Black Ghost Knife Fish Injury? /RMF 6/3/2011
Hello,
<Jaz>
I have a 14 inch Black Ghost, that I've had since he was 3 inches.
<Neat!>
I have him in a 60 gallon tank
<Mmm; needs more room than this>
with an Angel, a 4 inch Pictus, a 6 inch Pleco, 3 Siamensis, a Cory, 3 Rummies, a Rasbora and an unknown number of Assassin Snails.
<Mmm, if you had room I'd get more Pictus and Rasboras... as these are social/shoaling species>
These have all been tankmates for several years and except for some minor territorial squabbles between the Pleco, Pictus and Ghost (who all want to occupy the same driftwood cave),
<Yes; I'd have more than one>
everyone has gotten along quite well. The squabbles have never amounted to more than just some minor pushing to move one of the others out of the way.
A few weeks ago, the Ghost developed a wound on the bottom edge of his tail, which we attributed to a possible injury.
<Or aggression by the two cave-competitors more likely>
We watched it for a while and it seemed to get worse, to the point of the flesh being gone from several tiny bones. We also observed a Siamensis picking at it and one of the Assassin snails crawling over it. We isolated the Ghost and after a few days his tail healed and the flesh actually grew back. So we thought the Siamensis and Assassin were perhaps just being opportunistic as neither seemed to bother the Ghost any longer.
Then a few days ago, we noticed on the top of his neck a new wound, with a whitish area surrounding it about 1 and a half inches long. It's not totally white, just looks like someone took a white pencil and drew a big oblong circle around the affected area. We thought perhaps he scraped himself on something, but then just as the first wound seemed to be healing, another wound appeared close by.
At this point, we are not sure if the snails or any of the other fish are picking on him, or if this is the result of some kind of disease.
<Secondary>
We are afraid to treat him with anything as we know how sensitive Ghosts are. We have him isolated right now so that no one else can pick on him. He's eating fine, and mostly stays in his cave, though from time to time he will come out and hang out with his head at the top of the water - I know that's not a good sign. But he doesn't stay there.
My question: Is there any type of disease that would cause this?
<As stated, this is almost assuredly an injury from some other fish... but the SAEs and snails aren't the primary cause... and likely environment is playing a role... water quality tests? Perhaps at least "nitrate" and what it portends is "high">
Or are we safe in assuming it's from an injury?
<Third and last time, yes>
And could the Assassins be going after him, since he rests on the bottom of the tank most of the time? We got the Assassins because we had a terrible snail infestation. They've pretty much gotten rid of the other snails and had their own little population explosion, to the point where I've been selling them to our LFS for store credit at $1 a snail. (They turn around and sell them for $4 and can't keep them in stock.) I was wondering if because there are so many, and their main food source is gone, perhaps they are going after the Ghost.
<Doubtful, but I'd keep their numbers low... save up the snail et al. income to buy a larger world for the BGK>
Thank you for any advice/information you can give. I've tried Googling but haven't found a lot of information out there on Ghost injuries or Assassin Snail attacks.
Jaz
<Ours is posted here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bgkdis.htm
Please do read through this FAQ and the linked files above re this Apteronotid sp.. Bob Fenner>
Black Ghost Knife Fish Injury?  /Neale 6/3/2011
Hello,
<Hello,>
I have a 14 inch Black Ghost, that I've had since he was 3 inches.
<Impressive! Few specimens live long enough to approach this size.>
I have him in a 60 gallon tank with an Angel, a 4 inch Pictus, a 6 inch Pleco, 3 Siamensis, a Cory, 3 Rummies, a Rasbora and an unknown number of Assassin Snails. These have all been tankmates for several years and except for some minor territorial squabbles between the Pleco, Pictus and Ghost (who all want to occupy the same driftwood cave), everyone has gotten along quite well. The squabbles have never amounted to more than just some minor pushing to move one of the others out of the way.
<Fair enough.>
A few weeks ago, the Ghost developed a wound on the bottom edge of his tail, which we attributed to a possible injury. We watched it for a while and it seemed to get worse, to the point of the flesh being gone from several tiny bones. We also observed a Siamensis picking at it and one of the Assassin snails crawling over it.
<I would imagine the snails opportunistically, since they eat decaying organic matter as well as living prey.>
We isolated the Ghost and after a few days his tail healed and the flesh actually grew back. So we thought the Siamensis and Assassin were perhaps just being opportunistic as neither seemed to bother the Ghost any longer.
<Quite so.>
Then a few days ago, we noticed on the top of his neck a new wound, with a whitish area surrounding it about 1 and a half inches long. It's not totally white, just looks like someone took a white pencil and drew a big oblong circle around the affected area. We thought perhaps he scraped himself on something, but then just as the first wound seemed to be healing, another wound appeared close by.
<Sounds as if he's sustaining some sort of injury. Possibly from fighting or fin-nipping, otherwise a burn if he sleeps close to the heater.>
At this point, we are not sure if the snails or any of the other fish are picking on him, or if this is the result of some kind of disease. We are afraid to treat him with anything as we know how sensitive Ghosts are.
<Quite so, but antibiotics should be safe. It's copper, formalin, and the other toxic medicines that cause problems, organic dyes for example.>
We have him isolated right now so that no one else can pick on him. He's eating fine, and mostly stays in his cave, though from time to time he will come out and hang out with his head at the top of the water - I know that's not a good sign. But he doesn't stay there.
<Oh.>
My question: Is there any type of disease that would cause this?
<None from which I'm aware, but do consider Hexamita, which can cause problems when fish are maintained sub-optimally. Your aquarium is probably too small for this fish now, in terms of oxygen concentration and nitrate accumulation as well as psychologically.>
Or are we safe in assuming it's from an injury?
<Certainly what I would assume.>
And could the Assassins be going after him, since he rests on the bottom of the tank most of the time? We got the Assassins because we had a terrible snail infestation. They've pretty much gotten rid of the other snails and had their own little population explosion, to the point where I've been selling them to our LFS for store credit at $1 a snail. (They turn around and sell them for $4 and can't keep them in stock.) I was wondering if because there are so many, and their main food source is gone, perhaps they are going after the Ghost.
<Possibly, but I don't think it likely. If you can remove them, by all means do so and see if that helps.>
Thank you for any advice/information you can give. I've tried Googling but haven't found a lot of information out there on Ghost injuries or Assassin Snail attacks.
<Not aware of Clea helena causing anything like this sort of damage. They are whelks, and their marine relatives don't seem to cause damage to fish in reef tanks, so I can't imagine the freshwater ones are any worse. Of course, if the Apteronotus is weakened, then yes, they're opportunistic carnivores that will consume whatever they can find.>
Jaz
<Cheers, Neale.>

