My Big Black Ghost

[realmonsters]

is it normal for a bgk to swim upside down or sideways? because i bought one yesterday and it seems to do that alot. it looks like yours are doing it also in the pictures.

 

[Toby_H]

is it normal for a bgk to swim upside down or sideways? because i bought one yesterday and it seems to do that alot. it looks like yours are doing it also in the pictures.

Yup very common... they swimm every way possible... right side up, upside down, sideways, forward, backward... and every combination of those often at speeds you would never expect... and I've never seen one crash yet...

When they feed off the surface they usually do so upside down making crazy zig zag patterns which requires them to swim both forward and backward...

 

[Red Devil]

is it normal for a bgk to swim upside down or sideways? because i bought one yesterday and it seems to do that alot. it looks like yours are doing it also in the pictures.

perfectly normal.... thats what makes them special even more..they are elegant swimmers in every direction and position...

 

[Red Devil]

Thank you as well...

Mine spent his first 6 months or so in a 125 gallon... then next 3 years or so in a 300 gal (6' round @ 2' deep Rubbermaid)... and the last year and a half in a 125 gallon tank... So his growth became extremely slow even in a 300 gal...

I've never hand fed mine or done anything to directly feed him. He was raised with Oscars and mostly ate teh scraps that they dropped (Hikari or NLS pellets)...

Once I moved him in with neater Cichlids he eats anything left over on the bottom and often comes to the surface to eat with the Cichlids. (Still NLS or Hikari pellets)

With the exception of him attacking nesting sites... The Cichlids pretty much ignore him and when he swims around the tank (including during feeding) the Cichlids seem to not understand what he is and simply avoid him or wait for him to move elsewhere (he moves around very quickly).

thats great to know... i may move him in with my cichlids...so many bigger tanks to offer just have to feel safe with tank mates... it the Hikari that makes the difference... i also feed krill and frozen silverside pieces and blood worms... but daily on hikari... the rest is a treat here and there... thanks for all your great info and pics.. i think i will do a little video of mine soon.. just show everyone how they swim..

 

[JK47]

Nice BGK Liz! Your prolly the nicest mod on this site so rock on with your knife! I just got my first knife and am loving the experience. The wife grabs my arm all the time and stresses major because our knife swims "wrong" in most fish they would be dieing for going backwards or fitting in some of the places they do but knifes can do some pretty crazy manouvers! I love it so far.

I guess I got lucky with getting a large one in a cycled tank for my first knife... Get that vid up girlie!

Here's mine:

 

[Red Devil]

Nice BGK Liz! Your prolly the nicest mod on this site so rock on with your knife! I just got my first knife and am loving the experience. The wife grabs my arm all the time and stresses major because our knife swims "wrong" in most fish they would be dieing for going backwards or fitting in some of the places they do but knifes can do some pretty crazy manouvers! I love it so far.

I guess I got lucky with getting a large one in a cycled tank for my first knife... Get that vid up girlie!

Here's mine:
View attachment 374991

Thankyou for kind words... appreciate it very much... yes tell your wife it is all normal with knives... they have continuous flow of fins... giving them the expertise and ability to go in all directions and upside down... they are pretty cool to watch... yours is a beauty.... good luck with him...

 

[mshuangchao]

I have found that big BGK's develop black speckles at the white portion of their tail, while smaller specimens usually lack this, just liked to share.

 

[Mr Pleco]

I wonder if he will continue growing... he is a foot now...

Nice looking BGK, hoping mine gets close to this size!
Does he eat anything besides pellets?

 

[Red Devil]

I have found that big BGK's develop black speckles at the white portion of their tail, while smaller specimens usually lack this, just liked to share.

mine has speckles... dots or what ever would be the right name to describe it.. so i think this may be true

 

[Jhitsos]

what do u feed yours, i cant seem to get mine to eat, ive been trying frozen blood worms