Black Ghostknife

[Jake Jackson]

Okay, so I'll try and keep this short and simple.

I have a 10gal tank. I already know that its overpopulatedbut here goes.

I have 1 black ghost knife, 1 green spotted puffer, 1 dragon goby, 1 shark catfish, 1 hifin spotted pleco, 3 tiger barbs, and 3 black skirt tetras. Everything seems to be doing fine together, no fighting, all fins still seem intact. But I was informed on the brackish forums some have to go, and some have to stay.

I'm keeping the knife. He's only 2 maybe 3 inches. What can I put with him? My initial thought was ghostknife, dragon goby, and I was thinking African Cichlids? What do you all the experts think about what I think?

 

[Puffdaddy]

Wow you have a lot going in your tank. I think you might have gone a little fish crazy.

I'm sorry to be the one with the bad news but right now your tank is bomb waiting to happen(not a matter of if, but when)

The Green Spotted Puffer, Dragon Goby, and Shark Catfish are all brackish water fish and should re-homed as soon as possible.
On top of that the Dragon and the Shark reach sizes over 12", and the GSP is a very aggressive fish and well like maim and/or kill most of your fish within a few months.

The hifin? do you mean Sailfin Pleco these guys get huge 18"+, and is dump truck of a waste producer, you well be vacuuming the substrate every day in about 6 months if kept in a 10gl.

And now for your baby which I feel I must inform you of is not going to stay a baby for long. I picked up a BKN myself about
1 1/2yrs ago now. He was also about 3" when I got him, in 6 months he shot up to 8", after one year he was 11" and now at 13
he is finally ready to have new home in May. Sooooo, he is only going to last a few months in your 10gl and then he MUST be moved. I suggest you start saving for a new tank, by the time the BKN is ready to be moved you should have enough money saved. $20 A WEEK TO THE FISH FUND IS A MUST FOR ME

Some good news is you can keep the Tiger Barbs and Tetras.
Good luck, if you more Q's just

 

[Jake Jackson]

So, I know most of that already... But thanks for replying whole heartedly.

But what are some suitable tankmates for the Ghostknife? he and the goby are by far the most attractive, and they both hide most of the time unless I'm feeding.

Petsmart sold me the spotted pleco, dont think it was a sailfin, but not sure. I couldn't find any info on hifin spotted plecos.

And what can I house with the black ghost knife?

 

[Puffdaddy]

Yes there are plenty of things you can house with a Black Ghost Knife. In your case though NO, NO ,NO. Do not add anymore fish to your tank. Very poor decision making if you don't move the BGK to another tank and/or get anymore fish. Your BKN is surely going to suffer, be stunted, poor health, and diseases that won't go away. If you continue to ignore good advice, why do you keep asking? Maybe you think if you keep asking someone will till you what you want to know("yes BKN can fit in a 10gl").
If you want to hear this kind of advice go to Walmart. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but somebody has to get through to you.

I'll pray for your BKN

 

[Darkstar]

My black ghost knife fish went from 2-3" to around 10-12" in the first year.....he really and seriously should be in a bigger tank.

The spotted hi-fin sounds like an L200. Does it by any chance look like this:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...species_id=1805

 

[demonmagus]

tbh I think everything but the tetras have to go straight away, puffdaddy has illustrated why

 

[Jake Jackson]

okay, so lets try again... I'll try and break it down, maybe the big jumbled paragraph confused some.

Once again I state that I know I have to move some things around. Once again I state I have to get a bigger tank.

And yes, I do know all this... not just how to reytpe it over and over.

Obviously, I want to make the right choices.

SO, what can I add with them? What can I put w/ what? You people are responding like I'm just supposed to pull a 120gal fish tank out my..... well nots go that route.

I want to have accurate information BEFORE... thats why these forums are here right? So, my question.... what are some setups I could aim for in order to have a nice tank setup? What are some of the kinds of fish I could incorporate? Basically, some ideas.... My hobby has always been reptiles... Fish are new to me, the Mrs. has a nice setup 20gal w/ her nice pretty fish.

Anyway, my 10gal the biggest thing is a 4 inch goby. Everything says 6 months I could see drastic changes in body size, you all say 6 months. No one has said by the end of this response, or tonight.

So, can I please get some help with the task at hand now? Or should I just flush everything but the Knife and plec, or is there a way I could get some info and let everything live?