Black Ghost Knife Fish is Sick   4/23/2011
Hi,
We added a BGKF to our community tank 2 weeks ago. Specs on the tank. 46 gallons, 2 mollies, 5 fancy Danios, 3 glow fish, 1 power blue Gourami, and we had added a rubber lipped Pleco at the same time as the BGKF. 4 days ago I notice his bottom fin was starting to look frayed. Then I noticed he was acting strange. Sort of digging in the sand while vertical but spinning in circles erratically the entire time. This went on for hours.
It looked like he was having trouble directing himself properly. Almost like there was a strong current pushing him around, but there wasn't. I checked the water and the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates were higher than normal. The reading was of the nitrates was 2, and the ammonia and nitrites were a little high, but not excessive. I did a water change went to work came home and he was still acting crazy spinning in circles erratically. I did another water change and when I woke up in the morning he was on the filter. I turned the filter off and he floated/swam to shelter. I fed the others he seemed like he was trying to eat then the others started eating what he was trying to get to and were sort of pushing him around. I decided it was time for the hospital tank so he could rest and eat in peace since he was still acting like a dying fish. He has been in the hospital tank by himself for 3 days now and yesterday he started to bend in one direction the front and he just lays on the bottom half bent.
I have even checked at night and he isn't doing anything. He hasn't been eating either so I had to take frozen blood worms and rub them against his mouth until he took them, but he would only eat 2. I also noticed it looks like he has some sort of clear stringy goo coming off of him. I can barely see it, but it's there. I don't see any Ick, but from research that doesn't necessarily mean it's not there. I am keeping the hospital tank at 81 F and I don't have a filter as I don't want him suck against it again so I have been adding water via the Brita pitcher to keep it clean because it seems to be clouding up very easily despite there being no food. All of the food I am adding I am hand feeding so if it doesn't get eaten it doesn't stay. I haven't added any meds because it appears there are no good additives for these fish. If you have any advice I would greatly appreciate it. I have been scouring the web for 4 days now and nothing appears to be fitting the symptoms and you site seems to be the most thorough and knowledgeable. Perhaps this is just a wait and see situation, but as it has been a week and he hasn't kicked the bucket yet I figure I am either doing something right or just drawing out his agony.
Thanks,
Jessica = )
<Hello Jessica. You need to get this BGK out of the "hospital" tank at once! You cannot keep a fish like this -- or really any fish -- in an unfiltered aquarium. As you may or may not know, Brita water filters are simply carbon filters, albeit massively expensive ones. They don't clean the water in any meaningful way, though some people think they improve the taste. In any case, in strictly scientific terms, all the Brita water filter is doing is filtering tap water through carbon, thereby removing most organic and some inorganic impurities. Once the water is in the aquarium it may as well be plain tap water for all the difference it'll make. Without a filter your BGK will be incredibly stressed. These fish MUST have zero ammonia and nitrite at all times. You're also keeping your BGK much too warm; 25 C/77 F is the tops for these! They come from quite deep water around waterfalls and rapids, and do not like still water or high temperatures. In fact many, perhaps most, BGKs kept in community tanks die precisely because of this. The conditions they need are very different to those enjoyed by things like Angels and Gouramis that want warm, slow-moving water. Now, it's very hard to say precisely what's killing your BGK, but there are a few things to consider. The first is lack of water circulation and oxygen. Water turnover rate must be high, 8 times the volume of the tank per hour at minimum, and ideally more than that, perhaps 10 x. Next up, nitrate levels should be low, less than 20 mg/l, and ammonia and nitrite have to be zero. Water chemistry isn't critical but hard water should be avoided if possible. Certainly do not add salt on a routine basis. Copper and formalin are extremely toxic to BGKs, so do not ever use medications in the tank unless you are 100% sure copper and formalin are not in the medications. Also treat with deep suspicion any organic dyes (such as Malachite Green) and most salts (such as Potassium Permanganate).
If you must medicate, use either salt (fine on a short term basis) or antibiotics. Starvation is an extremely common problem with BGKs. Other poisons can include paint fumes in the air, cleaning sprays used in the room that got squirted into the tank by accident, and so on. BGKs prefer wet-frozen, fresh, and live foods. Some specimens take flake and pellets, but don't bank on it, and either away, don't assume your specimen is/was feeding without actually seeing it do so. As always with carnivores, offering a variety of foods is crucial, especially if you use mostly crustaceans (brine shrimp, daphnia, shrimp, prawn) as these tend to be high in Thiaminase that causes serious health problems in the long term. In order of likelihood, the most common reasons BGKs die are poor water quality, starvation, and poisoning. Cheers, Neale.>

I think my Black Ghost Knife Fish is sick   3/18/11
I have a four inch black ghost knife fish in a 55 gallon tank with four angel fish, he's been in there for four months. Two weeks ago, I added three German Blue Rams.
<Mmm, water conditions? Microgeophagus really need quite warm and soft water...>
After one of those died, I added 12 neon tetras to the tank a few days ago. It was to be expected that the black ghost, who used to come out every night to be handfed, stuck to his hiding cave 24/7 to keep away from the tetras.
<Mmm, no... the Angels and the Apteronotid will eat the Neons in time>
However, after another blue ram died (probably stress related, you know how rams can be), I noticed that I hadn't even seen him come out for two days, I had been feeding him his daily beef heart at the mouth of his cave every night.
So, I decided to coax him out of his cave to make sure he was doing all right. What I noticed immediately was the red dot on the very tip of his tail. It is not a blood red, but red nonetheless.
<Does happen w/ this, these (the family) species. Not necessarily indicative of a dire condition>
Three days ago, when he came out, he was fine and dandy. Now he's lethargic, extra shy, and apparently has some sort of disease or something.
I went into mild panic mode.
<A bad to dangerous state for an aquarist>
I took the only ram still alive out and put him in a twenty gallon tank with a male Betta, I was planning on doing that anyway so it wasn't a huge deal. I spent an hour catching the twelve tetras and putting them in an already fully stocked twenty gallon (just for the night, I plan on returning them tomorrow). Now the tank is back to the way it was for months, the ghost and the four angel fish.
I am hoping that this is all stress related from the extra fish, and that it will get better once he settles back into the daily routine. However, what can I do to help him. I was given several types of Ich medication from a friend, none of which I've ever used. I have Melafix, as well as aquarium salt.
<I would not use any of these... for reasons stated over and over on WWM>
I am willing to buy different medication as well. I do know, however, that black ghosts don't do well with medications or aquarium salt so I would prefer to not have to go that route.
<Good>
Please help! It's way too easy to become obsessively attached to something that eats out of your fingers everyday, I would do just about anything for that fish.
Thank you!
<"Just" patience here... take your time; no medication. Bob Fenner>

update after my move. BGK, Aquarisol use   3/13/11
Hi again,
Sorry, another question came up after the move. Ok so I have moved and been here for a few weeks now. The "getting the tank set up didn't go exactly as planned. I had a new stand that I bought for the tank to start using AFTER the move as the tank was always on a huge desk. I didn't realize till the truck was loaded that the stand was one of the first things loaded onto the truck. So I had to wait for the entire truck to be off loaded. I know, I screwed that one up. I did a partial water change before emptying the tank. Then when I emptied the tank into buckets to hold the fish I saved about 10 to 12 gallons of water. By the time I set the tank up with the water and heater and then filled the rest of the tank with about 26 gallons of drinking water from the store.(So I had a total of about 38 gallons) at the new house. I waited as long as I thought I could but the temp was only up to about 70 in the tank if that. Went to bed fearing but crossing my fingers. Next morning I woke up the temp was at 78 degrees and all my fish were still alive. I was actually amazed. And happy. Fast forward about 3 weeks later. I noticed my black ghost scraping back and forth on a log his sides looking not like a growth but white like if you or I scratch our arm with our nails when scratching an itch. I tested the water with API liquid tester. Read the ammonia read .50 to 1(so I thought now that I look back on it). The nitrites were at 0 and the Nitrates about 20.I went to my LFS he said sounded like tank cycling got screwed up and to do a partial water change(he says normally he would say not to he)and he gave me Aquari sol,
<Mmm, no! This is (nowadays) a copper salt solution (in the olde days silver)... too toxic for your Knife>
and said to follow the directions but to half dose.
<Thank goodness>
I did the water change and the Aquari sol. Bought fresh API liquid ammonia and nitrate testers. So, now a day after the water change(because it is today that I actually bought the test kit)Ammonia reads 0 on the new ammonia tester and I re-tested along side with the old ammonia tester bottle. which also reads 0.And this now confuses me. Being A. Because I may have read the ammonia wrong the first time and it didn't actually have the cycle out of whack. B. The cycle WAS out of whack and it recouped that quick.(which seems weird cause wouldn't the nitrites then go up next?
<Yes; though could have quickly cycled, this part been precycled>
Nitrites are still at 0. and, after that partial water change the nitrates that were previously at 20 before the water change are now between 40 and 80 on the nitrate card, a day after the water change. Is that even possible?
<Is and is too high>
or C. Maybe my OLD nitrate tester is out of whack. Hmm I hope I didn't leave anything out on this.
Thanks again.
Joe
<Water changes and reading... on WWM re NO3. BobF>

