Afew questions about my African Featherfin Knife (Papyrocranus afer)

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y26tan18

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 6, 2011
283
13
18
Singapore
Okay, so I got myself an African Featherfin Knife (Papyrocranus afer), also known as the Reticulate Knifefish 11 days ago.
Anyway I kept it with my WAL which I bought together with it,but was advise against doing so. ( see here : http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414611 )

So I changed its tank and now it is in a bare 4ft by 1.5 ft tank and its only tank mates are a few neon blue gouramis.

However, when I switched its tank, it became extremely shy. Before, it was always swimming about, bullying the WAL, etc and when I approached the tank, it would swim up to me.
Now, it just hides behind the sponge filter and would hardly swim about, and if it does come out, it would be for a few quick seconds.
It does eat (frozen blood worms) but only if it thinks no one is watching...

Is there a problem ? What can I do to make it more comfortable ?
Also I was thinking about getting another one to keep it company. Would that be a good idea ?
How about other types of knife fishes ?
or plecos and bichirs ?

Thanks in advance for any advise given.
I could hardly find any real info on the net about this fish :irked:
 
Give it time to adjust to it's new surroundings. Knife fish are naturally shy fish. Even though I've read that they should be kept as the only Knife in the tank, I've seen some members here keep multiple P. Afers together (usually a pair or trio). P. Afers are pretty aggressive and it's usually a hit or miss with tank mates. Provide a lot of hiding spots as that usually helps fish be more comfortable knowing that they have a lot of places to hide. You can try Bichirs or Plecos.:)
 
I dont want a fish so shy I'm unable to appreciate it properly...don't get me wrong. I love my marbled knife fish but at the same time I wanna see more of it =)...

Thanks benzjamin13. I'm reading up on plecos and bichirs before adding them. =D
 
Your P. Afer is the fish ninja, stealth and quickness is its key to survival, my biggest one(~12" long) has pulled an earthworm from the chomping mouth of my bowfin, in and out within a blink of an eye! But since is relatively defenseless, it could easily be hurt and or eaten if not given a chance to hide from any potential threats.

Check out my fish cam in my signature, the 125 in the middle has dense cover on both ends, this is where my knife hides 90% of the time-I only put light into the middle of the tank to.

My other knife is only about 6.5", I have only seen this one, in the bottom 90g in the cam, twice in 2 weeks-both times I had to move stuff around to see where it was hiding...They only get bold and confident in cases where they feel safe and in dim lighting IME.
 
I got two of them, a little bit shy at the beginning, but now they swim together back and forth their hiding place and prey the feeder very actively. Time is the key, so be patient :)
 
I had mine for about 6yrs. if you have proper tank setup and hiding for them they'll always remain shy and stealthy (I personally like the stealthy shyness) its adds a mystery factor they are invisible until something they either like or dislike enters the water and then they're in and out like ninjas dealing with whatever in the appropreate fashion be it food or foe.
 
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