Trying to get more informed about BGK

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H

hhtoussaint

Feeder Fish
Nov 30, 2008
4
0
0
Idaho
Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and new to owning a Black Ghost Knifefish. I'm just concerned about him. From what I have gathered, it's normal that these fish lie on their sides? Is it also normal that I find my fish at the top of the tank just letting the air bubbles hold him up there. At first I thought he was dead, so I tried to fish him out, and to my surprise he was still a live and swam away. Do they just like to lie there in the bubbles? Help, I really would like to know more about the behavior of this guy. He sure is beautiful, but I keep thinking he is dead.

Do these fish need more oxygen maybe in the tank?
HH
 
What kind of set up do you have? BGKs like to have a lot of hiding spots. What's your water parameters like?
 
some of the bgk likes the air bubbles or most likely the current it produces.. i catch mine swimming against the powerhead bubbles then letting himself reverse to the other side of the tank. :D

the lying on the substrate part... he needs a spot to call his own..unless that one actually likes sleeping in the light... caves not big enough..no light?? ?
 
they do love to swim laps........i caught mine laying on its side for the first time yesterday. dropped in some nightcrawler(his favorite), he sprung into action.
 
You need to get accurate results for water paremeters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) before anyone can tell you if the behavior is 'normal'. It doesn't sound 'normal' to me but my opinion may not count because I've got an African Knifefish not a BGK. Also-what size tank is he in?
 
I have a 55 gallon tank, and I just tested the water. Temp. is 76. PH is 6.8, Amm is 0, Nitrite is 0, and Nitrate is 40.

I've got 2 bubble stones, one on each end, but one of them is not working very well anymore. I don't have the lights on in the aquarium during the day, (there is enough light in the room, but not direct onto my fish) and at night, I only turn one part of the aquarium lights on. I figure like that, the ones that don't like the light as much, have a choice to either go into the light or stay into the darker part. It's seemed to work out well like this.

I've got caves in there, but have a huge African Butterfly Catfish that occupies that. So I got him some darker plastic tubes, like what they had in the store. But he hasn't seemed to notice them yet. He does swim around, but prefers to be in those bubbles. He's there again right now. Just stayes in them. I'm just glad I didn't wake up to find him dead. So maybe this is normal?

Since I just got him yesterday, he has not eaten yet. But I've seen on the internet, they prefer Earth worms? So must go to the store and get some. All my other fish eat flakes and cucumber.
 
I'd bump up the temp to 80F If you just got it yesterday, give it some time to adjust and it'll eventually start eating.
 
What the heck is an African Butterfly Catfish? Your BGK would prefer caves and hiding sports, as well as large plants/objects all around the tank that he can quickly hid into as he makes his way to/from his larger main cave. Plastic tubes may not cut it, and some kind of rocky almost completely enclosed hiding spot would be best. His behavior sounds pretty normal to me and my experience with what they do in a new tank, but he should start trying to hide.
You can feed him earth worms, but blood worms, tubifex, small (brine) shrimp are also good ideas. BAsically you want to have some sort of variety for nutritional purposes.
 
Thanks you guys for your help. I will go and look for a better cave for him. And get another bubble stone while I'm at it. I'll try to get you a picture of my catfish. He is really something.
 
yea post a pic i have a cat i cant ID lol ;)
dont know about you guys but earthworms are hard to find + kinda pricey. look into frozen bloodworms and stuff like sinkin carnivore from hikari brand.
and +1 on raisin temps to at least 79-80 .
 
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