Black Ghost Behaving Oddly... poisoned  - 2/9/11
Hi Guys.
<And gals Marcel>
Does anyone know why my Black Ghost is behaving like this? It's going around and around on broad daylight. Normally it stays hidden in the plants or under some rock and only comes out when it's dark. But now, it's going around in circles.
<Sounds like some sort of metal presence... either decor, perhaps the heater, maybe a thermometer or other ferrous metal in contact w/ the water. This, and/or some other toxin/irritant>
It seems to have a scratch or peeled coating on the side of its body.
<Bad>
It was recently hit by a bad case of the Ich. It has only been 4 days since he was cleared of white spots. I treated the white spot breakout with Mebendazole, Metronidazole, salt and heated water successfully. The Black Ghost was still healthy after the treatment and then I had a 50% water change and added half a dose of Angel Drops StressOut. And then it started acting like this.
<... Angel Drops? This line from the PI?: http://geocities.ws/angeldropstrading/
doesn't list ingredients. I would NOT use>
All the other fishes seems to be acting normally. It has been 2 days since the water change and Black Ghost acting this way. I just made another 50% water change today.
<I would add carbon>
Watch the video here: http://www.singleshutter.com/index61.htm
Cheers!
Marcel
<And you, Bob Fenner>

Black Ghost Knife Problems  9/21/10
Dear Crew,
<Lindsey>
I have a BGK that is in serious trouble. I have had him for about a month now in a 40 gallon tank with a few other fish. The tanks water levels are great.
<Test values please>
For the last two weeks my BGK has been getting what looks like Protozoan Parasites. One day he is fine and the next just covered. I have been treating him with Quick Cure
<Yikes... very toxic... I would not expose this or other Knifefishes, scale-less fishes to formalin. Do please read on WWM re treatments. Very likely, if the other livestock can/will tolerate it, elevated temperature
alone will rid the system of parasitic Protozoans>
but its not getting rid of the problem. Now he is getting tired I'm guessing and has been "laying down" he is still eating and will get up and move around. I got home today and its the worst it has been, its chunky
white and grey stuff now. What do I do? Also none of the other fish are being affected by this and so I'm scared to keep treating the whole tank.
Please help fast, I don't want to lose him!
Thank you so much
Lindsey
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwichremedyyes.htm
and here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bgkdis.htm
and write back if you have questions, concerns. Bob Fenner>

Sick Black Ghost Knife?
Hello WWM Crew -
<Ray>
Before I start, thanks for taking the time to answer everyone's emails. I myself have received invaluable advice from your website many times.
<Welcome>
That being said, I have a question. As my title suggests, I have a black ghost knife and I believe there is something wrong with him - although I am not sure what it is. The details are below:
- BGK is around 8 inches long
- In a 55 gallon tank, water param.s 0/0/ <20 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) with a 5 inch black Arowana (yes, I know how big they can get), 7 inch sun cat, 6 inch kissing Gourami
<Troubles ahead here stocking-wise... psychologically and metabolically>
- Was doing absolutely fine until yesterday. Fed him 2 small earthworms (around 2-3 inches, no pesticides), waited a few hours and did a roughly 30% water change
- Came back later in the day to find him swimming around the tank with his face towards the top and tail towards the bottom
<Bad sign>
I didn't think much of it at first as BGK's are known for their erratic swimming (in fact, that's what I love about mine). However, this morning my BGK is still swimming in the same manner, his stomach still round / full. I have held off on treating with any medicine as, in my experience, this usually makes things worse, especially for scaleless fish.
<We are in agreement>
That being said, what should I do?
<If you have another system, that's up, established, I'd be moving the BGK to it>
I have no idea what's wrong unless the earthworms were the cause. I grow them myself in a 10 gallon tank so I doubt pesticides are the issue. Could he BGK just be constipated?
<Doubtful>
Thanks for all your help,
Raymond
<I'd move this fish... not keep it with the Catfish, or Gourami. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick Black Ghost Knife?  5/11/10
Hello again -
<Howsit?>
Quick update - the bgk appears to be fine now - swimming "normally" again. I guess he was just constipated?
<Maybe>
In regards to your assertion that there would be issues with compatibility ahead - I plan to put the bgk and Gourami into a 125 gallon tank, with the sun cat and blue Arowana moved to a 300 gallon tank. Would that be alright?
<Yes>
I understand the potential issues between the bgk and the sun cat, but are there other issues that I should be aware of (beyond size that each can get)?
<Mmm, no>
Thanks,
Raymond
<Welcome. BobF>

Ghost knife fish and White spot/Ich?? 4/20/10
Hello, iv a young GKF around 3-4inchs in length, I've noticed that it has lots of tiny White dots along it's body, I suspect White spot..
<Is certainly possible if you recently added some new fish to the system.>
so far the rest of my fish aren't displaying signs and appear healthy
<For now.>
and happy.
<So far.>
My tank us 80litres and I have 2 pearl Gourami's, 5 Endler's guppies, 2 Pygmy puffers and 2 bumblebee gobies, they have lived in harmony for many months with my previous GKF until he died several months ago.
<Black Ghosts can live 15 years, and should certainly live more than 10 years. This should be a warning sign. Do understand in no uncertain terms that your aquarium is a disaster waiting to happen. Puffers will nip the Guppies and Gouramis, the Gobies will eventually be Knifefish food, and the Knifefish will reach a length of up to 60 cm/2 feet given good conditions, though 45 cm/18 inches is more typical. Read.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bgkfaqs.htm
Among other things, you must understand that Apteronotus albifrons, the Black Ghost Knifefish, lives in well-oxygenated, relatively cool streams and shallow rivers. It needs excellent water quality, lots of space, a strong water current (which your Guppies and Gouramis will loathe) and a water temperature no higher than 25 C/77 F. In your aquarium, these Knifefish have a life expectancy of months, not years.>
The shop I bought my new GKF had an outbreak of Whitespot allegedly weeks prior to me buying him, I'm afraid he has brought the disease with him.
<More than likely.>
The shop advised me to use Methylene blue due to it's copper property and safeness for the GKF?
<The salt/heat method would be safer here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bgkdis.htm>
I used about 2/3rds of the dosage as I was afraid it would make him I'll, his fin now is beginning to look ragged.
<Finrot likely here; again, the salt can help here, but fundamentally, it's a water quality issue, because poor conditions are allowing secondary infections to get into the wounds the mature Ick parasites leave in the skin.>
Iv increased the temp slowly to 30 degrees to help finish off the Whitespot but I'm at a loss what to do next as I've now read the Methylene blue us ineffective??
<Far too toxic to use with these fish.><<Really Neale? Are you sure you're not confusing this w/ Malachite Green? RMF>>
Any advice what I should do to save my little GKF would be appreciated??
<Read, learn, act thoughtfully. Praying to the Fish Gods wouldn't be out of line either.>
Yours hopefully
Lindsay
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Ghost knife fish and White spot/Ich??
Bob,
Yes, you are correct, I was thinking of malachite green (or copper, or formalin, any one of which would be risky with Apteronotus spp.). So far as I know, Methylene blue has limited value against Whitespot/Ick anyway, so
shouldn't be used in this situation.
Cheers, Neale
"<Far too toxic to use with these fish.><<Really Neale? Are you sure you're not confusing this w/ Malachite Green? RMF>>
Any advice what I should do to save my little GKF would be appreciated??
<Read, learn, act thoughtfully. Praying to the Fish Gods wouldn't be out of line either.>
Yours hopefully
Lindsay
<Cheers, Neale.>"

