black ghost knife mates?

[ANIM4L]

<mod note: this thread is the result of a merge of five seperate threads about the same query, by the same author>

Ok my girlfriend is in love with the black ghost knifes at my work and wants one really bad, i looked around at some things about them and i know they get big, but it takes a couple years, but right now they are about 4-6 inches at my work, so i would get the smallest obviously, but i was wondering if it would be ok in my tank, it is extremely plants, and many many hiding spots, i even got some reptile driftwood with tunnels in it for him all ready, so do u think it would work...

I know my fish people say dont always mix well, but they are all perfect together, never ever have i had a problem, my loaches arent even eating my snails or my shrimp!!! so i was just wondering how well this would work, please help me out!

I would love to have the black knife, but when he gets bigger will he kill everything? or a lot fo things? Or would the brown knife be better? please if you know help me!!!!!

 

[emma12321]

Hi ANIM4L,

Look in the fish index at the top of the forum page under oddballs. It wouldn't work with the fish you have as they can grow up to 20" and eat enything that fits in their mouth.

Emma

 

[boxman]

Just sold my BGK as was getting too big for my tank - I have to disagree in my experience, mine didn't go for any of my smaller fish (oto's) but that's not to say it won't when it gets bigger.

I wouldn't really recommend it, and yes, due to their size and your tank stocking it's a definate no no.

Under the right conditions they are quality fish to keep.

 

[isu_guy]

Ive heard of them eating smaller fish, but mine has never eaten any except for platy fry. Mine is not fully grown (about 8 inches). A 60 gallon would probably work for most since many don't get to the full size, although its probably bad practice to bet on that since it'll be hard to get rid of if it does grow too big.

As for the "the can't turn around" argument.... I don't buy it a bit. Mine has various little "caves" dug out underneath large driftwood and previously he had some broken pots on their side. He was able to turn around in some pretty tight spots. They aren't as flexible as a snake, but they are pretty flexible. So if someone says that a take that has a dimension of 18inches might be too small because he wouldn't be able to turn around is mistaken... even if the fish was 20inches long (which is unlikely). Plus mine turns around vertically too when he is "hunting." He will dart to the surface and zig zag around looking for floating food in an almost upside down angle, then dive bomb upside down to get to the substrate to search for sinkers.

goodluck with your choice

 

[andywg]

Ive heard of them eating smaller fish, but mine has never eaten any except for platy fry.  Mine is not fully grown (about 8 inches).  A 60 gallon would probably work for most since many don't get to the full size, although its probably bad practice to bet on that since it'll be hard to get rid of if it does grow too big.

As for the "the can't turn around" argument.... I don't buy it a bit.  Mine has various little "caves" dug out underneath large driftwood and previously he had some broken pots on their side.  He was able to turn around in some pretty tight spots.  They aren't as flexible as a snake, but they are pretty flexible.  So if someone says that a take that has a dimension of 18inches might be too small because he wouldn't be able to turn around is mistaken... even if the fish was 20inches long (which is unlikely).  Plus mine turns around vertically too when he is "hunting."  He will dart to the surface and zig zag around looking for floating food in an almost upside down angle, then dive bomb upside down to get to the substrate to search for sinkers.

goodluck with your choice

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Regardless of the fact that he could turn around by bending is it really fair to keep a fish in a tank that isn't as wide as the fish is long? I say no.

With the stocking you have I would advise against it. A whole host of people with 8" BGK may come on and say their BGK doesn't touch its smaller tank mates, but 8" is at best half grown, probably not even that...Not worth risking it.

A brown knife could be better (I believe on eo f the species maxes out at around 8") thought your smaller fish could still be on the menu...

 

[starrfish71]

In my experience, I have witnessed large black ghosts that have grown up in a tank that had similar fish as yours, and they never hunted their tank mates. Of course it was WELL fed- would hand feed as a matter of fact. They would not do so well in an already over crowded tank, as yours is. If you had about half the fish currently in it, it might work fine, if you started with a smaller size- 4-8 inches.

An african brown knife maxes out at 8 inches, and while mine regularly eat guppies, they are not really aggressive, and they can easily hold their own with larger fish. If raised in a situation where you don't feed live food, they also usually don't hunt their tank mates they've grown up with.

