African Brown Knife Fish Care

[phoenixkiller]

How do you care for African Brown Knife fish?

1. Tank Size
2. Difficulty Level (Beginner, Easy, Medium, Hard, Difficult, Expert, Impossible)
3. Food
4. Tankmates
5. Filtration

And also just share your experiences with this fish!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Google.....
There is heaps of info out there

 

[HN1]

Try this as a launching point.

FAQs on Knifefish Compatibility

 

[ccross]

Google.....
There is heaps of info out there

Not to step on your toes but, the title of the forum is Aquarium Advice.... Not Google it and then come here for advise. Just food for thought

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Not to step on your toes but, the title of the forum is Aquarium Advice.... Not Google it and then come here for advise. Just food for thought

It's not called aquarium encyclopedia either. I'm not picking on the OP specifically but I don't get why people come running to AA for answers when a simple google search and 10 minutes reading will give them all the answers they are looking for. It just screams laziness to me.

 

[ccross]

It's not called aquarium encyclopedia either. I'm not picking on the OP specifically but I don't get why people come running to AA for answers when a simple google search and 10 minutes reading will give them all the answers they are looking for. It just screams laziness to me.

Because its easier to hear directly from someone that has experience rather than from a random website. I would rather bring my questions here to be answered by people that can relate and then take that info and search if needed. I wont hijack this thread any longer I just think its rude to point someone to another site when they came to an advise forum for help. Just my 2 cents.

 

[HN1]

Please stay on topic. This is Aquarium Advice, but some basic research is always recommended. Advice is better confined to specific questions than broad topics and usually the specific questions come to light after a bit of research. Any further posts not relevant to knife fish will be deleted.

 

[ccross]

Here's a site that has alot of info on African Brown Knifefish.

Knife - African Brown fish care information. Knife - African Brown food, health, behavior

I myself like the ghost knifefish better

 

[phoenixkiller]

Guys, I hope you know that I am not solely asking you people for answers. Every day I explore what the Internet has to offer, then I research the fish I like, then I ask some basic questions here based on real, live experiences.

Which is easier to care for? African Brown Knife Fish or Black Ghost Knife Fish? I ask this for experienced answers.

 

[MandyINCo]

Iv heard awesome things about ghost knife fish. I hear they can be trained to eat out of your hand. I also hear they need plenty of space. How big is your set up?

 

[Aski247]

I'm not familiar with the ABK, but the BGK, needs a very larg tank as they will grow upwards of 18". The BGK is what got me into the hobby about 18 years ago haha.

 

[phoenixkiller]

Yes, I see that BGK need a 75g+. I only have a 55 gallon...

 

[ccross]

Yes, I see that BGK need a 75g+. I only have a 55 gallon...

Your 55 should be fine for the African Brown knife. Looks like they do well in anything from 20 to 45g from what I read. They grow to roughly 12 inches.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I know, but I am talking about a Black Ghost Knife Fish

 

[ccross]

Alright, in that case, your 55 might be sufficient while the fish is young but inevitably, you will need a much larger tank for it to be happy.

EDIT: My LFS has juvenile BGK's and they are around 4 inches. Not sure how fast they grow.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I am sure they grow to full adult size in less than a year. What size tank would you recommend for the Black Ghost?

 

[Talvari]

The Black Ghost has the capacity to grow 18" +, so nothing smaller than a 75 gallon. Preferably larger. The 55 gallon would not allow the poor fish to even turn around.

It probably would take at least a year, possibly two, for the BK to reach full size. I had an ABK for six months, and it only grew about two inches in my 55 gallon... And that was with a 50% water change weekly, and doing frozen brineshrimp/bloodworms three times a week.

 

[sliderfish]

You could house the BGK in the 55 for just under a year depending on the growth of the particular fish. Full adult size and max size are different I think it could get to 10 or 12 inches in a year from a 3-4" juvenile. I would upgrade to something bigger than a 75 if though. I think a 125 or larger would be a better choice to see the fish at its best. This is the only reason I do not have a BGK, unfortunately, I think they are awesome...

 

[phoenixkiller]

Ok, thanks all

 

[Aski247]

Yeah 75 is to small IMO for a BGK, 125 is really the optimal size for one. I also started out with a 75 that I kept a BGK in. I traded him into my lfs when it hit the 10-11" mark. I had him for just over a year.