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BGK & Food

23 16:36:53

Question
I recently got a Black Ghost Knife fish to add to my 33 gallon tank, he is only about 2 inches right now when he gets bigger I'm moving him into my 55 gallon. Will he eat the tropical fish flakes or will he only go for blood worms?



Also, I recently got TetraMin Large Tropical Flakes (Clear Water Forumla) But I notice when I feed my fish now. That uneaten flakes are sticking to my filter they have a white sort of thread around them and a little bit of flake in the middle. Do you have any idea how I can stop that from happening? It has never happened before and it's really runining my tank's appearance.

The water levels are all within the saftey levels.

Answer
Hi Krysta,

Sorry not to have gotten back to you yesterday, I had A/C problems that ultimately involved a garden hose and lots of slimy goop coming out of the drain pipe...yuck.

Black ghost knives can't be trained to eat flakes, in my reading and experience, but they can be trained to eat dead foods and tablets. Bloodworms are probably a favorite of your BGK, but you should also offer tablets (Hikari's Sinking Carnivore Pellets are the ones my carnivorous fish like the best) and other "wet" frozen foods such as tubifex and mysis shrimp. Your other fish will like brine shrimp (make sure it's vitamin or Spirulina enhanced, because it doesn't have much nutritional value otherwise) and your BGK might get some too. Look in the grocery seafood department for frozen seafood, and also the canned fish area, and try to find some unsalted seafood in cans. Buy a shrimp cocktail for yourself, and share it with your BGK, also scallops should be appreciated. Mussels are highly nutritious and your BGK should love them. Don't feed more than a piece of one because they are rich, and will pollute your water if you overfeed. Don't feed oily fish like herring and sardine even if they are packed in water and not oil, because their oily flesh will make a huge mess in your aquarium.

Speaking of overfeeding, it sounds like you are giving your fish too many flakes. Start out giving them just a tiny pinch, if they eat it all in a few seconds, give them another. I never give my fish more than three tiny pinches of food, and I always wait in between to make sure all of it is gone. I *hate* to see the food falling beneath the water line if it is supposed to be a floating kind, like flakes! Also, make sure you replace the can of flakes from time to time, they do go stale. I get the smallest can I can find so that it stays fresher. Try to vary the kinds you get.

Cut back on feeding and clean your filter. Take it out, rinse all of the parts in hot water. If your filter is the cartridge type, change your cartridge, if it is the reusable type, rinse your media in dechlorinated water, or water from the aquarium. This should clear up the messy appearance.

Here's a few websites on black ghost knives and their care:
http://www.blackghostknife.com/
http://blackghostknife.tk/
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Black_Ghost_Knife_Fish_Apteronotus_albifrons....
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Knife,%20Black%20Ghost.htm
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html

They do have some quirks, and will need hiding places...but they are really fascinating, gorgeous species!  

Take care,
Nicole