Black ghost knife, possible tumor   2/26/10
Hello Neale, Bob, or whoever is receiving this, and thank you for the wonderful advice you've given me in the past.
<Happy to help.>
I have a 125 US gallon tank being filtered by two hang on the back type filters (I plan to add a canister filter in the near future-- I don't know for certain the gallons per hour of the hang on the back, but I know that it is "rated" for the tank size)
<These "ratings" are based on lightly stocked tanks where small fish like Neons are being kept. The larger the fish, the less reasonable the rating, and predatory fish in particular put an especially high ammonia loading on biological filters, while big herbivores can quickly overwhelm filters with the faeces and uneaten plant detritus they produce. This is why with big fish, experts recommend quite high turnover rates, 6, 8, or even 10 times the volume of the tank per hour. It's less about the actual water movement -- though that is helpful -- but more about having lots of filter capacity relative to the fish being kept.>
which is kept at 75-77 degrees, and has a pH of (approximately) 7.6.
<Fine.>
Inhabiting it are six 3" Metynnis argenteus, a 7" Mastacembelus armatus, a 5" Trichogaster microlepis, two large Botia kubotai, a 3" Ctenopoma acutirostre, and a 6" Apteronotus albifrons.
<These are broadly compatible fish, though I will observe that Loaches, Characins, Spiny Eels and Knifefish all enjoy stronger water currents than either Climbing Perch or Gouramis.>
I plan to increase the flow of water for the black ghost knife using a water circulation pump sometime this year. The tank is cycled (has been up and running for around four years) and the inhabitants have been living in it for around a month and a half. Everyone has done exceptionally well, being fed wet frozen bloodworms and krill, a small amount of flake, algae tablets, and cooked vegetables once a week (the type varies, but usually peas or green beans).
<Good.>
Recently, I've noticed that the Black ghost has had a small tumor like lump on the side of his body, near the head.
<It's less likely a tumour and more likely physical damage. Look to see if the "tumour" is one of these three things: [1] Something like an ulcer, being a bloody or raw meaty-looking open wound; or [2] a surface growth that is pink or some other colour different to the fish's skin, but not open, sore or bloody; or [3] a swelling below the skin, so that the growth is the same colour as the skin because it's something pushing up from underneath the skin. Item 1 is usually physical damage and subsequent infection, and needs treatment as per Finrot. Item 2 is usually viral and a reaction to water quality or some other environmental issue (e.g., heavy metals) such as Fish Pox and Lymphocystis. Goes away in time, assuming proper conditions. No actual treatment possible or necessary. Item 3 is a real tumour or cyst, may be benign or otherwise, and there's nothing much to be done.>
It's behavior seems normal, readily eating bloodworms, and maneuvering from hiding place to hiding place, occasionally coming out and searching for food. Unfortunately, I can't take a picture of the tumor, as the ghost mostly spends it's time up against something, effectively blocking view of the tumor. Whether this is a parasite, genetic deformity, or some other ailment, I don't know. Any help in identifying it would be greatly appreciated.
<See above.>
Also of note, my area experienced a power outage yesterday (snow storm, not scheduled), starting at approximately 4 o'clock in the morning. The tank went about three hours without power until it could be hooked up to a generator, though as far as I know, the temperature didn't drop below 72 degrees.
<Unlikely to be the issue here, unless physical damage caused by jumping into the hood or something when the lights came on/went off.>
Thank you, Jack. P.S.-- Neale, superb article on Rainbow fish in the March issue of aquarium fish monthly!
<Oh, that's nice to hear. Thanks for saying so. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Black ghost knife, possible tumor
Thank you for your quick reply and advice regarding my black ghost knife.
After reading your response, I think it may be one of the two things you mentioned; Either a) damage inflicted by one of the loaches competing for his hiding spot (Those eye spikes can be nasty... I know that first hand),
or b) caused by poor water quality, as you said. Or possibly both.
<Indeed.>
I'm thinking of treating the tank for Finrot with Maracyn plus, though I'm worried it might negatively effect the knife and tire track eel-- Should I try a half dose?
<Antibiotics should be safe at full dose. It's the copper and formalin based medications that cause problems.>
Also, I'm adding an Eshopps 1000 gallon per hour wet/dry filter coupled with a 1017 gallon per hour return pump (Enough flow for the ghost?).
<Should be. Aim for a turnover at least 6 times, ideally 8-10 times, the volume of the tank.>
I've never used wet-dry filters before, and assume the pump and filter is all I need to run it?
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/wetdryfaqs.htm
and linked articles. Bob F. is more of an expert on these than me. The ones I used were built into the tanks already.>
I'm doubling water changes, going from 40% once a week to 40% twice a week.
Hopefully, this should be enough to cure my black ghost knife.
Jack
<Cheers, Neale.>

Bloated black ghost knife fish  02/02/10
Hi
<Hello,>
I'm wondering if you can help me as I can't find an answer anywhere. We have a Black Ghost Knife Fish who is about 4 years old now and is a rather big boy. We have noticed his belly has really bloated up. I have been told it could be constipation or over feeding.
<Possibly; switch to just high-fibre foods. While cooked peas aren't likely to be eaten, live brine shrimp and live daphnia are almost as good, and more readily accepted by carnivorous fish. Live earthworms with a gut full of mud should be very good too, but collect from somewhere safe, i.e., not sprayed with pesticides.>
Is this a common problem with these fish, he has never been like this before.
<The problem with Apteronotus albifrons is most people don't keep them alive for very long. They are extremely demanding fish, and while juveniles can do just fine in a community tank, as they mature, their demands become more difficult to meet. Remember that these fish come from shallow, fast-flowing water, so they're used to high oxygen levels and spotlessly clean conditions. Water flow rates should be very high, upwards of 8 times the volume of the tank per hour, and adding additional airstones or powerheads to provide additional water flow near the bottom of the tank wouldn't be a bad idea at all. By contrast, the average 55 gallon tank with some cheap-and-cheerful hang-on-the-back filter just isn't going to cut it.
Hence, these fish often do live a year or two in captivity, but rarely the full 15 years, and only very occasionally do you see truly mature fish up to 50 cm long.>
He also seems to be gasping for air a little but I'm guessing that's the pressure on his little lungs. What can I do to help him. ?
<If he's gasping for air, that's a very good indication water quality *at the bottom* of the tank is poor. Review water current. Add some flake to the bottom of the tank; if it just sits there, you have a problem. Think of water flowing through some rapids: that's what you're after!>
I have just done a 50% water change encase it's the water quality but I have many other fish including Clown Loaches and they are all fine. I also got told it could be Tuberculosis but ????
<Very, very unlikely to "Fish TB", or one of the other Mycobacteria infections. Water quality issues, too much heat (should be around 22-24 C), and of course poisoning (e.g., the use of copper-based medications) are all much more probable. I'd also review diet, since carnivorous fish can suffer malnutrition rather easily. Variety is central, and avoiding risky live foods critically important. Cheers, Neale.>

