New update Knifefish!! :D and yellow lab holding eggs!

[cant009]

Hello there here are some pictures of my african brown knife fish, and a clownknife. Can Clownknife or anyone else tell me why my clown would be hiding? My african knives are doing fine and swimming throughout the tank, but my clownknife is hiding and acting like he is depressed... lol. I also got a black ghost knife, but he is hiding in the rocks and has claimed his territory and fights it harder then I have ever seen a fish do and hes only like 2.5 inches I like him! Also on my clownknife the spots are really visible on one side, but really hard to see on the other?? You can see this in the pictures. It may all be just because they are new and haven't adjusted to the tank yet.. might have to give them a couple days. Any other ideas?

Now for my yellow lab she is holding eggs More fish! Fry pics hopefully coming soon.... notice I said hopefully!

 

[cant009]

in the last picture you can see the tail of my black ghost knife to the right

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

Nice knifefish, a clown knife will need a large tank if you plan to keep it for life (A 220g or bigger). CKs grow quite fast! They will hide most of the time because they're nocturnal, they also feel safer with places to hide. If your knife fish are in with your africans and your africans breed or there is small africans in your tank, I highly suggest you seperate the knife fish from the africans because they will eat the fry. My clown knife destroyed my yellow tail acei the day before I got rid of him (but he was also roughly 10" at the time). Clown knives do best with tank mates too large too eat and that won't nip your clown knives fins.

I just noticed your labidochromis caeruleus looks like shes holding so I would not keep your knife fish in the same tank, they will eat the fry given the chance

I no longer have my clown knife (I got rid of him about 2 or 3 months ago because he was growing too fast and I couldn't afford to get him a tank with more than 18" width) I will definitely be getting another someday.

 

[cant009]

I know she is holding, but thank you very much dude! LOL I know you said you were a knife fish enthusiast so I was wanting to have your opinion. He is currently in a 125 gallon. I was going to let the yellow lab go about 14 days and then take her and put her in a 10 gallon to peacefully spit her eggs. Would this work? Also the CK's fins were a little nipped.... Why him and not the brown knives? Should I let my clown knife flourish in the tank with a couple of 1.5 inch africans.. the CK is about 3 inches and not too big of a mouth. When will he start taking a liking to my 1.5 incher's and when should he be removed lol Thank you

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

I know she is holding, but thank you very much dude! LOL I know you said you were a knife fish enthusiast so I was wanting to have your opinion. He is currently in a 125 gallon. I was going to let the yellow lab go about 14 days and then take her and put her in a 10 gallon to peacefully spit her eggs. Would this work? Also the CK's fins were a little nipped.... Why him and not the brown knives? Should I let my clown knife flourish in the tank with a couple of 1.5 inch africans.. the CK is about 3 inches and not too big of a mouth. When will he start taking a liking to my 1.5 incher's and when should he be removed lol Thank you

I have no explanation as to why his fins got nipped but not your brown knife's, possibly because he doesnt defend himself as good? Not sure. I'd say your CK will eat the 1.5"-2" africans once its about 5-7" and could begin attacking them at around 4", also, they have bigger mouths than you may think

Not to mention, they have little teeth...

 

[cant009]

hmmmm starting to sound like a CK is bad with africans lol... Should i just return the CK and keep the brown's and the black? Are the browns and black the same? :O

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

Yup, your brown and black knife fish have fairly large mouths as well but they won't grow nearly as big as your CK will. If you keep your brown and black knife fish with tank mates too big too eat then you shouldn't have a problem...1.5-2" africans I think will be small enough to have for lunch in a month or sooner

Sorry to say all this and break it to you, but I think its best to keep the knife fish alone or with bigger tankmates...

They are just like catfish--if the fish is small enough to eat, they will eat it...doesn't matter if you raise them both together from an early age or not

 

[cant009]

Hmm... New Idea! take and keep a small brown return one... keep the black knife and return the clown so I will only have two knives.. They should be okay I mean it just so happens that my 1.5-2 inch fish are the MOST aggressive in the tank.. They are blue obliquedens and kyoga flamebacks who fight everything and everyone lol...

 

[C L O W N K N I F E]

Hmm... New Idea! take and keep a small brown return one... keep the black knife and return the clown so I will only have two knives.. They should be okay I mean it just so happens that my 1.5-2 inch fish are the MOST aggressive in the tank.. They are blue obliquedens and kyoga flamebacks who fight everything and everyone lol...

That will be a good idea but you have to remember, knife fish are nocturnal and that means they hunt mainly at night...it doesn't matter how aggressive your africans are, if they're sleeping when the tank lights are off and are small enough to eat, they will die and get eaten

 

[cant009]

oh **** your right..... lol forgot about the nocturnal part... Hmmmm What do you suggest..? Just not keep the knives with the africans? Take the knives back? Damn I really like the look of them lol...