Possible conflicts among fishes
- Thread starter JohnnyHyde
- Start date
I would say the black ghost knife will get too big for your tank. Other than that your list looks pretty good, though the elephant nose will also get to 10". Not sure the width of your tank, if it is a 12"er it may be a little small for the elephant eventually.
Width is ~18 inch / 45cm
Black ghost knife, as I read, grows slowly, so i'll be able to swap them to a smaller one as this one would get too huge...
What is your opinion on swaping elephantnose to 3-4 Ctenopoma Acutirostre?
Black ghost knife, as I read, grows slowly, so i'll be able to swap them to a smaller one as this one would get too huge...
What is your opinion on swaping elephantnose to 3-4 Ctenopoma Acutirostre?
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I love Ctenos... They are really cool fish. Add some ghost shrimp on occasion and watch them stalk and hunt! Super cool. I think they'd be a better match for your tank over the elephantnose, but I would only do 2. They can get testy with each other sometimes, some report, and do grow rather large with time. Ctenos would be my preference over the other leaf fish you mentioned because they are not hard to feed (quite the opposite) and wouldn't care as much about the other fish if they were pushy.
They are also pretty darn good predators and have large mouths for their body size, so you really need to watch what size your other fish are when you introduce them. I know the killis are larger species but they will likely start out a lot smaller when you get them.
They are also pretty darn good predators and have large mouths for their body size, so you really need to watch what size your other fish are when you introduce them. I know the killis are larger species but they will likely start out a lot smaller when you get them.
Thanks, magpie,
UPDATED LIST:
Upper part:
1-2 Pantodon buchholzi - african butterfly fish
Middle part:
1 Apteronotus Albifrons - black knife fish
2-4 Fundulopanchax sjostedti - Blue gularis
2-3 Ctenopoma Acutirostre - leopard bush fish
Bottom part:
1 Albino senegalus polypterus - Albino senegal bichir
1 Erpetoichtys calabaricus - reedfish/ropefish (maybe I could increase to 2, but not really keen on... 3 would be too much, unless calabaricus doesn't increase waste
)))
Clean-up crew:
1-2 Bristlenose pleco
1 Agamyxis pectinifrons - Spotted talking catfish
OUT Fundulopanchax gardneri - too small for the rest of the fishes and most likely becomes tasty food.
OUT Channa Orientalis - too aggressive.
OUT Gnathonemus petersii - elephantnose (conflicting with black knife + need fishes with more activity)
MAYBE: 1 Belonesox belizanus (if possible to get him at all), but need to do more research as I read they are quite difficult to keep (only feeds on small fishes, etc...)
Suggestions for pleco? Anyone ever had a problem with polly and plecos or it's just a myth running around the internet? Which plecos would be nice? Suggestions of something up to 5 inch/ ~12-13cm are more than welcome. Glass algae eater would be great, also more odd-looking, but safe for polly. If not possible for all criteria - then 1st : polly-safe; 2nd - algae eater; 3rd - odd-looking.
UPDATED LIST:
Upper part:
1-2 Pantodon buchholzi - african butterfly fish
Middle part:
1 Apteronotus Albifrons - black knife fish
2-4 Fundulopanchax sjostedti - Blue gularis
2-3 Ctenopoma Acutirostre - leopard bush fish
Bottom part:
1 Albino senegalus polypterus - Albino senegal bichir
1 Erpetoichtys calabaricus - reedfish/ropefish (maybe I could increase to 2, but not really keen on... 3 would be too much, unless calabaricus doesn't increase waste
)))Clean-up crew:
1-2 Bristlenose pleco
1 Agamyxis pectinifrons - Spotted talking catfish
OUT Fundulopanchax gardneri - too small for the rest of the fishes and most likely becomes tasty food.
OUT Channa Orientalis - too aggressive.
OUT Gnathonemus petersii - elephantnose (conflicting with black knife + need fishes with more activity)
MAYBE: 1 Belonesox belizanus (if possible to get him at all), but need to do more research as I read they are quite difficult to keep (only feeds on small fishes, etc...)
Suggestions for pleco? Anyone ever had a problem with polly and plecos or it's just a myth running around the internet? Which plecos would be nice? Suggestions of something up to 5 inch/ ~12-13cm are more than welcome. Glass algae eater would be great, also more odd-looking, but safe for polly. If not possible for all criteria - then 1st : polly-safe; 2nd - algae eater; 3rd - odd-looking.
Belonesox belizanus are not all that hard to keep, and mine have been voracious eaters that love pellets, freeze dried krill, and frozen bloodworms. Very cool fish. If you are near NYC/NJ you can have mine, I had 4 but have sold them off over time and only have one left, that I should probably part with due to an impending move.
Might I suggest an African brown knife instead of the black ghost? They stay smaller
Might I suggest an African brown knife instead of the black ghost? They stay smaller
I'm in Europe, so probably impossible to get yours. Thanks anyway.
My heart lays with black ghost knife... he looks more mysterious, voracious and.... just I love them more
My heart lays with black ghost knife... he looks more mysterious, voracious and.... just I love them more
I believe the Rafaels are really shy. One of our members,
J
jaws7777
I think said he forgot he had one because he never saw it. If it were me, I'd skip the catfish, up the number of ropes to 3, and decrease the Ctenos to 2. (And be sure to get them at the same time)
A BN pleco should be fine with polys and actually eat algae, unlike many others. But for glass cleaning you'll have to scrape most likely. Common plecos are the worst offenders. You should always look for slime coat problems to be safe but I've never heard of a BN on this site sucking slime coat.
I had a 65 gallon that was 18 wide... that is only 3 feet long. I'm not sure the BGK would be comfortable in there for all that long... Why not just wait until you can get a tank large enough for one, and for now, either get a few more different types of bichirs, or a brown knife? But if you're truly committed to finding it a new home once it gets cramped that's ulitmately your decision.
Hendre
has 2 brown african knives and says they're more active than BGKs are, which tend to be shy and nocturnal.
I do understand really wanting a certain fish though. I really want a fire eel but can't commit to a tank large enough for one so I admire others'.
If it were me, I'd skip the catfish, up the number of ropes to 3, and decrease the Ctenos to 2. (And be sure to get them at the same time)A BN pleco should be fine with polys and actually eat algae, unlike many others. But for glass cleaning you'll have to scrape most likely. Common plecos are the worst offenders. You should always look for slime coat problems to be safe but I've never heard of a BN on this site sucking slime coat.
I had a 65 gallon that was 18 wide... that is only 3 feet long. I'm not sure the BGK would be comfortable in there for all that long... Why not just wait until you can get a tank large enough for one, and for now, either get a few more different types of bichirs, or a brown knife? But if you're truly committed to finding it a new home once it gets cramped that's ulitmately your decision.
Hendre
has 2 brown african knives and says they're more active than BGKs are, which tend to be shy and nocturnal. I do understand really wanting a certain fish though. I really want a fire eel but can't commit to a tank large enough for one so I admire others'.
Just a crazy idea: single South American puffer instead of Blue Gularis small group? or a big no-no?
Big no no.
magpie
I have four of them and they are rather busy, they dart out now and again I would say get:
1- Ctenopoma, they get thick and can be territorial in smaller tanks
1-2 Upper jaw polypterus
2-3 ropefish
1-2 BN plecos (sponge works best though)
1-2 African butterfly fish
Then maybe some African knives if you like, if your tank is well decorated.
