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any comments on them? they're kind of intersting, how large a tank would they need?

I wouldn't go with anything less than a 75 gallon tank. The more fishes you have in there with it, the bigger the tank you will need. 125 gallons would be your best choice.

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The calming qualities of a good aquarium are irrefutable

125g is the smalelst tank you should really be looking at. I had one couple months back but the upgrade for my 55g didn't go to plan, sister had to have baby didn't she

Well they should be fed at night to start off with, try n get a dim light in room after a good few weeks of feeding and then start feeding with dim light and after few weeks of that it should be able to feed more or less in day then.

Make sure they are not kept with any other aggresive fish as they will get bullied and enjoy it, they are a very special fish

I have 3, 1 of which for over 3 years and they're beautiful
You can keep them with all sorts of other fish but there are a few things that can be a problem as far as tank mates go.
Tank mates shouldn't be too small (like danio sized), there's a chance that the BGK may get a little hungry
Tank mates shouldn't be too aggressive or territorial... the BGK's aren't that good at fighting back and damage is easily done to their fins. But with good water their fins heal quickly.
They love live foods but are happy with flake, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, and beefheart, protein pellets and will even have a nibble on spirulina discs.
As already said they feed at night BUT they will also feed through the day, mine all do.
They live happily in neutral to lower PH with temp at around 26c.
Mininum tank size for a full grown BGK (which takes several years) would be 5x2x2ft but larger would be preferable. My first BGK lived happily in a 55 gal for nearly 2 years until I needed to upgrade.

Despite what's been said in the past, you can keep BGKs together, they may fight a little but if you have enough room for each of them to have their own space then they should settle down eventually.
They love lots of plants, that will make them feel safer and if they feel that safety then you'll see them swim around alot more.
A nice hollow log or something similar for them to sleep in is a must as well.

The only real drawback is treating a sick BGK it can be a real problem as they can't tolerate most meds.

They are a beautiful and friendly, long lived fish that will feed from your hand very easily and they can have oscar type sulks if they're unhappy about something
They're my favourite of all fish, can you tell?

I hope this has helped

the idea was cut at the fact that is needs such a huge tank.


why is it considered a bottom feeder?

It is considered a bottom feeder as that is where it mainly does feed. It will feed from all over the tank but usually just eats the food fromt he bottom and it also lives down the bottom of the tank as it usually is the darkest place in the tank

my dad loves them, so i often have them in my house and in the tanks, they will get very large so a 75 would be the smallest for an adult, my largest was at 13 inches, buit it died in that last few months,(bashed into the groud by a tankmate)

a note:

they are very sensitive to water temp changes. and dont tolerate cold water very well, a story: we had just come back from vaction and the filter had stoped, and some of my parrots died and the tank was a reck, and i had BGK in there, so my dad changed the water and did it quickly and added cold water into the tank and it killed all but on BGK i had in tehre. they will open there mouths and spazz out really bad untill they die.

they like powerheads so if u have two that is a good thing.

another tip:
most wholesalers say that they will eat the eyes of smaller fish like tetras so keep with the right tankmates.

my 5-6 little guys are acustom to my feeding, and now come to the top and feed, it may take a few months for them to trust u, but they will become open feeders.

Last edited by bettachris at 17-Oct-2005 14:01

Ghost knives are expensive... i have seen the mid sized ones go for about $20.
i have kept one, got along fine with my other fish

Actually i don't see $20 as being expensive for a fish like that. If i had the space for one i'd certainly pay that for such a cool looking and interesting fish as itself.