

BGKs tend to come from the faster flowing parts of South America so suitable tankmates could consist of

Catfish, - plecos, corydoras, hoplos, pimelodus, pimelodellas
Cichlids - Laetacara dorsigera, Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Characins - Red-Eyes, Phantoms, Colombians, Serpae, Hatchetfish

 

[Davo86]

a 200L would be ok for around one year max IME,
BGKs are slow growers but will easily be reaching 12-16" eventually, if not 18-20"

 

[JohnRossDele]

The BGK is a great fish a had 2 & i liked them so much im getting an other 1

why not try an amazon tank with lots of plants and pea gravel.

Fish IMOlecos,cory cats, BGK,REd tail black shark ect...

avoid overly aggresive fish & neons, guppies, platys, swordtails ect...

use a lees aquariums ghost house, its simply a transparent tube that the bgk thinks its a hidding spot coz ti uses a navigater

id be lookin a 240litre up for this fish

JRD*

 

[Africa aquatic]

Hi Davo86
Could you give an idea of the size tank that I will need to get including baring in mind the tank mates you mentioned, I will be going with the tetras andf hoplo catfish. Also would rummy nose tetras work. Appreciate the imput.


Luke

 

[Davo86]

Hi Davo86
Could you give an idea of the size tank that I will need to get including baring in mind the tank mates you mentioned, I will be going with the tetras andf hoplo catfish. Also would rummy nose tetras work. Appreciate the imput.


Luke

For life you will be needing something that is at the very least 60"x18"x18" IMO although ideally wider and taller
I kept mine in a 240L tank for 13 months before upgrading to a 475L tank which should just about be ok.

BGK's are a predatory fish but provided you add the smaller fish when it is young it should become accustomed to them and therefore not see them as food, Adding small tetras to a tank with an adult BGK is usually asking for trouble

why not try an amazon tank with lots of plants and pea gravel.

Fish IMOlecos,cory cats, BGK,REd tail black shark ect...

It wouldn't exactly be an amazon biotope if it has a RTB shark in it

 

[fenne11y]

in my experience davo86 is right as long as you ad fish when the bgk is tiny then they will be acustomed to them and wont eat them. ive got a 5x2x2 foot tank id say thats a minimum for black ghosts. mines grown 10" since i got him and that was a year ago. the only time i see him agressive is when something goes into his hideing place otherwise hes apsulutly peaceful.

 

[millie1]

mine dosent touch the neons and guppys in the tank - never even lunged at them and they can swim near him and touch him and he dosent bother at all..... even in his hiding place under the rocks etc./...

 

[TheBigEasy]

at adulthood, your gonna need at least a 75gallon tank. Maybe bigger. I have an 8" BGK in a 75gal right now, and its more than enough for now. But they get much bigger than any of these websites tell you. They easily get larger than 2 feet. But it takes MANY years to reach that. And most dont survive that long in tanks. I believe there is an aquarium somewhere in the UK that has a MONSTER BGK.

 

[Davo86]

24-25inches is around their maximum adult size in the wild,

 

[TheBigEasy]

24-25inches is around their maximum adult size in the wild,

there are MUCH larger BGK than 25" Could be a hybrid thing though, idk, this one is captive that i saw.

also I have had great success keeping them with just about anything(besides piranhas of course) since they tend to be very territorial and somewhat aggressive.