Clown Knives?

[HerosCichlid]

This is what I know about these fw behemoths
1. They originate in SE Asia
2. They grow over 2' long
3. They are highly predative
4. They are ambush predators
5. They are legally blind
6. They use electric pulses to create a sonar-like system
7. They are nocturnal by nature
8. They are a popular sporting fish in Thailand
9. They prefer dimmed lighting
10. They do not have armor so are deceptable to bruse or puncture
11. They are one of the coolest fishes I have ever had!!!

I have two juevenile clown knives, one 3" and one 3.5", in a 55g with 3 juevenile angels, 3 sub-adult severums, 2 opaline gouramies, 2 tinfoil barbs, 2 gold barbs, 1 violet goby, and 2 corys. Now for all of you Angelfish Activists saying "YOU CAN'T DO THAT. THOSE CLOWN KNIVES WILL EAT THOSE LITTLE FISH!" Calm down this tank is only temporarily. In May I hope to get another 55g for my clown knives and possibly a female oscar. Here is my dilema: My larger clown knife had been bitten. A large fleshy wound now inhabits this future monster's left nostril. I am trying to figure out who delivered this bite. Please reply with a suggestion of who the gilled culprit is. Thanks a lot!
Sincerely
HeroCichlid

 

[astroboy]

5. They are legally blind
6. They use electric pulses to create a sonar-like system

Are you sure about these? AFAIK, they have good eyesight and don't use electircal pulses.

You're in for another upgrade after your 55g. You know these suckers get over 2 feet, you're looking at a tank at least 2 feet wide. Their growth rate is astounding at the 3 inch size.

Don't know who bit your fish, but clean water and it should heal up nicely

 

[pica_nuttalli]

:somber: oh, it was for sure one of the cory cats. those things are little hellions. not suitable for a community. </being a dumb###>

tank size reccomendation edited for correctness. see subsequent post. if you don't like the idea of a huge tank holding 3 fish, you could put in some small fish with shorter lifespans (2-3 as opposed to 10-15). i think most of the schooling fish and livebearers fall into this category.

'fraid i can't help you with the biter. could it have been the other knife?


i must've just had black ghosts on the brain...

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

:somber: oh, it was for sure one of the cory cats. those things are little hellions. not suitable for a community. </being a dumb###>

anyways, you might want to see if you couldn't go on ahead and get a 75 instead of just the 55 (the 75 is a bit wider). since 55 is the recommended minimum for both species, a bit of advance upgrade couldn't hurt. if you don't like the idea of a huge tank holding 3 fish, you could put in some small fish with shorter lifespans (2-3 as opposed to 10-15). i think most of the schooling fish and livebearers fall into this category.

'fraid i can't help you with the biter. could it have been the other BGK?

Clown knives need far larger than a 75, and will need it almost immediatly after upgrading to the 55 or 75. I would say nothing short of a 180 gallon, and that is the bare minimum.
As for facts number 5 and 6, Astro is right. "True" knives (Gymnotids) are virtually blind, and navigate using electro-sensory organs, clown knives and other featherbacks (Notopterids) are more closely related to arowanas and elephantnoses, and hunt using mainly sight and a bit smell.

 

[cakebooks]

Just wondering if any of you have some great ideas for how to get my new clown knife to eat! I've had him for 2 weeks and tried several things, even went out searching for juicy earthworms early in the morning, but with no luck. My LFS doesn't have a reputation for keeping healthy fish, so I was trying to avoid getting feeder fish but gave in today after an agonizing night worrying about starving the poor fellow.
I have 2 ghostknife fish who love frozen worms, but this guy just turns up his nose at the stuff. I gave him a whole new tank along with his feeder fish, and he seems very pleased with it, much more active than he has been, & I really hope to see less feeder fish in this tank tomorrow morning!

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

To start out, they almost always just accept feeders, I would try breeding some to better avoid disease, and then attempt to transition it onto other foods. Those earthworms would be a good start, as well as beefheart.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

:somber: oh, it was for sure one of the cory cats. those things are little hellions. not suitable for a community. </being a dumb###>

tank size reccomendation edited for correctness. see subsequent post. if you don't like the idea of a huge tank holding 3 fish, you could put in some small fish with shorter lifespans (2-3 as opposed to 10-15). i think most of the schooling fish and livebearers fall into this category.

'fraid i can't help you with the biter. could it have been the other knife?


i must've just had black ghosts on the brain...

Yeah, that happens to me, too. However, a 55 would be too small for an adult BGK, and a 75 would certainly be too small for a fully grown adult (Apteronotus albifrons can reach up to 26" in length, adn yes, they do sometimes get that large. A few weeks ago I saw one that was close to 24", if not more, at a lfs).

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Yeah, that happens to me, too. However, a 55 would be too small for an adult BGK, and a 75 would certainly be too small for a fully grown adult (Apteronotus albifrons can reach up to 26" in length, adn yes, they do sometimes get that large. A few weeks ago I saw one that was close to 24", if not more, at a lfs).

good thing i'm not the expert here, isn't it?

i didn't realize that clown knives were related to arowanas... what's their growth rate?

 

[cakebooks]

Thanks for the help, I will investigate breeding feeders today. I had read somewhere that only the adult clown knives were able to eat beefheart? And, pardon my stupidity, but can you buy it from the meat counter at the grocery store or is it something more specialized?
Thanks much, I really appreciate all your help. He is looking so much more lively this morning, there are still quite a few feeder fish in the tank so I can't tell if he has eaten any, but he sure has perked up, maybe they are good company!

 

[HerosCichlid]

Thanks for all of your help. I did see my clown knife try to eat my cory and the cory could have just been defending itself. I should probally keep an eye on my clowns and corys.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

LOL!!! i was completely kidding about the cory cats; i've never heard of anyone having trouble from one of them. how funny would that be if i was right?

sorry man, i didn't mean to hoax you-- i forget that people can't *hear* me saying silly things when i'm online.

 

[Gix]

LOL.

If you have a cory taking chunks out of a clown knife, get it on video.

That would be just about the funniest thing I've seen in a tank.

 

[astroboy]

I had read somewhere that only the adult clown knives were able to eat beefheart

Your local butcher should have some, there are many recipes for homemade food ont he net. Or your LFS should have ready made cubes.

FYI, terrestrial proteins are harder for fish to break down, so feed beefheart sparingly, maybe once or twice a week. Their staple diet should not be beefheart.

 

[HerosCichlid]

LOL!!! i was completely kidding about the cory cats; i've never heard of anyone having trouble from one of them. how funny would that be if i was right?

sorry man, i didn't mean to hoax you-- i forget that people can't *hear* me saying silly things when i'm online.

You douche! I was about to choke those little corys!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

sorrysorrysorry!!!!!!!! no, really, i am sososososo sorry!! cories are probably the most innoucuous fish on the face of the planet -- i think of them as little aquatic sheep. they're less dangerous than otos!

for future reference </being a dumb###> means don't take me seriously!

how's your baby doing?