Monster Knifefish for Monster Community Tank

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
knobhill

knobhill

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
May 2, 2007
1,592
608
150
IN A PLACE
hi folks.
I'm thinking about adding a knifefish to my 1100g monster community tank. I don't really care for the average clown knife; I like the elephant/duck head/dolphin looking knives. It would have to be a fish that grows 18"++

Here is the stock I have in there:
28" silver Aro, (5) 12"+ widebar silver dollars, 13" Flagtail, (2) 12" red pike cichlids, 18" kelberi bass, 20" red tail gourami, (2) 30" Niger cats, 10" NGT datnoid, 12" Rosequeen cichlid.

What are my options?
 
There are lots of super cool knives out there that get good sized, but most will never make it into the aquarium trade.
Your best bet for a really large knife (aside from the electric eel) would be a Sternopygus macrurus (aka gold line knife) which can grow to about 3 ft.
Also on the larger side are Orthosternarchus tamandua and Rhamphichthys (ossa knife), both with tubular snouts and small mouths. Among the elephant knives, Sternarchorhynchus mormyrus gets the largest and is also probably the least delicate, but it is only very rarely imported.
Parapteronotus hasemani can get to a couple feet. Another option would be a big black ghost. They're super common, but if you can find a wild caught male they can get to pretty monstrous sizes and get the cool long snout. The fish in the picture I attached is 20". A.albifrons_50cm.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Black Manta, lisham, amazontank and 2 others
Thanks blackbullhead blackbullhead . I have 13" bgk in my community tank, they are a little too soft for the 1100g. I really like the ossa and mormyrus so now I need to track one down. Who are the goto importers for these types of fish?
 
I've seen Ossa's on gunpowder and bluegrass aquatics periodically and I know the bigger importers (i.e. Segrest) carry them sometimes, but I don't know of anyone that regularly imports them. Seems that Rhamphichthys marmoratus is most commonly imported, although some of the other species get much larger. The mormyrus will be really tricky..I know they get collected, but all that I've seen end up getting exported to Japan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: knobhill
mattmez said:
Do a macrucus they are the boldest knife I have!
Click to expand...
Tell me more about this knifefish. What does it eat? Is it more active than the others? I need a fish that can put up with my big boys and not hide all the time.
I would love to get a large mormyrus but have my doubts since I haven't been able to keep the smaller ones with any success.
 
Well macrucus can get huge. I post a link to a video of one that is damn near 3 foot long. They hide a little, but they're supprisingly active because of their predatory size. They will eat anything.
 
  • Like
Reactions: knobhill
Yes, I think I'm sold on the gold-line knife. It's like a cross between a bgk and clown knife.

Does anyone have a good lead on getting a 20"+ fish? I'm in the Los Angeles area.

And one last thing, what's the growth rate?
 
knobhill said:
Yes, I think I'm sold on the gold-line knife. It's like a cross between a bgk and clown knife.

Does anyone have a good lead on getting a 20"+ fish? I'm in the Los Angeles area.

And one last thing, what's the growth rate?
Click to expand...
fugupuff fugupuff is probably one of the best bets for rare fish stateside. O oddballer was importing some pretty nice stuff but I don't know if he's still importing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: knobhill
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom