Do they really need caves?

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C

crowxviii

Gambusia
MFK Member
Nov 13, 2008
219
1
16
Philippines
Hi. i just wanna ask something. Do knife fishes really need caves? i mean i have this 8" ck and i recently rearranged my tank. today i notice my ck has several cuts on its back. I do have a cave but i don't think my ck likes it coz he just wont stay inside. my ornates are the ones using the cave now. (the old arrangement did not seem to work too.) Now he keeps hiding inside a a small aquarium decor which he hardly fits in. i'm guessing this is where he got his cuts
any suggestions? I have some pics of him hiding.

DSC02880.JPG
 
They definitely need a cave for hasty retreats. My ABK spends quite a bit of time out hanging around beneath my small aquatic jungle but only seems comfortable knowing he's 7" from a hole to hide in. If you don't have good coverage and a good hiding spot they stress a little.....
 
my old one hid all the time and it was the only fish in a 6x2x2 my new one dosn't hide at all and it had p bass,bichirs and a jar all i can say some do some don't
 
They need covering. Sometimes, they prefer tight spots too.
 
My ABK, Sometimes hides under a my mopani driftwood...i have the driftwood placed in a way that becomes 3 to 4 natural caves, and i only have three med size(one a little larger)..maponi and a med sized malaysian center piece. Although he doesn't hide much ..even with 5 gouramis in their with him
 
LBathory;2714699; said:
get one of those see through ones. itll solve both problems
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this isn't going to help. Only Knives that use electrical pulses with poor eye sight (Gymnotiformes species) will use it.
 
I hope i solved the problem because i placed some plastic plants infront of the cave that he refused to hide in. It acts like a gate at the entrance of the cave so he won't be clearly seen when he's inside. Last night he stayed in there. i hope he'll like it in time.
What meds do i need so that his wounds will heal up and not be infected or something like that?
 
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