# brown knife fish



## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

Does any1 here keep these? I thought no stores near me had them till i saw 3 strange fish in a eel tube at petsmart and relized they were brown knifes. I want to know of any personal experiences about these fish


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

I have one, gonna get another soon.

really nice fish. hides quite a bit, but is constantly venturing out of his cave and rushing back in. loves frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, freeze dried foods, after a while even some kinds of flakes.

won't pester other fish, I kept it with guppies for a while with no problems. my rainbow shark and him would quarrel every once in a while. now its in a 55 gallon

pretty hardy fish, they have the ability to breathe air if oxygen levels are low.


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

are they shy? At the store they won't leave their tube.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

well they are nocturnal. but when you put food in the tank they come out. they have big eyes and can see you move if you are next to the tank and they'll rush back into their cave.


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2005)

i just got one today. great fish so far. i have mine in my 30 gallon planted and he loves to hide underneath a piece of driftwood. 

Shev:Is PVC pipe neccessary if he's found a place under driftwood or behind plants?


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

I have pvc pipe for the eel, and the knife doesnt even use it.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2005)

cool, he seems pretty happy...I used your coconut hut DIY and he TRIED to go in it but ran into the top of it and scared himself. i haven't seen him go near it since...lol

he's pretty shy but he cam out (lights ON) to eat some frozen bloodworms. he really likes those! 

now all I have to do is come up with a name!


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Mine hides in my coconut cave most of the day,


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Is brown knife VERY different from the Black Ghost Knife?


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

quite a bit different. its not even a true knife fish. it doesnt use an electric field aroundit to navigate and find its food, instead it has big eyes that are good at night. they both act differently too.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Oh I see...  Thanks


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

how do they act differently?


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## batray girl (Jul 27, 2005)

My brown knife is (currently) bigger than my black ghost and my clown, but it is such a scaredy cat. The black ghost will only eat out of my hand and my once-shy clown knife never hides anymore when I approach the tank. However, the brown is a little wuss and darts around frantically when I come up. I have to say though, it depends on the fish you get. Watch them at the store for a while before you buy them and see which seems the most adventurous.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Provide them many hiding places and over times, they will get used to your appearance. Tben heand-feeding should be easy to handle.
About PVC tubes... I think that natural hiding places are more preferable.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

What size tank for these guys?


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

I had him in a 100 gal. I think whichever bigger than 75 gals is acceptable for a bgk.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

bgk????????????


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Black Ghost Kinfe... sorry.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

bgk= black ghost knife. I'd say 100 gallons should suffice. Its the clown knife that gonna get big, and will need a bigger tank.


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

hmmm, so provide hiding places, also, how long will it take for a brown knife to get tame???


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Not so long, as long as they settle down to the surrounding environment. For nocturnal 'spirit' you should 'make them feel like home' by feeding them at night. Light up a dim bulb when all the lights have gone out and start their meal.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Have lots of cover and hiding places. i dont know what you mean by tame, mine has fed from my hand. but it still comes out of its hidey hole very slowly, then rushs back into the cave. they'll probably be more daring in groups, but I also read they dont like eachother when they get bigger.


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

I have heard that they are not good in groups, as they fight, I mean by tame they will not shoot into their hole or whatever when you enter the room, the tank is probably going to go downstairs so I won't see it as much, but I will see it yeah?


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2005)

shev said:


> Have lots of cover and hiding places. i dont know what you mean by tame, mine has fed from my hand. but it still comes out of its hidey hole very slowly, then rushs back into the cave. they'll probably be more daring in groups, but I also read they dont like eachother when they get bigger.


i've also read that they dont like to be in groups, but ive also read that they dont like other knife fish species either.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Mine would try to stick along with the BGK like an annoying little brother. the bgk pretty much ignored him, but would sometimes be a little hostile.

if you feed it during the day it will change its nocturnal schedule... somewhat.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

> if you feed it during the day it will change its nocturnal schedule... somewhat.


YEs, but I think we gotta give them a while feel like being home, rather than change their schedule right after thei acclimation.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

True, also that way it helps ensure they get some food without the other fish hoggin on it while theyre awake.


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## starrfish71 (Jul 6, 2005)

I have kept these guys for years- I would say within two weeks your fish will be comfortable and much less shy. I currently keep one with a baby clown knife, but I watched them closely for several days- clowns can be sooo aggressive. The browns don't emit as strong (or any?) electrical current, like Black ghosts do. I wouldn't reccomend keeping them with Black ghosts, but I haven't ever tried it, myself. BG's are very territorial fish, where Brown knives are not so much.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

> The browns don't emit as strong (or any?) electrical current


They don't emit electrical field at all... and the bgk's is howeve, very weak.


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

so it would be alright with angels, botia kubotia and maybes an ABF or two?
(brown)
or if anyone wants to make any suggestions for tank mates feel free, (47 gallon)


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## batray girl (Jul 27, 2005)

mine has pushed the leaves of a plant together to form a burrito-shaped pocket that it hides in. it doesn't hide in the ornaments like the other fish. i'm not trying to get the brown to hand feed at all. the only reason i hand feed the black is b/c that's the only way i can make sure he eats. 
why would a black need a 100G tank? It doesn't get very big....
The clown, yes, but the other 2 (in my opinion) wouldn't need such a massive tank. 
What are you thinking of as "tame"?


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

BGK's get big. 20+ inches if not stunted. clowns bigger, browns 1/2 as big.


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2005)

> why would a black need a 100G tank? It doesn't get very big....


umm...like shev said, bgks get to be 20 inches, if not more and DO need a huge tank!


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Ya plus they are sometimes kinda active (hyper, violent or whatever you can think of) swim all over the place when food is dropped into the tank, using his/her snout to pull other small tankmates away... 
That also tells you that besides hiding places, better have an open air (I mean water) space for them to swim freely.


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

'tame'

I would say they kinda know who you are, when you go near the tank they are watching you, and get all exited, aren't afraid to come out when you are there,


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## starrfish71 (Jul 6, 2005)

j55 said:


> so it would be alright with angels, botia kubotia and maybes an ABF or two?
> (brown)
> or if anyone wants to make any suggestions for tank mates feel free, (47 gallon)



Because I love a tank with variety, I might add some sort of small to mid-size pleco(bristlenose are awesome), or active catfish, (i.e. polka dot pictus)
and with the angels and brown knife, large congo tetras might work, which would give you a little more activity in the upper tank area.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

Whats is the smallest knifefish?


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2005)

i believe the brown knife fish is.


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

wow and they need 100 gal tank..what is the knife fish called...Its all black and has white bands on it tail?


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

browns dont need a 100...blacks do. brown knifefish only need a 55 or so. they only grow to be 9 inches. the knifefish you're describing is a black knife fish.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

I think banded knives are the smallest.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

banded knifefish get to be 24-25 inches.


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## cucci67 (Aug 3, 2005)

I have had a Black Ghost knife for over a year in my 29g tank, over that time span he has only grown about .5" (making him 4")


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

eventually he will outgrow that tank.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Scuba Kid said:


> banded knifefish get to be 24-25 inches.


woops, then I meant Mottled knife, lol.



> I have had a Black Ghost knife for over a year in my 29g tank, over that time span he has only grown about .5" (making him 4")


They should grow much faster than that. You must of stunted its growth.


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