Black Ghost Knife Fish

[NovaFox]

What are some signs that its doing well? Since its nocturnal I cant really tell if hes eating, or really anything for that matter. Any suggestions on how to tell whats going on with it. I heard from a friend of mine that they are 'hard' to take care of. I've seen it poke his head out a few times of his little hiding place he has in my tank, so that lets me know hes alive atleast

 

[Mr._Fishy]

They are somewhat difficult, definitely not a beginners fish, but given the proper environment, they are fairly easy fish. What sort of tank mates are in with him? What size tank and what are the water parameters? What decor is in the tank? What are you feeding it?

Ryan

 

[sic0198]

Mine is easy to take care of. I've had him for about a year and a half. I feed him frozen brinen shrimp usually at night once a day. He is a tough little fart, he's had ick twice and I gave him up twice and both times he has gotten through it. But ya know they are quite odd little devils, especially their swimming habit. I have a ghost house (juat a plastic tube) and it swims in there. It thinks it's hidden but it's not. Using the GH I can see it whenever I want.

 

[NovaFox]

Currently in my tank i have 2 Bala Sharks, 2 Silver Dollars, 2 Plecostomus .... forgot these names but 5 little community fishys, and 2 others, which i also forgot the name of, and a Peacock Eel. The decors are basicly, wood look... hollow stump, huge roots, and one standing root-like structure with a hole, which he hides in just about alll the time. Tank water runs at about 75-80 degrees, TBH not sure on the pH etc.. but i should check, but all the fish seem happy, so cant be too bad. I feel all my fish Flakes, Frozen blood worms / brine shrimp.

 

[DarkEntity]

not the best selection of fish for a BGK tbh, the Bala's and Dollars can be rahter gregarious and greedy fish, i personally wouldnt have a BGK in there with them, then there is the Plecs....even worse imo..

 

[Mr._Fishy]

And the "community fishies" may get eaten if they are small enough. Your silver dollars and balas are gregarious and would benefit from more of their own kind and the latter will outgrow most tanks. I would change the diet to a more protein rich diet with more meaty foods such as prawns, bloodworms, mysis shrimp, and maybe some earthworms. Brine shrimp don't really have much nutritional value so I would only feed that occasionally. What's your tank size and dimensions?

Ryan

 

[andywg]

not the best selection of fish for a BGK tbh, the Bala's and Dollars can be rahter gregarious and greedy fish, i personally wouldnt have a BGK in there with them, then there is the Plecs....even worse imo..

Damn. My 2 BGK share with balas, plecs, cigar sharks and bush fish. Care to enlighten me how balas and plecs are so bad for BGK?

 

[Mr._Fishy]

not the best selection of fish for a BGK tbh, the Bala's and Dollars can be rahter gregarious and greedy fish, i personally wouldnt have a BGK in there with them, then there is the Plecs....even worse imo..

Damn. My 2 BGK share with balas, plecs, cigar sharks and bush fish. Care to enlighten me how balas and plecs are so bad for BGK?

I'm not the person who said that, but I think the reason the balas are bad is because they would eat up all the food before the bgk could get to it. They are very active which could cause the bgk to become more skittish and hide a lot. I don't really know why plecs would be bad.

Ryan

 

[Darkstar]

They're not bad. I have a bgk with several plecs and no problems at all...

 

[DarkEntity]

not the best selection of fish for a BGK tbh, the Bala's and Dollars can be rahter gregarious and greedy fish, i personally wouldnt have a BGK in there with them, then there is the Plecs....even worse imo..

Damn. My 2 BGK share with balas, plecs, cigar sharks and bush fish. Care to enlighten me how balas and plecs are so bad for BGK?

ITs well known that BGK can be slow eaters and that silver sharks can be rather greedy fish, thus can be a problem with BGK's, also its well known for BGK's to sleep and that Plecs can and sometimes will eat slime coats...thus as i said "I personally" wouldnt keep them together

 

[Darkstar]

Slow eaters?! I have a foot long bgk and it swallows whole prawns at a time and he attacks them far quicker than any other fish in the tank. While each fish as it's own distinct personality I have yet to see a bgf which is slow at eating.

And yes while it is said that plecs will sometimes suck on the slime coat off other fish (generally discus/oscars apparently, going by the 'reports' I have read) the chances of it happening are damn remote imo.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Slow eaters?! I have a foot long bgk and it swallows whole prawns at a time and he attacks them far quicker than any other fish in the tank. While each fish as it's own distinct personality I have yet to see a bgf which is slow at eating.

And yes while it is said that plecs will sometimes suck on the slime coat off other fish (generally discus/oscars apparently, going by the 'reports' I have read) the chances of it happening are damn remote imo.

My bgk isn't a slow eater, but takes a rather long time to react when food is dropped into the tank. The balas and silver dollars may eat much of the food before the bgk gets a whiff of it.

Ryan

 

[cuticom]

My BGK is anything but a slow eater, as soon as he smells food he goes mental racing after it, usually I have to handfeed everything else in the tank so they get to eat.

It should be easy to see your BGK eat mine will feed at any time of the day, though he prefers to feed at dusk.