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Mcslowpoke

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2008
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Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Alright so here is the deal. I've always been into fish, I love fish. Everything about them is awesome. I have a fish tank at my fathers house with three Koi. 3-4 Inches about.

But thats a little easier to take care of, compared to this 55 gallon tank I'm am about to by from a friend. I might think I know a lot about the ocean, but I'm sure I don't know much about freshwater fish tanks. I've been looking at fish I want to get. What brought me to thie "Ancient fish knifefish" discussion was, I was looking at fish I was maybe going to buy for the tank the black ghost knife fish caught my eye. I was reading up on them and they are amazing fish. But Im sure its not the right fish for me concitering they get pretty big, and im still just a begginer. I was wondering if a Brown Knife, or I think there African Brown Knives, would be any better for me. I don't THINK they get as big as the black ghost, and maybe there cheaper and easier to take care of. I was hoping someone could give me the low down. How many would be good for a 55 gallon tank. What food should I use. Any certain kind of easy to find fresh water plants i could get from petco or petsmart possibly. What temp should I keep the water. other fish that might b good for the tank. maybe a layout of what i should get, drift wood, pipes, so on. And most importainly if it might be to soon to get one, and what would be good, unique, begginer fish.


thanks!!!:nilly:
 
Oh come on guys, please. At-least answer a couple of the questions =\\

Also I've been reading about the Black knife, and in the book that I'm reading it says " Ease Of Keeping 9/10" , and it also says they grow to 8in, which isn't right..But I've had mixed responses on the ease of keeping of these awesome fish.
 
hey sorry im so late, i'd go for the african brown knife if i was you. easiest to keep out of the 3, only reaches about 7 inches and will do great in your 55g. i have one of my own and he is a facinating creature to watch. check him out in my pictures or my video. let me know what your thinking!!
 
your better getting a brown afrrican knife, dont get as big as the BGK :) welcome to mfk
BGK get over 50 cm

the brown knife, this fish reaches 30 centimetres (12 in) SL in length The body of these fish is unusual, with the body dorsolaterally flattened and elongate, giving the appearance of a knife blade. The caudal and ventral fins are fused and run from beneath the gills to the pointed end of the body, creating a uniform, skirtlike fin. This appendage gives the animal superior control in the water, as it is able to propel itself forward and backward with a minimum of wasted energy. The pelvic fins are extremely reduced and are not used in locomotion. The dorsal fin is absent. The pelvic fins of the African brown knife fish are lengthy and designed to give the animal precise control as it swims. They are often employed in a windmilling motion, in conjunction with the caudal/ventral fin, as the fish retreats into its lair.

The scales of the knife fish are extremely small, giving the fish a smooth appearance broken only by its fairly prominent lateral line. Apart from its eyes, the lateral line is the knife fish's most important sensory apparatus. The African brown knife fish is nocturnal and uses the nerve-filled pits running down its body to navigate lightless waters. In addition, the eyes of this fish are large in relation to its body size. They provide the animal with excellent night vision.

The mouth is large, and the fish also possesses a pair of short barbels used in hunting. The knife fish, when not hiding away, spends much of its time swimming with its head down and the barbels in close proximity with the substrate. Combined with its acute eyes, the barbels aid the fish in locating its food.

hope this helps :headbang2
 
i would start with one, see how good you do with him, and if you wish to increase the number sure you could get 3-4 in a 55g.
 
did you see my catfish, the Synodontis Eupertus or "Lace Catfish", you could do 1 or 2 in there, what do you think??
 
get some pictus catfish, about 3 of those and 2 synodontis cats :)

do you know about cycling the tanks and introducing a couple of fish at a time not all at once? just checking as you said you werent very good with knowledge, not taking the piss just curious
 
Yeah those are sweet. I'll pick some of those up if they have them..All we have in the small town is a Crappy petsmart, which they have Brown Knife tails ( I feel so bad for them in that little tank, with nasty water.. ). Would any type of catfish work for the tank?
 
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