catfish00
Fish Crazy
how big does a bgkf get and how long do they live for
how big does a bgkf get and how long do they live for
In the wild they reach 20 inches but in captivity 8 inches is about the average size.
To be honest, I suspect a lot of them reach 8 inches and then die, prematurely. These are long-lived fish, and rather few aquarists are keeping them for the (at least) 16 years reported by Baensch.
If you know of someone who's kept one for 16 years, then by all means correct me on this!
Interestingly, some magazines actually forbid writers like me saying a fish gets to a certain size in captivity. In the majority of cases, it's argued, the supposed "stunting" is merely a fish not living long enough, or being kept sufficient well, that it can reach its proper size. Hence, when I wrote my piece about knifefish for TFH a few months ago, its maximum size in the wild was listed, not its supposed size in aquaria.
Cheers, Neale
In the wild they reach 20 inches but in captivity 8 inches is about the average size.
Is it Kosh, the Vorlon ambassador from Babylon 5?
In captivity 8 inches is about the average size.