Tiger Knife Fish

[Red Devil]

OK o and i found this article. I cant copy the URL so ill just c+p it.

Tiger knifefish, Gymnotus tigre

Matt Clarke looks at the stunning Tiger knifefish, or Macana tigre, a beautiful gymnotid knifefish from South America.

Copyright © Practical Fishkeeping

Common name: Tiger knifefish, Macana tigre
Scientific name: Gymnotus tigre
Origin: Mainly Colombia. The type specimen was collected in the Amazon at Letitia, but it's also found in the Amazon in Peru and Brazil, in the Rio Tapajos in Brazil and from Ecuador's Rio Pastaza.
Size: Museum records state an adult size of 40cm/16" for G. tigre, but this adult was probably more like 45cm/18".
Diet: Fish and invertebrates.
Aquarium: These electrical fishes are adapted for life in very dark peaty waters which don't even get much light during the day, so make sure the tank is very shady. Furnish the tank with bogwood and use a silver sand substrate. Males of the larger gymnotids can sometimes be aggressive, so be careful about mixing this with similar fish. Robust but placid cichlids, such as Heros, Acarichthys or Geophagus, should be safe tankmates. Given the large adult size, a tank of at least 120cm/4' is required for this fish, preferably much larger.
Breeding: Little is known about Gymnotus. Males of at least two other species in this genus construct and guard floating nests made from aquatic plants and foam, and G. carapo is a mouthbrooder.
Notes: This is quite a recent discovery. It was only described in 2003 by Albert and Crampton along with six other Gymnotus species. This one is a member of the Gymnotus carapo group.
Similar species: There are 26 Gymnotus species, with six in the carapo group: carapo; choco; esmeraldas; henni; paraguensis and tigre.
Identification: According to Albert and and Crampton, the world's experts on the Gymnotidae, there should be a series of pale, yellow bars on the flanks "with high contrast margins which are as broad or broader than brown bands anteriorly". The chin, operculum and under the eyes, should have irregular pale yellow blotches, and the tail end should have a series of oblique hyaline (transparent) and dark stripes on the back end of the anal fin. There should be also 190-240 branched rays in the anal fin, not that you'd be able to count 'em, though...
Availability: This fish was imported from Colombia by Tom Halvorsen Ltd and was the only one in the shipment. It's extremely rare in the trade.
Price: About ?200-300 for one like this.


HOpe thats legal.

very good info..excellent... cannot wait to hear if they really get one of these, or whether it will be a carapo which are more common..

 

[Red Devil]

OK o and i found this article. I cant copy the URL so ill just c+p it.

Tiger knifefish, Gymnotus tigre

Matt Clarke looks at the stunning Tiger knifefish, or Macana tigre, a beautiful gymnotid knifefish from South America.

Copyright © Practical Fishkeeping

Common name: Tiger knifefish, Macana tigre
Scientific name: Gymnotus tigre
Origin: Mainly Colombia. The type specimen was collected in the Amazon at Letitia, but it's also found in the Amazon in Peru and Brazil, in the Rio Tapajos in Brazil and from Ecuador's Rio Pastaza.
Size: Museum records state an adult size of 40cm/16" for G. tigre, but this adult was probably more like 45cm/18".
Diet: Fish and invertebrates.
Aquarium: These electrical fishes are adapted for life in very dark peaty waters which don't even get much light during the day, so make sure the tank is very shady. Furnish the tank with bogwood and use a silver sand substrate. Males of the larger gymnotids can sometimes be aggressive, so be careful about mixing this with similar fish. Robust but placid cichlids, such as Heros, Acarichthys or Geophagus, should be safe tankmates. Given the large adult size, a tank of at least 120cm/4' is required for this fish, preferably much larger.
Breeding: Little is known about Gymnotus. Males of at least two other species in this genus construct and guard floating nests made from aquatic plants and foam, and G. carapo is a mouthbrooder.
Notes: This is quite a recent discovery. It was only described in 2003 by Albert and Crampton along with six other Gymnotus species. This one is a member of the Gymnotus carapo group.
Similar species: There are 26 Gymnotus species, with six in the carapo group: carapo; choco; esmeraldas; henni; paraguensis and tigre.
Identification: According to Albert and and Crampton, the world's experts on the Gymnotidae, there should be a series of pale, yellow bars on the flanks "with high contrast margins which are as broad or broader than brown bands anteriorly". The chin, operculum and under the eyes, should have irregular pale yellow blotches, and the tail end should have a series of oblique hyaline (transparent) and dark stripes on the back end of the anal fin. There should be also 190-240 branched rays in the anal fin, not that you'd be able to count 'em, though...
Availability: This fish was imported from Colombia by Tom Halvorsen Ltd and was the only one in the shipment. It's extremely rare in the trade.
Price: About ?200-300 for one like this.


HOpe thats legal.

wow ..went for that much $

very good info..excellent... cannot wait to hear if they really get one of these, or whether it will be a carapo which are more common..

 

[Aromantis]

yup

 

[Scorponok]

John of ECZS has a tiger knife for sale at $40. That's where I got mine.

These guys are aggressive and solitare. I have to keep mine in a divided 150G. It bites the siphon hose when I change water, but only when it's in a bad mood. It eats voraciously once start eating, and will eat a variety of food. I feed mine market prawn, dried shrimp, dried krill, tiaipia fillet, goldfish, and silver fish.

I recommend a tank with floor plan of at least 48"x24", for this guy is pretty active at night. Its swimming pattern is fun to watch, as it goes forward and backward with ease like an UFO. Mine is about 18" and it should get up to 24".

It is not a community tank member, unless you have a 360g plus tank with width of 48". This is my only fish that I am nervous abot putting my hand in the tank. Its aggressiveness is unpredicable. It was ok letting a hammerhead catfish sneaking over to its side without any sign of predation, and one day it ate it.

The easiest way to tell between tiger knife from the rest such as zebra is that the tiger has patterns on its head, and not the rest.

It's a rare knife with a unique personality. The owner should be very proud of it and treasure it a great deal.

 

[Scorponok]

The knife in the pic is for sale last week for $40 if anyone is interested. The pic belongs to John of ECZS.

I believe they are brighter when smaller and get darker when older. I had a smaller guy with light orange color and the current bigger guy is dark orange color. But I see its tail is still light orange so I think the color starts to fade starting from head down to tail.

 

[Bsixxx]

i belive those are different kinds im getting one of the bigger ones hes getting in at 150

its hopefully going to be around 18"+

 

[Red Devil]

The knife in the pic is for sale last week for $40 if anyone is interested. The pic belongs to John of ECZS.

I believe they are brighter when smaller and get darker when older. I had a smaller guy with light orange color and the current bigger guy is dark orange color. But I see its tail is still light orange so I think the color starts to fade starting from head down to tail.

is it possible to get some more pictures..and thanks for all the info about the tigre knife..its amazing that it is that aggressive.. you have one...could you post some pics of yours too please..since we do not get to see these guys very often always great to see their pics and know they do exist .. thanks

 

[Red Devil]

i belive those are different kinds im getting one of the bigger ones hes getting in at 150

its hopefully going to be around 18"+

post pictures as soon as possible ..looking forward to seeing it thats for sure!!!

 

[Aromantis]

wow, i didnt think that many people would respond but ya this is greeat!

Cant wait to see pics!!!!!!!

 

[Aromantis]

Also, im new so hoo is john of ECZS? WAt is ECZS? THanks!