Black Ghost Knife Fish; Sticky Situation   01/18/09
We recently got a BGK and he was doing really well in our tank with our other tropical fish (30 gal with 3 guppies, two tetras, 2 loaches, electric blue German Ram Cichlid, 2 glass fish, 2 Danios, and two mollies [too much?
we calculated that even at there biggest size we have about 29.5 inches, but they are all babies right now.])
<The Black Ghost Knifefish certainly needs a much bigger tank; 210 litres/55 gallons being the minimum. It's not so much size but sensitivity: these are fish from shallow, fast-flowing water around rapids, and simply can't deal with the stagnant, oxygen-poor, pond-like conditions in a small tank. Most Black Ghost Knifefish die a few months after purchase for precisely this reason. The "inch per gallon" idea is also hopelessly misleading. Think about it for a few seconds. Twelve Neon tetras and one adult Oscar have the same length in inches, around 18 inches. But do you think they would both be happy in an 18 gallon tank? Of course not; an Oscar wouldn't even FIT in an 18 gallon tank!!! So, you have to use those "little grey cells" a bit and look at the big picture. Sure, the inch-per-gallon rule is okay for very small things like Neons or Guppies, but the bigger the fish, the less it works. And once you have fish with special needs (like your Knifefish) or territorial demands (like the Ram Cichlid) then the whole thing goes out the window.>
But yesterday he got stuck to the side of the filter and he keeps doing it, and now he is swimming funny. Maybe he is fine, but I get paranoid because he is my favorite fish in there.
<Likely, very NOT fine.>
Also one of our Danios started attacking the other fish and one of our guppies killed another.
<Keep Danios in groups of 6+. In smaller groups -- as I've said for the second or third time today -- schooling fish often become aggressive. Every aquarium book ever written tells you this, so please, look up the demands of each species you want FIRST, and then BUY the fish ONLY if you can house the appropriate numbers and in the right sized tank.>
(we took the killer fish back to the store) but could that be a sign of them being sick, because it is not very common for guppies and Danios to attack anything.
<It's usually a sign the fishkeeper has made a mistake. Trust me on this:
there are very few Psycho fish out there! But there are many more fishkeepers who ignore what's known about a fish, and hope that randomly adding one or two of everything in the shop will work out. It usually doesn't. Danios can be aggressive in small groups, and by *adding* more, not *removing* one, you're more likely to fix the problem.>
We had a fungus on our molly but when to the store and got tables for it and none of the other fish have gotten it.
<Mollies are best kept in brackish water. They certainly need hard, basic water (pH 7.5-8, 15+ degrees dH).
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
While some aquarists keep them in freshwater successfully, most aquarists (especially non-experts) will find them easier to keep in slightly brackish water, with around 6-9 grammes of marine salt mix added per litre. While this won't harm your Guppies, your other fish WILL be stressed by this. As is (again) stated in most aquarium books, Mollies are not suitable for the average community tank.>
Our Ph is a little off today but it's 6.9,
<Too acidic for Guppies/Mollies.>
our ammonia is 0.0, and our temperature is usually 80, we are going to the store to get a nitrate test today. We have about 8 large plants and two small plants as well. But we try to keep our fish as happy as possible and have many hiding places for our bkg. We feed him (at night) blood worms, brine shrimp and once in a while he will eat flakes. He is just not swimming like usual, and he just kind of floating. Why do you think that is?
<Bad water quality, insufficient oxygen. Intolerant of copper and formalin, so if you use such medications, you'll poison it. A demanding species for expert fishkeepers. Most casual fishkeepers end up killing them within weeks/months. Hope this helps, Neale.>

black ghost knife fish... mis-stocked, Ich... no reading  7/13/09
Hello! I have a 30 gallon tank, and some fish
<Some?>
including a BGK. The BGK has been in the tank for one month, and happy until last night. I realized that his entire tail is gone, and he also has white spots on him.
<Yikes!>
I looked it up and found that the white is the Ich disease. About a week ago I added two tiger barbs
<Nippy, and a social species... needs to be kept in larger, odd-number groupings... You haven't read...>
in the tank and I believe they ate his tail right off. Will his tail be ok?
<Likely not>
I have an orange Plec, a flying fox, and a leopard cat fish which the BGK gets along with well. I also have an albino tiger barb, and a "regular" tiger barb. Like I said before I think the barbs ate the BGK tail. Should I get rid of the tiger barbs?
<These fishes should be housed separately>
If in fact I do rid the tank of the barbs, can I put a clown loach in the tank to replace the tiger barbs?
<... see WWM re>
When I found the Ich on the BGK, I decided to treat the tank.
<With? Many stock medications for FW Ich are toxic to Knifefishes et al.>
Currently I am only giving treatments with half the dosage because of the catfish.
<And the knife... I would have simply elevated the temperature... Again, you haven't read...>
I have read two different instructions on treating the tank with Ich, and I am not sure how I need to treat the tank. Should I treat the tank everyday for 14 days, or every 48 hours for one week?
Thank you for you time!
Erin Eyler
<Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

BGK treatment, "fin rot"   6/9/09
I have a BGK I have had about 18-20 months. He is currently 11inches long and about 1.5 tall. He has rot forming
<Due to?>
and I researched and found to treat him with Nitrofurazone. I can not find out though whether I have to isolate him or if I can add it to the entire community.
<Is this the only fish thus affected? I would only treat it if so... in a prepared, stable treatment system separately>
Is this a good medication to use, or do you guys recommend something else.
I have a few guppies, gouramis, Corys, and a couple Danios in the tank with him. Will it hurt to add it to the tank.
<It might interrupt nitrification...>
I can not find anywhere that's says not to. I have also increased the temp of the water to 83 degrees to kill anything else that may be affecting him as I know diseases come in duets, and so on. Any help you can give me would be gladly appreciated.
Patiently Waiting,
Will
<... Again, what do you consider is/are the net causes of this "rot"...?
You need to discern and fix this/these... NOT treat for symptoms. Bob Fenner>

Black Knife Ghost Fish, hlth., need data  5/8/2009
Hello crew, I writing to you about my BKGF.
<Apteronotus albifrons, an interesting but delicate species from shallow, fast-flowing habitats. It's crucially important this species is kept in a big (55+ gallons) tank with a very strong filtration system rated at 8 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. So for a 55 gallon tank, the filter (preferably an external canister filter) would need to be rated at 440 gallons/hour. Almost all failures with this species come down to [a] keeping them in too small an aquarium; and [b] not providing adequate filtration. Water chemistry isn't critical, but ideally should be soft to moderately hard, pH 6-7.5. Water temperature should be middling, around 25 C.>
I got him about a week ago and seemed fine until 2 days ago.
<Hmm...>
He now seems to struggle swimming and kind of looks like the end of his tail or back is broken. His lower fin wont move like it usually now he looks like he really struggles to move around and sometimes he just lays down at
the bottom of the tank. Is this some sort of illness, or could it be that he got into a fight with the other fish and broke its back?
<Need some information on the size of the tank, the filter used, the water quality, and the companion fish in this system.>
Please I need some advised, I don't want to lose this fish.
<Cheers, Neale.>

