Depends on the knifefish species. Some of the most of the south american species barely get over 1.5 feet. The asian and african species (with the exception of the ABK get 2 feet and more, and according to owners of them, are aggressive. The aba aba is the only one that consistently that kills all of the tankmates.That was a nice Knife fish. Larger ones especially an Aba Aba would dispatch the entire tank, but IMO they require a tank of at least 300 gallons or larger.