Knife fish combatability

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Hey, thanks for asking! I took a measuring tape to the eel and I'm wrong, it is 24 inches. And he is only 2.5 " thick. He is about 10 years old The silvers are silver $$. They are medium size. So I have a 72" long tank with only that in it. Yes, it is 18" wide but they all have plenty of room. If you guys think that it is too much to hope for, that's fine, that's why I'm so adamant about this thread. I'd really like 2 knives and a whale and an elephant. Now, if this is asking too much, please, please advise what I could put in there (of that list). It's a very, very boring tank and I ignore it because anytime anything has died, I never replaced anything like most people.The perimeters are good except the nitrates because I'm suffering from old tank syndrome and have been lazy because I hate the tank so much. So I'm working really hard to get back into liking it again and doing weekly water changes and cleaning one filter per week to get it ready for new inhabitants and new plants. I will only be into if it becomes more than just 3 boring fish and one cool one. I have 4 fluvals 404 and 304s and a hang on filter, 2.5 inches of medium and large pebbles. I have 2 large fake root decorations for hiding that the silvers hide in all the time because the decor is so large. I have about 8 fake plants for more comfort. I'm planning on trying real plants again, even though the silvers eat them, I know. I really hate those silvers but don't know what else to do. If I didn't have the silvers it would be a much more fun tank to work with = plants and more room for more fun fish. Thanks for your help, it really does get through to me. I'd rather you tell me all the negatives in the world than hear "try that" and then I wake up to a dead fish or two. I really hate those silvers. Anyway, Thanks again.
 
Mixing knives and mormyids ( elephant nose and whale) isn't recomended as their electric "waves" clash and tend to kill the other fish giving them off
 
Thank you. I just gave my large silver dollars to my main tropical fish store so I could get more plants and prepare for knife/knives. He's very cool. If anyone out there cares, let me know what you would now put in my tank if it was yours and you only wanted knives/baby whales/elephant noses; that type. I only have the eel and I keep forgetting my pleco cuz he just hides all the time and does nothing and isn't big. Any way - I know this just keeps going on and on, but my fav. guy at my store always thinks I should give things a try because I always have a ton of hiding places and will add even more tunnels for the few arrivals but I'd also like to hear what you guys think. I do agree that I am pushing it. I just can't think of just having one knife and one eel and one pleco in a 125 with over filtration, plants and a ton of hiding places. Thanks - that's it.
 
you can't keep knives (excluding notopterids) with elephant nose or baby whales, the electric impulses clash and will do they same thing your black ghost knife did to the other (kill each other)
 
Notopterid knives like clown knives can work with elephant noses for a while but will eventually eat it, and a 2 foot fire eel will out compete most of the fish you want for food. Oh and they might work for a short time when they are small. If you really want more than one knife maybe get an African knife(xenomystus nigri) and and a black ghost as they won't outgrow your tank and have the best chance of coexisting peacefully, I would also leave out the elephant nose and baby whale
 
So your tank consist of a Fire Eel and a Pleco in a 125g right now? And you want to get more than one Knife or just different Knives? I wouldn't recommend mixing Knives, especially South American Knives. There is an exception with Glass Knives (Eigenmannia Virescens) as they from a school. Asian Knives have been raised together, but start off small and will out grow the 125g, except the Asian Bronze Knives (Notopterus Notopterus) They grow to about 12"-14" but can be nasty fish as they mature. African Brown Knives (Xenomystus Nigri) only grow to an average of 8" and will form a shoal, but a large Fire Eel can make a meal of them. Spotted African Knives (Papycronus Afer) have been known to form groups, but have a nasty disposition. If you want multiple Knives, I'd stick with one species. There is a possibility of mixing African Brown Knives and Glass Knives since they are the most peaceful out of the commonly available Knives.
 
you can mix south american knives... you just have to get the right ones. Unfortunately, BGK don't mix very well. I believe we have mixed them with Gold-lines and a pack of Eigenmannia though.

We have mixed:

R. rostratus
A. bonapartii
gold lines
eigenmannia spp.
and a few more i just can't think of their names at the moment.

its is possible... just usually not with bgk
 
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