Black Ghost Knife  9/15/08
Good Evening,
I have a black ghost knife that has been in the same 30 gallon tank for 10 years, he was a baby when we got him. He has always been quite happy and not aggressive. Today I noticed he is at the top of the tank and has a bloated underbelly. He is upside down and laying on top of the underground filter, but he is still alive. Can you tell me what this is and if there is anything we can do for him?
Thank you,
Karla
<Hello Karla. Since you've maintained this fish a fair while, I'm loathe to be too critical, though I will make the point that 30 gallons isn't much space by the standards of this species. So your first job would be to test the water chemistry and quality. In particular I'd be looking for signs that the filter is now overloaded by the growth of the fish (i.e., you detect nitrite). I'd also check to see if the pH is still where it should be; overstocked tanks tend to show much faster drops in pH caused by the various acidification processes. I'd do a 50% water change at once -- taking care that water chemistry and temperature of the new water aren't much different to the old water. I'd also review any possible sources of poisoning: food past its sell-by day, use of paint in the house, bug sprays, etc. A photo would help us to gauge the overall condition of the fish, but because Apteronotus are notoriously sensitive to water quality, that's what I'd examine first. If he peps up after a 50% water change, maybe doing more water changes for the next day or two, I'd wager that water quality or water chemistry stability are the issues and act accordingly. Cheers, Neale.>

BGK Problem... FW over and mis-stocking issues, no reading -08/25/08 We have a 55 gallon freshwater tank that has been set up for about three months. We have 3 discus, 4 swordtails, <Mmmm, "like" very different water conditions...> 4 clown loaches, 1 Pleco, 6 balloon belly tetras, 6 t-bone tetras, 1 elephant nose and 1 black ghost knife. <Not generally a good idea to mix weakly electrogenic fish species> The BGK and elephant nose were purchased together and were the first fish introduced. The BGK was about 3" when purchased and he is about 5" now. We added the other fish gradually. We do a 25% water change weekly. We are figuring out the feeding thing, and know we've been feeding too much, because of the water levels. Before we did the water change yesterday the levels were: PH 6.8, Ammonia 0.10, Nitrite 0.10, <These are toxic...> Nitrate .40. <Likely you've misplaced the decimal... forty ppm... is way too much> Last week when we took our water sample to the fish store, we were told the water levels were fine, except the ammonia was a little high. <Any ammonia is reason for immediate action. Debilitating to deadly poisonous> That, also, was before the water change. All of the fish have been doing well, except for swordtails, which were dying, one each day, for no apparent reason. <... do some reading... the "reason" is obvious.> It looked as though they were being picked on by other fish, because their fins looked very ragged. 8 have died. 4 remain, so we are done with swordtails for now (replaced them with the clown loaches). The BGK was doing fine until a few days ago, when I noticed that the white stripe on his head was pink. The next day it seemed even pinker, but he was still eating aggressively and chasing other fish if they came too close to his "house". Today I noticed that he has a worm-like thing hanging from his chin/throat underneath. It looks like a Tubifex worm. He isn't eating much, and is pretty much staying in his house when we feed them. However, his pink stripe is lighter, looks like it is turning back to normal color. We give the fish live Tubifex worms, frozen brine shrimp and frozen blood worms. Pretty much worms every day and alternate with the shrimp and blood worms. We sometimes give them flake food. Can you help diagnose the BGK or tell me how to help him? Thanks so much... Jere <All you need to know is archived on the WWM site... Your system is dangerously over-stocked... Start reading on WWM re Nitrogenous issues: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwmaintindex.htm the third tray down... Acting on this knowledge should save most of your livestock... Then read re each species/groups needs ("Systems")... Then we'll chat. Bob Fenner>
Re: BGK Problem  8/26/08 I guess you can tell I'm a novice, huh? After the water change, the ammonia was down to zero. <Ah, good> Today the BGK looks back to almost normal. The white stripe is a little off-color, but that weird worm-thing is gone and he has resumed eating. We haven't had any fishy deaths for almost two weeks, and the only ones that died were swordtails. <Mmm, you really need a much larger system... actually two...> I really appreciate your answer, and I plan to keep reading your Web site. I have been all over the Internet searching sites on aquariums and fish. I found so much conflicting information, that I was at my wits end. Then I found your site, which seemed much more consistent and extremely informative. I will continue my research in your archives. >Very good< The fish store where we bought the fish will buy back fish as long as they are healthy. We sold them four beautiful silver dollar fish when we bought the discus, because they told us the two didn't mix. The discus are still small, so we'll probably sell back more of our fish as they grow. I am in love with this hobby and my fish. I don't want to kill any more fish! Thanks again for your answer. I'm impressed with your expertise. <And I with your apparent even-mindedness. Cheers, BobF>

Black ghost... hlth, sys., gen.   -07/18/08 Hello. <Hello,> I found your cool site accidentally and have learned a lot from reading on it mainly about Black Ghosts (great job keep it up). I have gotten into the hobby on an unfortunate account that my dad had gotten cancer and I was taking care of his fish 2 tanks until he passed away. <Sorry to hear that.> Because of getting back to a regular work schedule I was not able to get there regularly anymore to help my step mom take care of the tank, so she asked if I wanted it. I took it to my place using same water transported in buckets did partial water change and so on when I got it to my place. I guess the move was too much for them and the fish got Ich and died off after several weeks. ANYWAY, after letting the take "I hope" get healthy so to speak.. as per advice of my LFS put some food in it with no fish said it would keep cycle somewhat going. <You can indeed cycle a tank by adding a pinch of flake, though you need to also do water changes, and also keep adding portions of food every 2-3 days. As the food rots, it produces ammonia, and that kick-starts the cycle. It will still take the usual 4-6 weeks to fully cycle, and you need to be measuring the nitrite level to see when the cycle is finished. If you just add one pinch of food and leave it at that, then all that happens is that one portion of food decays, the ammonia goes up, goes down, and then nothing much happens. You MUST keep adding food so that the bacteria have a constant source of ammonia. Essentially you're keeping fish, without the fish!> I turned up the heat to in 90's for couple weeks to hopefully kill off any Ich that might of still been in there. Finally getting to the BGK they are such a great fish. <Yes they are, but also extremely difficult to maintain. Being very sensitive to water quality, under no circumstances would you put one in a tank less than 3 months old. You want the filter to not only cycle, but also "settle down". The problem is that a new aquarium goes through a period where the filter sometimes misbehaves, and you get small nitrite or ammonia spikes. Exposing Apteronotus albifrons to this phase would be a disaster. There's also a period where the fishkeeper needs to get the hang of cleaning the filter without harming the bacteria, and also doing things like siphoning out detritus from the substrate, learning how much food to use, and performing water changes.> He seems to go against a lot of things I was reading about them. and I guess its on a fish to fish basis.. he is almost always out even with the light on (as matter of fact I am watching him swim around tank now and the light is on, he started eating out of my hand after at first time trying one week after I got him, he eats flakes when I put them in tank for my Kribensis. and he eats frozen bloodworms that I put in tank at lights out. <All quite normal for well-adjusted, happy animal.> This brings me to a question. I noticed today that the bottom fin has a couple splits in it What are the usual causes of this? <Not "usual" but may be either rough handling (netting, transport); biting (by other fish); scratching (check for sharp ornaments or gravel); or early stages of Finrot (check ammonia/nitrite ASAP). You mention Kribensis, and all Pelvicachromis spp. are territorial and quite prone to biting even substantially larger fish. I have a small female Pelvicachromis taeniatus that quite happily charges and chases pufferfish. So while basically good community fish, their feistiness is out of all proportion to their size, as is often the case with that family we call the Cichlidae.> There doesn't seem to be any discoloration he seems to be aggressive towards my Kribensis that I just put in about 4 days ago though that has become less frequent. Kribensis doesn't seem to like to be around him and swims away when BGK swims near him, so I don't know if Kribensis got brave and did something when lights were out, but as I watch him he still constantly swims away from BGK. <They are competing for the same resources, namely caves, and will view each other as potential rivals. It is absolutely normal for Pelvicachromis to be utterly peaceful towards midwater fish but total terrors with regard to bottom living species. Does obviously depend on the size of the tank; Apteronotus albifrons will need a big aquarium, something upwards of 220 litres/60 gallons. Anything less and you WILL be asking for trouble. They are fish of fast-flowing rivers, so also need a very strong water current to burn off all their energy. I'd be looking at canister filters providing not less than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Forget about using anything hang-on-the-back or air-powered!> So was wondering if you had any thoughts on what might cause the splitting of the fin and what I should do so it doesn't get worse. Thank you MUCH... and again thanks for this great site. <Hope this helps, Neale.>