 

[caboose_122]

why do you need a 120 gal, a 75 gallon is big enough to hold everything in that tank plus more, and you can save about 200-300$ cnd, i have a dragon goby in fresh water, its doing absolutly fine i have had in in there for about a year, its about 8 inches now and he is in a 29 gallon, (i know haw big they get so don't go crazy) and they can be kept in freshwater i know many people who do it, the shark, bkn, and pleco will probably have to go to a bigger tank or back to the lfs, the lfs's try to make sales by lying, my lfs does it all teh time, when i was a noob with a 5 gallon tank (about 5 years ago) they sold me a common saying it wouldent get over 2 inches, it got like 5 inches and all my fishes died( i was really sad)

 

[demonmagus]

the goby will need lots of sand to bury in and not very boisterous tankmates - they eat small particles of food I think

 

[caboose_122]

mine eats left over flakes, blood worms, and brine shrimp, and sometimes algae wafers off the bottom of the tank, they like to up root plants too, i found.

 

[Rhiannon]

Jake, takes these peoples advice. You couldnt possibly put a cichlid in that tank with all of those tank mates. The poor tankmates are squashed in enough as it is.

I really hope you take their advice, I know how exciting it is when you find out about new species and really want them in your tank, but sometimes, in reality, its just not possible.

 

[Jake Jackson]

i'm not adding anything to this tank... I'm lookin for info on the right setups I can start... Not adding anything else. Trying to start getting everything right, just looking for info on it.

 

[demonmagus]

OK I'll try and help, but wait for someone to back me up or disprove me

1 black ghost knife, 1 green spotted puffer, 1 dragon goby, 1 shark catfish, 1 hifin spotted pleco, 3 tiger barbs, and 3 black skirt tetras


the BGK will need a 125 gallon+ tank in the future, they grow large and (apparently) quite fast. pure freshwater
the GSP is quite a slow grower but as a juvie needs low s.g. (measurement of salt, use a hydrometer or a refractometer) will end up in around 1.015 s.g. as adult and many people enjoy putting these guys in a FOWLR marine tank, which should be at least 40-50 gallons.
the dragon goby needs a 50 gallon, lots of sand and is brackish but I don't know how brackish - probably isn't ideal tankmates with the GSP though
the shark catfish will need a long tnak, 180 gallons + (6 foot or over) becuase they are skittish, grow large and love to swim. They follow the same saltiness guide as the GSP, and the GSP and the shark catfish can probably be kept together in a 180 gallon + aquarium
the hifin spotted plec - I don't know, pure freshwater though
the tiger barbs and tetras should ideally be in groups of 6 to prevent fin nipping, in around a 20 gallon tank, pure freshwater but would get eaten by the BGK


so if you were to keep all the fish in their ideal conditions you should have this

1 125 gallon freshwater tank for the BGK and some extra tankmates, nothing tetra sized or very aggressive though. the plec can go there as well

1 180 gallon or more low end, then high end as the fish grow brackish tank with the GSP and shark cat (who would probably like a friend or 2 in that sized tank) with some brackish tankmates such as scats and monos

1 50 gallon brackish tank for the goby, with some carefully selected tankmates

1 20 gallon for the tetras and barbs, each in a shoal of 6

 

[Puffdaddy]

Demonmagus is correct with his ideal tank scenario. Although I'm guessing you won't be able to, that's a lot of money and dream set-ups for most. So here is what you should do between now and 3 months.

FIRST: Return the GSP, it well give you the first problems (biting chunks out of the other fish) and most likely the worst (kill some or all your fish) within the first month. This is when you return the shark as well, being that you don't sound to interested in this fish as much as the BGK and Goby. The BGK and Goby are what should be focused on.

SECOND: Classify exactly what kind of pleco you have (here is a link) let us know so we can help.

THIRD: Buy a cheap 55gl tank. Walmart has some for about $120 comes with filter, heater, 2 canopies w/light, etc.
and put your BKN and Goby in it with some other tank mates, such as Angelfish, Congo Tetra, or Discus, and many more choices. The BGK and Goby will be good in there for the first year then you have to find a permanent home.
*Remember within the first 3 months.

FOURTH: The Tetra and Barbs can stay if there still alive.

FIFTH: Save money for your 110gl minimum tank for a permanent home and do good research before you buy new fish.

