I spawned my Ghost knife!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I've done research for years about the possibility of this, though with a CK in my house I haven't had the space to try to spawn any of the gymnotiformes,

but I have heard that one comminality between many spawnings is that there was water falling down onto the tank surface, and that it is strong. Do you have a canister output or something above water level?
I've also heard that the infant mortality rate is rather high, with people at best getting something like 25% of their eggs/fry to over an inch in side, but that this is somehow correlated to water chemistry. Go figure, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, but it might be typical of most offhand spawnings of ghost knives unless you go to extra lengths to save the babies.

But don't get me wrong, you did do something pretty awesome by gettting them to spawn in your tank.

Its interesting also that your tank has no or very few plants (I didn't see any in the pictures) but that it has lots of driftwood. In my opinion this may have contributed to your sucess. Every time I see a video of a black ghost knife in its natural habitat, The habitat has been heavily silted water with a bottom of mud and branches/dead trees. They are usually found by cracking open hollow logs. I say this because most people I've seen tend to keep them in planted "discus" like setups, which might not be so natural for them.

Lastly, I've heard rumors that when BGK are doing their mating "dance", the white stripe in the male's tail is said to flash red. Did you notice this, or is it just a rumor?
 
and the white eggs are not the good ones, the clear ones are. and this is astonishing! im a little jealous, but mostly curious how this will turn out!
 
Congrats on the spawn! I've found over the years myself that getting a vast majority of fish to spawn does require good water, and Luck ( getting a pair being one of the hardest if not the hardest part).. exact water balances of PH/KH ect are more important to the eggs themselves. Even if you lose all the eggs don't give up! you're obviousley doing something right. Did you do any special feeding to condition your female in particular? I've found after getting a pair or colony going keeping my females in prime condition increased my breeding productivity and health of my females overall. nothing like loseing a female due to overstress or emmaciation, or a male who's constantly trying to mate and defend a territory or eggs.
 
thats amazing very few can do that and your now a part of that society congrats
 
I was wondering if you could tell me/us if there is any difference in the male and the female besides size to determine sex? Also seen you said they were in a malawi setup. Did your ghost ever live with cichlids? How did they do bc I have mine in a tank in which Im tryin to start a cichlid community. If the BGK's can get along with other BGK's Im gonna get another 1 or 2 and put in my other 55gal.



UPDATE/EDIT: I was doing some reading and came across a bit of info that may have been why your eggs went bad. You said the eggs were sticky? And did not mention that the BGK was a mouth-brooders, right? And you said you had them in an egg tumbler? From what Ive read egg tumblers are for mouth brooders for eggs that are not sticky. Did you have yours tumbling?


Egg tumblers are used frequently by breeders of MOUTHBRROODING fish. The gentle rolling action caused by these tumblers can simulate the normal incubation method of these fish.
Allows egg incubation in same tank as fish are breeding in to provide identical water conditions during incubation period. Can be used on other NON-ADHESIVE fish eggs as well to help prevent fungus.
 
ok all the eggs are gone :(

but to my suprise I discover new batch of eggs! lol same spot as before however it seems it's from the second female which i reintroduced as she was fat :).

i'm going to suck few up in a tumber on my main tanganiykan tank (ph high but it has quality UV so water is crystal clear and this was the grow up tanks for the ghost knifes).
rest i'm going to leave it so lets see if ghost knives will eat it.

ok will leave some in a fry saver with air stone for water movement. i'll let you guys know more later. gotta take some photos.
 
hmm theres more eggs again! same spot but more of them now! eggs slightly smaller than before (possibly from smaller female?)
it seems these guys are sporatic breeders.
 
Pics. Grats but bks spawning this much is getting fishy. No pun intended.
 
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