Brown knives seem to be much hardier, in general, than black knives. I have kept both, in fact, have both now in different tanks. My brown knife is around 4 years old, and has always lived with severums and other mid-aggresive cichlids and cats. No problems. she gets right in there and wrestles her portion of food. The black ghost is in a much quieter tank with eels and loaches. It is also only about 3 inches long, so just a baby. Black knives are very hardy, once they get past their initiation in the tank- I always used to say to prospective buyers, if you can get them through the first two weeks, you're golden, barring power outages, heater explosions, or something swallowing it whole.

 

[lady_tanksalot]

I'm assuming its to go in your 60g, size of the tank seems ok for a little one but i would be very worried about adding a BGK with all your gouramis. I dont think they'd swim fast enough to get out of the way.

 

[emma12321]

Hi AMIM4L,

When you asked in the oddball section no one recommended it so why ask again?
If you get one anyway don't be surprised when you other fish go missing and its the only thing left in the tank in a few years.

If you really want one, why not trade in your fish and get some suitable tankmates to live with it, ask what is suitable in the oddball section. You would need to upgrade to a bigger tank eventually if you get it some similar sized friends.

No one is going to tell you to get one then take the blame when things go wrong.

Emma

p.s if they have them at work do you work in a fish store? What have they recommended?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i have to say "no." rehoming large fish is not as easy as you think. most people aren't interested in owning 75+ gallon tanks and those who are interested often already have their stock or would rather grow up their own babies.

also, even "nice" BGK that will handfeed and everything... will eat anything they can catch and that will fit in their mouths. so count goodbye your ghost shrimp, you dwarf frogs, and your cories. and once your BGK gets large enough to obviously no longer fit your tank, count goodbye your gouramis too.

 

[ANIM4L]

dang ok, thanks a lot tho everyone

 

[troutfly]

ANIM4L - I would have to say that first and foremost, I am not a BGK expert, but I can tell you this: To house a BGK in a 60 gal tank, you would have to reduce your stock by nearly half because the tank will not support a fish that has a rapid metabolic rate with the numbers of fish that already inhabit the tank. I have a 10" BGK in my 55 gal, but I only have it with a very limited number of fish due to the fact it has a fast metabolic rate and I don't want to harm any of ny fish. I believe the only inhabitants you would have problems with would be your ghost shrimp and ADF's. The gouramis should be fine due to them having a high profile and your BGK would have to be atleast 18" before I would even worry about them. But I would caution you about getting one simply you already have 25 fish in your tank and you could push the peramiters of your water over the top by adding anything else. I hope this helps you in your decission to add any more inhabitants to your tank.

 

[Cossack1977]

i BGK would work fine with those tank mates.
The only thing i would be worried about is the size of your tank.
I would worry about the BGK eating your other fish either. They take a few years to get to the size that a cory would have to worry, your ghost shrimp on the other hand would make a tasty meal for it.

i've got 2 BGK in my tank and they r fine with the other tan mates. Mind you its a larger tank

 

[ANIM4L]

Hi everyone! I posted a while back about getting a BGK and some said it woudl eat my fish and some said it would take years for him to get big enough, so i was wondering what everyone else is saying. I want one in my 60 gallon (below) and i have a home for him, it is for reptile terrariums but it works, it hs a cave about 10 inches long, and i have real mopani in the tank and a fake mangrove root that is like a cave i guess, but atm is occupied by the synodontis. I want a BGK really bad, but what does everyone else think? I dont want my fish to die (the shrimp and snails i dont care about ) But i want one so bad!!!! Please help me out!!!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i have a home for him, it is for reptile terrariums but it works, it hs a cave about 10 inches long, and i have real mopani in the tank and a fake mangrove root that is like a cave i guess, but atm is occupied by the synodontis.

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exactly what do you mean by this? (and could you use periods, please? otherwise i and several other people have severe difficulties understanding what you mean.)

 

[ANIM4L]

what i meant was that i know they need a cave to be able to hide in, and i have a cave in my tank, that was made for reptil tanks, but i am using it in my aqaurium. I also have Mopani driftwood in the tank and a fake mangrove root ornament. The mangrove root ornament is currently occupied by the synodontis eupterus. Sorry for the confusion...