View Full Version : Tank size for Clown knife?
folkilsk
12-14-2005, 3:24 PM
I have an empty tank approx. L50"xW15"xH12... is it too small for a chitala ornata/Clow knife?
rallysman
12-14-2005, 3:27 PM
The clown would eventually out grow it for sure.
folkilsk
12-14-2005, 3:32 PM
any suggestions of other fun fish? ... preferably fairly active predators... i usually have a lot of spare fry so feeders are free
rallysman
12-14-2005, 3:34 PM
dwarf snakehead maybe?
folkilsk
12-14-2005, 3:44 PM
dwarf snakehead maybe?
i've considered channa gachua but from what i've read they're hard to pair. as they cost about 25$ a piece at my local store i don't want to by a group and having them kill each other off.
the tank will be filtered by an external filter suited for a 70gal tank so i'm hoping on a fairly good water quality. heavy feeding will be possible
A school of some of the mid-sized Acestrorhynchus species would be cool!
folkilsk
12-14-2005, 3:56 PM
A school of some of the mid-sized Acestrorhynchus species would be cool!
it would be really cool but i think the tank is too small for them as well.
maybe some kind of cichlid. only i already have three tanks with cichlids so i figured i'd try something else.
JS Nova 72
12-14-2005, 5:14 PM
You could start a clown knife in that tank, and upgrade later...I started my clown knife in a 55 gallon and eventually upgraded to a 125 gallon tank when the knife hit 16"...Their bodies are very flexible, but they will need their room eventually....
For what it's worth, my clown knife is 18" now, and he really doesn't utilize his current tank that much. He doesn't swim around all that much, he runs the tank, but he has his own little area that he usually confines to...However, all fish are different and just because mine doesn't utilize a lot of tank space doesn't mean that another one will not....Good luck!
Jude
rust9000
12-19-2005, 4:05 PM
You could have a single adult oscar in there they have great personalities and are fun to watch.
dei2183
12-19-2005, 10:57 PM
hey mine is 24" in a 135 gal it sits around allot but is very active at night . there is plenty of room for it to move around. being flexable helps but i'm not sure if it will reach its full adult size of 36" in its present housing good luck.
rook45
01-12-2006, 2:12 AM
you could keep a clown knife in there for about 2 years
aquajoe247
01-15-2006, 6:48 PM
I kept a Clown Knife for a year and a half, from one and a half inches until it reached about 16" in a 90 gal with a Gar and live plants. I personally think this size tank would be plenty for a single Knife, once they reach adulthood they are only active at feeding time. Mine would cruise around the tank once or twice and then go back to his area. For the most part he wanted to hide. I am considering another one.
ClownKnife28
09-18-2008, 4:13 PM
You could start a clown knife in that tank, and upgrade later...I started my clown knife in a 55 gallon and eventually upgraded to a 125 gallon tank when the knife hit 16"...Their bodies are very flexible, but they will need their room eventually....
For what it's worth, my clown knife is 18" now, and he really doesn't utilize his current tank that much. He doesn't swim around all that much, he runs the tank, but he has his own little area that he usually confines to...However, all fish are different and just because mine doesn't utilize a lot of tank space doesn't mean that another one will not....Good luck!
Jude
Did you have any other fish in the 55 gallon with the clown knife?
I thought I had a 200 gallon tank, but I did the measurements and its only a 150 gallon. I got the tank from someone. (The fish are currently in a 55 gallon until they get larger. I don't feel like making room for the 150 now and will only do it when it is necessary.)
When the fish get into a 150 gallon, I was thinking of adding a shoal of jumbo clown loaches to the severum and CK. However, will the ck kill the severum one day? I once had an african knife with a gold severum and red tiger oscar years ago and there were no problems at all. I have never had a ck before though.
How long will my 55 gallon hold the CK and gold severum? Will it hold till next summer at least?
Would it be better if I just got 3 jumbo clown loaches and 3 bala sharks with my clown knife in a 150? The balas grow about a foot long and the severum 8-12 inches, but the balas are fast and I don't think the CK would target such a fast fish when it gets larger.
benzjamin13
09-18-2008, 9:18 PM
How about a Black Ghost Knife or an African Brown Knife?
ClownKnife28
09-19-2008, 2:52 AM
Well, I changed my severum in today. CK's are my favorite fish. I planned on getting some bala sharks, but ended up getting more than that. :(
I got a sen bichir, 2 bala sharks and a red-tail shark along with my 3-inch ck. The info I read on the bichir said that it grows 12 inches long. I am going to let that fish be the center piece of my 55 gallon and when the ck and balas outgrow the 55, I will put them in the 150. I want to get a third bala shark. I made up my mind about my 150 gallon tank. It will have 3 bala sharks, a shoal of maybe 5 jumbo clown loaches and the CK.
Now I need to go to the bichir forum and see if the red tail shark will grow large enough to stay with the sen bichir and find out what other kind of fish I can keep with these two in my 55 when I move out the ck and balas...