Black Ghost Knifefish with gill condition.  3/6/08 Dear WWM crew, My name is Rachael, and I've kept a Black Ghost Knife, along with a few other fishes, for about three to four months now, all of which co-exist peacefully, and over time the Ghost Knife, alone, has appeared to be developing a bizarre gill condition. I can't include a picture, but the best way to describe it would be it's as though the gills have been receding, almost shrinking up the head, exposing a great deal of the red tissues beneath. He also has a small white spot on his bottom side, between the gills. <Mmmm> I've quarantined him for a few weeks now to protect the rest of my stock in case the condition is contagious, but he is still growing quickly - six inches so far - and so cannot stay in his small tank for long. He is still eating fine with a good appetite, <What sort/s of foods?> and his behavior seems normal. I worry, however, when and if his condition may clear, as it appeared for some time in the original tank until I finally decided to quarantine him and still hasn't improved. Please, any help, knowledge or advice would be graciously accepted and dearly appreciated, and thank you for your time and attention. ~Rachael <Something is amiss here... Perhaps a genetic anomaly (where the gill covers/opercula, don't grow as quickly as the rest of the fish)... Need to know what your other livestock consists of (gives clues as to your water, system make-up), water quality tests, maintenance routines... something is causing the gills to be deformed... Needs to be addressed. Bob Fenner>

Black Ghost Knife Fish with dangling appendage from throat area.  12/18/07 Hello Crew, I have written to you before and you guys were great help so am going to try this again with a new question. I have a 3-4" BGK in a 29 gallon tank with a few Cory's. I have had him since he was not much more than an inch long about 3 months ago. <Wow! Have never seen an Apteronotid sold this small> Right after I got him I noticed a small whitish-grayish worm like appendage hanging from his throat area/ It went away the next day and wasn't much longer than about a half of centimeter. I just saw it again tonight and it was about 3/4 of an inch long. It wasn't there before I turned the tank light off but after I did and he started cruising around the tank is when it came out. I shined a flashlight on him to see what it was and since he feeds out of my hand I tried to get him into my hand to get a closer look. As soon as I got near him it retracted back into his throat and all I could see was a small thin white line that almost looked natural. I'm worried that it might be something healthy. I did some research on your site and saw that it could be a goiter or some kind of thyroid problem. If it was one of those two things though how could it retract inside his neck? <Mmm, I suspect this is something else... an actual part of the fish itself> I was thinking about trying to get him in my hand when its out and pull it off but I will wait for advice from you before I continue. I feed the tank every other day with a cube of frozen Mysis and a cube of chopped up krill. I thaw the cubes and mix it with some live black worms. All the fish love it including him. My water quality is perfect and I test it weekly along with weekly water changes. Please help me. I really would hate for him to be unhealthy. Also one more thing, He has an arch in the middle of his back which am guessing is unnatural because all the ones I have seen online and the fish store are straight. <This is so> I'm wondering if this is caused by the thing in his neck. Thank you in advance for your much appreciated help. <Perhaps the arch is resultant from an injury in collection, shipping. I would do nothing re either of these. Bob Fenner>

Sick Black Ghost Knife  08/01/07 Hello, <Hi, Pufferpunk here> First I'd like to thank you for having so much helpful information on your website. <You're welcome!> Now, I have had my BGK about 2 weeks now and I believe he's quite sick. His body is covered in a white film [which at first I thought was due to the sand I have] but it's been getting worse lately and just a moment ago, I noticed the white area on his tail is turning red. I read some information on your website, which advised me to do a water change, and increase the temperature. So I did a 25% change, and got the temperature to about 80. The white film cleared up almost immediately. [I believe this was due to the nitrite being very high prior to the water change]. Now today, the white film appeared even worse. I did another water change, around 35% this time, and added some nitrite and nitrate removing chemical. I do not know what to do, and I really don't want to lose him any time soon. I'm hoping you can help, and thanks so much in advance. <If your tank is showing nitrates, then it isn't cycled properly. It is difficult to help without knowing more about your tank. Ammonia & nitrites should be 0 at all times. Nitrates need to be kept below 20. The only way to reduce nitrates is with water changes. The fact that the fish looked better after a water change, tells me that this is a water quality issue. It would also help me to know, how long the tank has been set up, was it cycled properly before you added the fish, how large is the tank/fish & what tank mates are in there with it? Please let me know all this & write back. In the meantime, do another 50% water change, add Melafix & 1 tbsp aquarium salt/10g. ~PP>

Freshwater Question... Knife disease How long does it take for Ich to kill fish? <Sometimes mere hours from the appearance of "spots", other times "never", the infestation existing as recycling generations...> I have a BG Knifefish and I thought it Had Gotten Ich a couple of months after I got it. It has been 4 months that I see Some symptoms( green-like flour on him, yellow head stripe). When I got him his stripe was white I have raised the temp to 84, did many water changes and used medication at half strength. All water parameters are fine and the only other thing is that he is not that active from when I had him for the first 2 months( he is in a 30 gallon tank, about 5.5" long). His tank mates are a 3" Blue Gourami and a 4" Pictus cat( The cat showed symptoms but when I raised the temp. they disappeared). <They are VERY susceptible> I am Planning to move the 3 of them to a 55 gallon in the future (when should I get the 55 to move him into)? <Whenever you can afford it> What could this be ( Can you give me all the info you can)? <Perhaps "nothing" in the way of a biological disease... maybe another type of (internal) infestation... could be largely "untreatable"... If you have treated the system as you describe, I doubt if this is/was "Ich"> Do BGK eat fish like angels, rams, Butterfly fish? Finally my friend wants to know, How many rams can you put in a 29 gallon tank? <This Knifefish does not consume any but the smallest of fishes... A twenty nine can house two pair of Microgeophagus. Bob Fenner> Jahner

Freshwater fish electro-sense question I recently bought an elephant fish. today my girlfriend surprised me with a black ghost knife. They are both about 3in and are in a 34 gallon tank with separate very good hiding spots. Will there 'electro-senses' clash? <There have been some studies on these electromagnetic fields generated by these fish but not much in the popular aquarium literature. But I am sure that they are aware of each other.> also how sensitive are they to salt? <These fish come from clean warm acidic water and have become very sensitive to salt.-Chuck> I use a little less then the recommended dose of aquarium salt(1tbsp per 5 gallon). tank also includes 6 glass cats and a blue lobster. thanks for your time. -Zac

