I have a 11" GT,2 Jags and a Tex with my CK with no problems, but the CK is probably 16" now so he can stand up for himself.
knifefish tankmate - asking
- Thread starter teo335
- Start date
This is from my other post, the one by the same guy i think asking a similar question and ID'ing his knife, which is a CK. My experience.
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NO! I Would not reccomend putting a flowerhorn or anything like a jag or agressive cichlid in with your clown. I tried this a few months ago, thinking that, as the flowerhorn was only around the size of the CK's mouth, if not a little bigger, that it would be intimidated by the knife who would be dominant by size. Instead, the flowerhorn, with a desire to be the most dominant fish in the tank, took the clown knife's being bigger as a threat to his status and started picking fights with him mercilously (You know that thing thats in movies about prison, where they say you find the biggest, strongest, guy and beat him up to gain the respect of your peers? Cichlids, especially the more agressive SA's, think this way.). A clown knife will bite some face if it feels like it has a chance, but is not an agressive animal per se, more of a spook or a ghost. They are comparativeley thin and fragile and no match for a heavy bodied cichlid with something to prove. CK's don't want to be dominant over cichlids, so they will just hide or run away. And we all know thats no fun.
So, what I'm saying is, don't make the mistake I did, and don't try it. (oh yeah I forgot to mention that I took the FH out that same day, it would have been bad otherwise. Carlo the CK is doin fine.)
Keep a CK in a community tank, that way hes well fed
. Thats where carlo is now.
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I'm not saying that you can't, as I know that some people have, but those people must have especially rowdy or large knives I'm assuming. My Carlo is more on the timid side. But all and all, I wouldn't reccomend it. A cichlid tank and the kind of tank a knifefish likes are very different - Knives' like the peace and quiet of a stagnant swamp where they are alone and hidden, not like cichlids who prefer to be out in the open starting trouble with one another.
I would get two tanks.
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NO! I Would not reccomend putting a flowerhorn or anything like a jag or agressive cichlid in with your clown. I tried this a few months ago, thinking that, as the flowerhorn was only around the size of the CK's mouth, if not a little bigger, that it would be intimidated by the knife who would be dominant by size. Instead, the flowerhorn, with a desire to be the most dominant fish in the tank, took the clown knife's being bigger as a threat to his status and started picking fights with him mercilously (You know that thing thats in movies about prison, where they say you find the biggest, strongest, guy and beat him up to gain the respect of your peers? Cichlids, especially the more agressive SA's, think this way.). A clown knife will bite some face if it feels like it has a chance, but is not an agressive animal per se, more of a spook or a ghost. They are comparativeley thin and fragile and no match for a heavy bodied cichlid with something to prove. CK's don't want to be dominant over cichlids, so they will just hide or run away. And we all know thats no fun.
So, what I'm saying is, don't make the mistake I did, and don't try it. (oh yeah I forgot to mention that I took the FH out that same day, it would have been bad otherwise. Carlo the CK is doin fine.)
Keep a CK in a community tank, that way hes well fed
. Thats where carlo is now.---------------
I'm not saying that you can't, as I know that some people have, but those people must have especially rowdy or large knives I'm assuming. My Carlo is more on the timid side. But all and all, I wouldn't reccomend it. A cichlid tank and the kind of tank a knifefish likes are very different - Knives' like the peace and quiet of a stagnant swamp where they are alone and hidden, not like cichlids who prefer to be out in the open starting trouble with one another.
I would get two tanks.
i've personally kept a royal clown knife with oscars but only for a matter of months as i moved the oscars out,the RCK was around 14"-16" and the oscars 10"-12",this was in a 125 uk gal tank,i have seen it done in a 800 gal which is a bit different ! lol i wouldn't keep them together again as in general large cichlids are too boisterous unless you go with uaru,severum or maybe jurupari's
its also down to the size of the ck. if small the flowerhorn willtry to kill it. ck are very shy when young
i had the same thing happen to me. flowerhorns are evilKaliedoscope;4166026; said:This is from my other post, the one by the same guy i think asking a similar question and ID'ing his knife, which is a CK. My experience.
------
NO! I Would not reccomend putting a flowerhorn or anything like a jag or agressive cichlid in with your clown. I tried this a few months ago, thinking that, as the flowerhorn was only around the size of the CK's mouth, if not a little bigger, that it would be intimidated by the knife who would be dominant by size. Instead, the flowerhorn, with a desire to be the most dominant fish in the tank, took the clown knife's being bigger as a threat to his status and started picking fights with him mercilously (You know that thing thats in movies about prison, where they say you find the biggest, strongest, guy and beat him up to gain the respect of your peers? Cichlids, especially the more agressive SA's, think this way.). A clown knife will bite some face if it feels like it has a chance, but is not an agressive animal per se, more of a spook or a ghost. They are comparativeley thin and fragile and no match for a heavy bodied cichlid with something to prove. CK's don't want to be dominant over cichlids, so they will just hide or run away. And we all know thats no fun.
So, what I'm saying is, don't make the mistake I did, and don't try it. (oh yeah I forgot to mention that I took the FH out that same day, it would have been bad otherwise. Carlo the CK is doin fine.)
Keep a CK in a community tank, that way hes well fed
---------------
I'm not saying that you can't, as I know that some people have, but those people must have especially rowdy or large knives I'm assuming. My Carlo is more on the timid side. But all and all, I wouldn't reccomend it. A cichlid tank and the kind of tank a knifefish likes are very different - Knives' like the peace and quiet of a stagnant swamp where they are alone and hidden, not like cichlids who prefer to be out in the open starting trouble with one another.
I would get two tanks.
i see quiet a few posts about tank mates for CK's. im building a 340ish gallon tank and wanting to go with this stock
peacock bassx2
clown knife
bowfin
and some kinda bottom dweller - not sure yet. CAMALEON LORICARIA maybe,depending on there size, still waiting to hear back from the vendor on that.
think it will work?
peacock bassx2
clown knife
bowfin
and some kinda bottom dweller - not sure yet. CAMALEON LORICARIA maybe,depending on there size, still waiting to hear back from the vendor on that.
think it will work?
I keep my royal with cichlids and for the most part they don't pay each other any mind except for my jack dempsey who tries to steal the rck's hiding tube. Flowerhorns from my experience become way to aggressive and would prolly slaughter the knifefish. Jags I am not too certain with.
