Rope fish / clown knife tank size?
- Thread starter Caveden
- Start date
Heard ropefish are extremely peaceful and could live with community fish. Not sure, here to confirm. If it can I would like one in my 55g
here is my 55g, with school community fish ( lazy to list out), and a random clown knife fish. I know clown knives are highly predatory, grow up to 24”. Was initially bought to be a feeder, but after observing it for some time I’ve grown to like it. It’s too small for now to eat any of the community fish, so I’ll keep it there for now. I’m just wondering what is the average size of a clown knife, if it is suitable for my 6ft tank with bichirs and arowana I’ll grow it out, if not I’ll just feed it.
As peaceful as they are, they need large community fish to be with - Rainbows, semi-agressive fish, etc. I could be thinking of something else.
fishhead0103666
and
Hendre
would know better.
fishhead0103666
and
Hendre
would know better.
Beautiful! I love the ones that are super big. My lfs has one thats huge, and I love the way the bottom fin ripples.
Consider the rope fish to have same requirements as a senegal would have, it's just that they are snake like at the rear.
For the clown knife, you'll find your smaller fishes go missing very soon, maybe within 2-3 months or less. Clown knife is a highly territorial fish and I've seen them get aggressive when lights go off. The 6 ft is not gonna be a permanent house especially with your aggressive aro. Don't know why but clown knives and aros don't go hand in hand in small community tanks. If you have maybe a pool or a massive 10 ft tank then it could work.
I'd suggest that you grow it out to about 12-13" And then sell it off. Then you'll have had the experience plus you won't have to cram that guy up on a small tank. I know people here in Asia eat them. I've personally seen a 30 " Clown being cut up in the market ?
This video is of a fish market in Bangladesh
Understandable about the ropefish part. Probably won’t get it then. Is there any largish fish that could live in a community tank? Would like a centrepiece.
Are you sure about the clown knife part? Finally found the knife fish forum (couldn’t find it yesterday searching for so long, so I made a thread), and it states it grows about 18-24” in aquaria settings. The knife fish you found in markets were probably wild caught I presume. I won’t keep it in the 55g once it gets bigger, that’s for sure. Maybe I would grow it out
Whenever a fish doesn’t as big as its wild counterpart, it’s due to insufficient environment or people not able to keep it for its full life (they rehome the fish)
+1 grow a knifefish in a pond like Rod from preadatory fins has and change 30% water alternate days like
duanes
does . I bet you'll have a 3 footer in maybe 4-5 yrs. Whatever it be a clown knife won't be happy in a 6ft tank long term.
I'd consider getting a black ghost knife or maybe a afer knife fir a 6ft .
I myself am very tempted to keep a clown knife as they are readily available at stores plus you even get live 16-18" Specimens being sold for food at the live fish market. But I don't get them and probably won't be able to get them ever because I would never go bigger than a 6*2*2 as I live in an apartment.
Consider clown/ Royal knifes as a pacu and a black ghost as a widebar Silver dollar if you compare the sizes ?
