New Black Ghost Knife :)

[lilfishie]

Well yesterday i picked up a new Black Ghost Knife Fish after wanting one for years!

He is tiny! in a few days he will be going into my 4ft heavy planted tank *also has a giant shipwreck and loads of wood *

He will be sharing with a small parrot cichlid, a group of small angels *only have 1 currently looking at 3-5* some cories and 3 BNs *all female*

Guess really any tips for keeping him happy would be great and will this tank last of will he need bigger *which is not a problem, would happily upgrade just for him *

i know there nocturnal, the plants in the tank cover 80% of the surface so its not overly bright in there, what would be good as a stable diet?

 

[Liam2368]

i have had mine for about 2 years, it was around 2inch when i bought it and its now about 9inch and mine eats everything and anything and feeds from my hand, its starting to turn predatory now though and i think it has a taste for eyes. its out plenty of times during the day but good to watch when the lights go off.

 

[lilfishie]

This 1 is 3" max. What fish did you have with yours?

 

[Liam2368]

always kept it with the more peaceful American cichlids, its ok with my plecs and it lays with my biggest clown loach but i belirve it to have taken a couple of corys out, i had to rehome one that had both its eyes plucked out into my smaller tank, there peaceful until they get to around 7inch plus then mine became a bit territorial.

 

[Squidward]

I had a Banded Knife. Had it for a while and then it also started having a go at my other fish. Mainly the eyes as Liam says.
Left the bottom dwellers alone. But attacked adult Angels, Rainbowfish, Tetras.

I have a BGK in another tank. Had it for a year. So far it seems ok.

 

[emilysonfiree]

My BGK is about 7 inches and ive have him in a 55 gallon with a strange assortment of fish. Ive got two gouramis (one blue and one red dwarf), two cory catfish(which i should move soon), and strange enough a gold fish and a koi. Even though the group sounds a little strange they all get along great and seem to really like eachother. I have 3 caves for the bgk to hide in so he doesnt feel too limitied. If you decided to get an angel fish i caution you not to get any babies. My bgk has killed 3 baby angels by, of course, eating their eyes. Also, whenever a fish in the tank died, my bgk would take a few nice chomps out of it. I think i may have just gotten extremely lucky because my bgk started eating frozen bloodworms out of my hand the day i got him and leaves his cave during the day for an hour or so. You should try to feed him guppies when he gets bigger. Mine absolutely loves a nice guppy

 

[Shovelman]

Message to all: Black ghost knifes will need a tank much larger than a 55g once past 9". That is all.

 

[simonas]

funny enough I bought a BGK yesterday as well a tiny 3 inch one hes in a 4ft tank for now to grow on till he goes on in my bigger tank

they are great fish id forgotten how interesting they are to watch in a tank and in my expereience eat anything from live , frozen to flake and pellet they are just greedy fish

 

[lilfishie]

Message to all: Black ghost knifes will need a tank much larger than a 55g once past 9". That is all.

This chap will get what ever he needs, have bin wanting 1 for years now

funny enough I bought a BGK yesterday as well a tiny 3 inch one hes in a 4ft tank for now to grow on till he goes on in my bigger tank

they are great fish id forgotten how interesting they are to watch in a tank and in my expereience eat anything from live , frozen to flake and pellet they are just greedy fish

Aren't they just! i love how they swim, mine eats anything and everything! bloodworm, catfish pellets, flake veg the lot

 

[C.J.]

BGKs are awesome fish. I've had mine for over a year now. He's maybe 7-8in. He eats everything. Usually it's bloodworms for him but every once in a while he'll pick up an earthworm my fire eel missed...