Ghost knife fish (sorry I know not pleco related)

[BexRoyalPlec]

I'm a bit worried, I just bought a knife fish today and the shop owner told me it'd be fine in my community aquarium with my smaller fish until it gets bigger then would need to move it. I have since read on the i-net it has eaten people's smaller fish, I'm now not so sure this is a good idea! I'm a bit worried now!

Anyone one anything about them?

Thanks

 

[Joby]

Sorry never had one, hope somebody can advise you :yes:

 

[GrubbyGirl]

I'm a bit worried, I just bought a knife fish today and the shop owner told me it'd be fine in my community aquarium with my smaller fish until it gets bigger then would need to move it. I have since read on the i-net it has eaten people's smaller fish, I'm now not so sure this is a good idea! I'm a bit worried now!

Anyone one anything about them?

Thanks

They need to be kept with other fish of a similar size....ones that don't fit into their mouth, they do grow to about 12 inches and more!

 

[scatz]

Good old LFS advice!! you have a predatory fish that will eat your smaller ones, any chance you can return it to your LFS?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

NEVER believe what they tell you at a shop - always do your own research, never buy on a whim......unless you know all about what you're buying :wb:

 

[Doodles]

NEVER believe what they tell you at a shop - always do your own research, never buy on a whim......unless you know all about what you're buying :wb:

Good advice. When i first started fishkeeping my other half bought an 'algae eater', researched found out he was a common plec and have upgraded tanks 3 times now. Now I never buy fish that I don't know about, another reason I don't buy many fish is I can't be bothered to go home and set up the quarantine tank lol

BGK are sensitive to any meds and water pollutants. They are nocturnal and quite shy according to badmanstropical fish profile. Never realised they are from the Amazon Basin though.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html


Good shops to go to are the Maidenhead chain, if you have one near you, go have a look. The staff in my nearest one are really knowledgeable

 

[Ravyk]

I had a BGK for awhile, if you do keep it, DONT keep those magnetic glass cleaners in the tank. It makes them go skits. The magnet interferes with the electronic pulses they release.

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

Oh dear I am really worried now! I hope I still have all my fish by the morning! I'm going to put it in my species tank until I figure out what to do with it! doubt I'll get my oney back I paid for it!

Thanks guys

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

I couldn't wait till the morning to see, I've just moved it! phew lol I can sleep easy!

 

[Irene0100]

wise move .
they are interesting fish, I dont know if you have to buy live food for them or if they will take prepared foods.

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

I think they like blood worm and muscle and from reading they won't take flake food, mine is enjoying the frozen blood work I put in there, as long as it's not my fish I don't mind haha I went to my regular fish shop after work today and he said if I really don't want it he will take it off me for a tenner so then only loosing £25.0 so not so bad, but I would like to keep him, I think he will be ok in my species only tank just with my plecs?

 

[Doodles]

How big is the species tank?

Some people feed fish like these feeder fish.

Did you speak to the shop where you got him?

 

[Irene0100]

he should be ok with plecs as long as the plecs are not too small. how big are they?
have you any photos of him?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

I think they like blood worm and muscle and from reading they won't take flake food, mine is enjoying the frozen blood work I put in there, as long as it's not my fish I don't mind haha I went to my regular fish shop after work today and he said if I really don't want it he will take it off me for a tenner so then only loosing £25.0 so not so bad, but I would like to keep him, I think he will be ok in my species only tank just with my plecs?

You paid £35 for a BGNF??? It must have been a big one at that price?

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

Sorry typo I meant to say £12.50 lol my plecs aren't very big they are only about 2 inches, the knife fish is only young, yes I read some people feed live guppies to them that's when I got v.worried as I have young guppies in my community tank and that's when I decided to move him, I think it's probably a wise choice if I take him back while he's young

 

[weisel]

ok, i had a group of 6 ghosts in a 6 ft tank, ok they were 8" plus and had them with plecs, altifrons etc, i never had any problems with them or eating other fish, i did once put a few small fish in the tank but they never touched them. alsong as u got plenty of hiddy holes for them ( i used drain pipe ) then you should be ok. i fed them mussles. cockles(no shells) prawns etc. they will eat anything meat. hope that helps you out.

peace

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

Oh cool thanks very much! I wondered if he would be ok if I kept him fed, I've got blood worm for him and am going to get muscle, will get some cockles too then, so do you think it would be ok to put back in my community tank? thanks

 

[foti]

well said weisel

everyone is telling you this and that but what everyone should be asking is
What do you have your comunity stocked with?
and from there we can advise you if any or all would be at risk!
they are not killing machines and over feeding fish is just wrong !

 

[BexRoyalPlec]

I have pleco's, mollies, guppies, a red tail shark, siamese fighter, cory dora's, kuhli loaches, glass cat fish, neon tetras and rummy nose tetras, I don't over feed them.

 

[foti]

please tell me your tank is planted ??????