African Brown Knife Fish
- Thread starter benzjamin13
- Start date
90 gal tall - I find groups of 3-5 work best. No idea how to tell males from females with them though.
Does anyone know HOW exactly they make that noise? First time I introduced a 2nd african brown knife (rescue fish, I said I try with my own knife, luckily it worked out), the noise was off the charts 
I could hear it while watching TV a few meters away, took me a while to figure out it was them 
They have settled down a long time ago but every now and again they start gulping air (always large one first then smaller one) then shortly after making that noise again.
Of course when you try to get it on video, they mostly stay quiet
(Older) video:
I could hear it while watching TV a few meters away, took me a while to figure out it was them They have settled down a long time ago but every now and again they start gulping air (always large one first then smaller one) then shortly after making that noise again.
Of course when you try to get it on video, they mostly stay quiet
(Older) video:
Sexual dimorphism? FishBase etc say "No", but still curious.
Ours has a little point projecting from (around the area of the) anus that would be a sexual apparatus in other fish/genus/species. I see no references to such a projection online. He/she came from the shop small & well fed and with this projection- I did notice others in the shop/shipment to have had similar. These days he/she's fat, (like properly fat- living in scud/snail/guppy grow-out tank) and growing like mad, and retains this structure/issue.
Vestigial ventral fin that's rarely expressed? Injury? Parasite?
I'l try to get a picture, but not holding breath.
Ours has a little point projecting from (around the area of the) anus that would be a sexual apparatus in other fish/genus/species. I see no references to such a projection online. He/she came from the shop small & well fed and with this projection- I did notice others in the shop/shipment to have had similar. These days he/she's fat, (like properly fat- living in scud/snail/guppy grow-out tank) and growing like mad, and retains this structure/issue.
Vestigial ventral fin that's rarely expressed? Injury? Parasite?
I'l try to get a picture, but not holding breath.
Brilliant, thanks.
a) as I remember it's sticking straight downwards (a she?), and
b) next time I'm in the city, I'll check the shop to see if they've still got in stock (had lots, selling slowly). Specifically, I'll check the alternate apparatus. Can't win if we don't try
Thanks again, Hendre.
Finally got a good look- the "projection" has a distinct backwards angle, and is a little longer than in your picture = male.
Q#2: a few months on and the belly is still very fat, but growth has greatly slowed/stopped. In fairness the species has a reputation for slow-growth and the water quality's likely very "alive" but also likely not pristine in the grow-out tank, and there is quite a bit of grub to be had for anybody willing to grub for it. I am interested in internal parasites considering the whole bunch in the shop had this fatness and he's not lost it. If so, I'd also be interested in how I might set about eliminating such parasites.
Finally got a good look- the "projection" has a distinct backwards angle, and is a little longer than in your picture = male.
Q#2: a few months on and the belly is still very fat, but growth has greatly slowed/stopped. In fairness the species has a reputation for slow-growth and the water quality's likely very "alive" but also likely not pristine in the grow-out tank, and there is quite a bit of grub to be had for anybody willing to grub for it. I am interested in internal parasites considering the whole bunch in the shop had this fatness and he's not lost it. If so, I'd also be interested in how I might set about eliminating such parasites.