Black ghost knife with cichlids?

[Johnny Zhivago]

Especially considering that most of the beauty of a knife comes from its fin, I would not risk it. At least for me, even a few bites out of the fin of a knife (which would inevitably happen with those cichlds) would severely compromise the beauty of the fish.

I would also say lose the cichlids, get the BGK but I am rather partial.

 

[moneysink]

I have an 8 inch BGK in with some fairly aggressive cichlids (Nicaraguan,texas,Livingstonii,malawi eye biter, YES I MIX MY CICHLIDS!)
and he gets on just fine, but as others have said I grew them all out together so they dont even really acknowledge him for the most part. It is funny watching him rip around the tank tho becouse he has no respect for personal space and bumps into them on a regular, somthing they wont let slide with each other but I guess they dont see him as a threat.

 

[moneysink]

but ghost knifes cant really take much abuse so either they will ignore his presence or kill him lol.

 

[snella]

you beter sell the texas ,
the texas is to agressif for the rest of your fishes.....
green terror, dempsey,gostfish if the sizes are oke ,they go well together.....
red devil , don.t know what fish you mean by that....

greetings peter

 

[markaquarist]

if you have a green terror at full size its going to kill all your other fish that
particular fish needs his own tank research the species before buying

 

[pengu13]

all my cichlids are small my texas is the biggest at 6". i got the black ghost knife he is in his own tank for now hoping to have a 300g running in the next month or so. thats when it will meet the rest of the tank mates. as for the red devil i think it is a Amphilophus labiatus which is tiny 1.5" right now. i don't think a gt will kill everything but only time will tell.

 

[Toby_H]

so they dont even really acknowledge him for the most part...

I've kept BGKs with Cichlids on many occasions and the above quote has always been my experience...

Cichlids do not perceve a BGK buzzing aroudn with it's weird pattern as a territorial threat the way they do another Cichlid. In my ample experience of mixing such fish the Cichlids back off when the BGK buzzes by and wait for it to cruise along.

The single time I saw a "violent encounter" between Cichlids and a BGK was when an adult breeding pair of Dempseys (5" & 7") had newly free swimming fry and the 10"~12" BGK attacked the nest. The BGK was able to fend off both attcking parents while eating the entire group of fry before finally retreating with a full belly.

To those of you who consider your BGKs whimps... give them the chance and they will impress you...


Provided you have decor that is not "claimed territory" in the 300 gal the BGK should have no problem enjoying life despite the company of your Cichlids...


It sounds like you will be raising all of these fish elsewhere until you get the 300 gal, so ddo the same with the BGK and add him first so he cena learn his way around. Then add the Cichlids from weakest to toughest...


I have to ask though... I think 95% of the members on this forum hope/plan to get a 300 gal tank some day. What is the liklihood that you will really get one? I always recommend getting the tank then the fish to fill it. Doing it the other way around risks life getting in the way of our plans and then we have fish that have outgrown the tanks we can afford to supply for them.

 

[Experiment397]

i would say if you want a knife go with a clown knife they have better eyesite and can hold their own better. the bgk is more peacefull and sort of blind. territorial cichlids will woop him if he invades their space.

 

[Toby_H]

That is a 125 gal tank that had: 12" Oscar, 7" male (Leucistic) Dempsey, 5" female (Leucistic) Dempsey, 7" Female Trimac, 5" male (W African) Jewel Cichlid, 4" female (W African) Jewel Cichlid... and a 12" BGK...

The BGK ate the Dempsey fry adn the Jewel Fry all the time, in this tank he was able to eat them while being sneaky and not having to fight the parents...

Eventually the female Trimac got to aggressive for the tank and was moved in with a male Trimac. Despite the aggression problems int he tank the BGK never got picked on by anyone.

 

[gazelle]

Ith a tank like that I would lose cichlids a d go oddball wig the knife