I hope this is what your looking for "solution to the ploblem"

 

[Nevergone815]

The info by Puffdaddy and Demonmagus are pot on...

Personally, I would go for 2 55 gallons right now (if you could afford it). Like stated walmart has an awesome deal on tanks and stands. So this is what I would do if I were you.

Here's the fish list 1 black ghost knife, 1 green spotted puffer, 1 dragon goby, 1 shark catfish, 1 hifin spotted pleco, 3 tiger barbs, and 3 black skirt tetras:

Freshwater Needed/Preferred:
BGK- in a 55 gallon would be ideal. It would have plenty of space and would give you plenty of time to get a bigger tank. Some people say minimum needed is a 75 gallon, I would go up to 125 gallons, I'll explain why later. They like well planted tanks with plenty of "caves" or "tunnels" to hide in. I'm sure you know that, but think about what else enjoys that.

Hifin Spotted Pleco- I have these by me as well, they are just spotted sailfin plecos with a fancy name so people will buy them. My petsmart sells them as that.. He would be able to follow the BGK along as they grow and need to be moved into larger tanks. This is where the 125 gallon long term would be nice, so that you have room for the BGK and the plec. This is why the 125 gallon would be needed.

3 Tiger Barbs- These do ideal in groups of 6 or more (preffered in 9 for these guys). The reason for the odd numbers... I'm not sure, but I've been told to do multiples of three when adding tetras/dithers... But 9 for TBs are best as they are really nasty and aggressive to each other in time. These require at least 30 gallons (for the group) and would be alright with your BGK until he either a ) got to big or b ) they started nipping him up. That's the biggest problem with BGK, they need small peaceful tankmates that won't fit into their mouths and aren't nippy. Otherwise they are amazing fish to have! Personally I would rehome these as they may mess up your future plans.

3 Black Skirt Tetras- Same as the TBs, just, they aren't aggressive, but rather enjoy eating fins off of other fish that aren;t themselves. Even the tetras will get nipped.

Brackish Needed/Preferred:
GSP- In a perfect world these guys would be great looking fish to add to any tank, but sadly any species of puffer doesn't want to cooperate with us. I would rehome him ASAP. Like stated, they go from fresh->brackish->marine conditions (if I'm not mistaken) in their lifetimes and really aren't ideal tank mates for many fish.

Dragon Goby- This is where the other 55 gallon comes into play. Get a nice sand substrate and one centerpiece of decor, such as a piece of bog/driftwood. Then you can ask in the brackish section or just scout around for fish that go into the same SG as the goby and can fit into a 55 gallon tank. NO PUFFERS! I think that tank would look really nice! I think archer fish, scats and monos grow to large for this sized tank, you would have to check on that one...

Shark Catfish- Also known as Columbian shark cat and some other names. This is a really nice fish, maybe it can go in your 55 gallon brackish with the dragon goby. I'm not sure how long it would last and they like to be with others from what I understand. Larger tanks are usually required for that. They get too big and to active to keep long term. A tank of 125 gallons could house full grown specimens with tank mates, but wouldn't push that too far down.

Further Information:
You could put other fish in here. BGKs go well with small peaceful fish. Fish that won't bother them. I've heard Rainbow cichlids, Congo Tetras, Rainbows, and fish of that nature would be alright to have in the tank with the BGK. If it's under 3" it's a risk to be eaten by a full grown BGK.

Same for the Dragon goby. People keep them in freshwater, but its been found that long term exposure to it drastically reduces lifespans. Same thing as with the BGK, anything under 3" can and will be eaten by a full grown specimen. They are filter feeders in a way. They swim about the tank with their mouths open and eat everything they can get in there. That's their primary eating habit. So anything caught in their path that was small enough becomes food. Maybe mollies would work with them, but I'm not sure. Sailfin mollies thriving in brackish waters and some get up to 6"+ with 5" being the norm. They're really active livebearers that look just beautiful. This should work well for you here, just to get you started.

I think I covered all everything. I hope this is what you're looking for. I can tell you are getting frustrated with all the "this is wrong" talk and want future suggestions. I gave my advice and suggestions to help you solve this problem in the most affordable and efficient way. I also gave some suggestions as to tank mates for your BGK as I can tell he's your favorite and you want to have a nice tank based around him. Same as for the Dragon goby.

I hope I helped!