Black ghost knife with Ich Hi I have a Black ghost knife fish who is a new addition to my tank - though I have owned them in the past and have learned the * hard way* that these fish need a lot of individual care. <And don't "like" Ich medications> through research and experience, there has been a great learning curve for me -  My tank is 29 gal with only 5 other fish who have been stable and healthy ( 2 are Discus and healthy). <This tank is way too small for even just the Knife... or one Discus> 2 days ago, I bought a 4 inch BGKF who has a great personality but the aquarium shop I got him is only 75% reliable  - has a fair number of unhealthy fish)- my tank has been quite healthy and I do 30% H2O changes every 2 wks w/ gravel vac. <I take it you did not quarantine this new addition>   Today, my BGK started to show a number of Ich spots - I killed my last BGK with Rx in the main tank for another sick fish - <Very common> (ironically - the 1st discus I got had a good case of hole in head!) I bought this fish because I loved the personality of this fish... - I need to *save him* - what should I do? all readings on my tank are normal ; ph is 7.8, Soft H2O, lots of hiding places sterilizer always running. Peggy <Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm and the Related FAQs (linked, in blue, at top) and: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/knifefishfaqs.htm I would use half doses of AquariSol, elevate temperature to the mid-80's F... And get a larger system for this life ASAPractical. Bob Fenner>

Parasitized Knife? Questions about life have a Black Ghost Knifefish (4.5") that I suspect has Ich or velvet because I see a light (dull white) flour-like  on one part of his body. He also has it under his gill area, his head stripe is also yellow? <Do come this way> Is this Ich or Velvet? <Could be either or neither> His tank-mates are an angel and a Gourami at the moment. How long does it take them to grow to their final height? <Years> How long should I wait to upgrade from a 29 to a 55 gallon tank. <As soon as practical> I also have a  common silver angel that's tail fin is torn, I suspect a newly added Blue Gourami did it, will he be fine or is medication needed? <Not needed> I'm curious, how long do fish live without water? <Some species for hours... others for minutes> Also my Birthday is coming up (12/25 how exciting for me) <Yes, happy birthday!> and I am trying to persuade my parents to buy me a 65 gallon tank to start my first saltwater tank. Do you know any words that can help me convince them, because I love fish and I always wanted my own saltwater tank? <Perhaps tie the request with a wish of their own. Pledging yourself to study diligently maybe> I mean this is my only hobby and I also want to become a Marine biologist (will be taking a marine biology class in my senior year of high school which is in 2 years) Can you help me with everything listed above? Thank You and Happy Holidays Sincerely, John Queens, New York <Mmm, do make the effort to look into volunteer work at Public and private aquariums... perhaps even working a bit for a local fish store. Bob Fenner>

And the Crystal Ball Says.... I have a 29 Gallon freshwater tank and I think my Black ghost Knifefish has either Ich or velvet. I'm not really sure if it is sick, but I bought medicine anyway. I don't have a Quarantine and I can't afford one. What should I do? I know I shouldn't but should I add the medicine In the tank he is in, because one or two of my other fish don't look good either? I want to  save my fish, especially my Black Ghost Knifefish, can you help me? Jahner <Will try, but we need more info. For now do large daily water changes. Use a gravel vac. Do not add the meds until we find out what's wrong. Why do you think he is sick? Is he showing spots? Do you test the water? If so, what are the readings? How often do you change water? What % do you change? Type of filter? How long has it been set up? Add any new fish lately. How about feeder fish? The more you tell us the better we can help. We know nothing at this point except you think he has Ick or Velvet. Sorry, we need more. Don>  

....Black Ghost, White Spots Well I do regular water changes (once very 2 weeks). I just did a 100% water change He is showing something like he is a little spot of flour. The head stripe is yellow and it is white under the gill area. I tested the what everything is normal Ph is 7.6. Ammonia, nitrate, nitrite is 0. I have had the tank since may and my ghost for 4 months. I added a fish 2 weeks ago. I have a bad filter (don't laugh) aqua-tech( any filter is better than none), and what do you mean by feeder fish? <Check closely for other white spots . The new fish may have introduced a disease called Ich that may be somewhat tricky to treat on Black Ghost knife fish. You filter should turn the water volume of the tank times three every hour, with five times per hour being better. Feeder fish are small inexpensive fish used to feed large fish eating fish,-Chuck> Jahner

Ghost Knife with red spot on tail Hello again, I contacted you earlier with an Ich problem with my BGK (see below). He's been recovering beautifully thanks to your help and I've been lowering the tank temp down to 81 from the 86 it was at. However, for some reason, within the last 24 hours he has developed a red spot, like a blood spot on the white portion of his tail. It's not very large and doesn't span the width of his tail, only a small portion, but enough to notice clearly. I'd attach a picture but I'm unable to get a decent enough shot. His appetite is off a little also. He's eating the brine shrimp but not as voraciously as usual. Water is still testing same as listed below. Could he have hurt himself. <Yes. This is the most likely explanation> He has no tank mates at all and only items in tank are a large piece of wood and a ghost house (which he loves). He also spends a lot of time by the surface and seems to enjoy running up and down one of the powerhead tubes in the corner. <All normal behavior> I installed a bubble wall to increase oxygenation since we were upping the temp so much and have left it going full on even with the tank temp lower. <Good> Could that have anything to do with this? <Not likely> I'm also still treating with half doses of the Aquarisol but only every other day now.  Any suggestions? Thanks so very, very much!  Jennifer <Just to keep on doing what you're doing... all will likely be well. Bob Fenner>
Re: Ghost Knife with red spot on tail UPDATE - TAIL ROT I have an update to this last note - the red spot must have been the onset to tail rot. I'm completely at a loss on this one. We just got him over Ich and now this - I don't understand. The water levels are very good... pH 7.6 - ammonia was at 0 - Nitrates were very low - water hardness is 60. About 1/8th of his tail has disappeared since yesterday. I did a 30% water change, added 2 tbsp of salt, Pimafix and increasing the temp again. This tail rot problem didn't rear it's ugly head until the temp had gotten back down to 81. His appetite was good tonight - he loves bloodworms. Can I use an antibiotic like Maracyn or tetracycline with a BGK? What else can I do for him? Thank you! <You can use an antibiotic... I would go with the Maracyn/Erythromycin... is mixable with all else you're doing... and I would re-elevate the water temperature till this problem is gone. Bob Fenner>
Re: Ghost Knife with red spot on tail, now white "worm" hanging from gill Good Afternoon Crew, Sorry to inundate you with issues with this one BGK but things just keep going wrong. After curing him from Ich, he got tail rot, that seems to be under control now as it doesn't seem to be deteriorating any more. I've started him on the Maracyn-two tablets as of 36 hours ago per your instructions. However, this morning I came down to check him and he has this long white wormy looking thing hanging out from his left gill. (Pls see attached pic) What on earth am I doing to this poor animal? I've rechecked the water and Ammonia is 0, PH is 7.6, Nitrates are less than .25. And I had the water checked at the local fish store to verify my results and they also concluded that my water tests fine. He's the only fish in this 55 gal tank. His appetite is a little off. He used to love brine shrimp but last night he'd suck them in and spit them back out. Then I added some blood worms because I wanted to make sure he was eating and he ate those although less than usual. I've researched gill disease etc and can't find anything that denotes a while long wormy thing coming out through the gills. Any ideas as to what it could be? I'll continue on the Maracyn for the duration, but is there anything else I should be doing to the tank to "Cleanse" it so to speak of anything else I could be harboring?  Thank you so very much for all your help. < Your poor Black Ghost Knife also has gill flukes. He should be treated with Fluke-Tabs.-Chuck>

BGK Question I have a Black Ghost Knifefish (4-5") for almost 6 Months now. I have noticed that his Black Body looks like it is now covered in a off-black to grey slime or flour-like coating. I think it's Ich and I know that Ich is hard to treat on these fish. <Yes> I raised the temp. to the mid- 80's like your site suggested. <Good> His tankmates are a Pictus Cat (3-4") and a Blue Gourami (2-4"). The cat showed dome cysts, but after the temp increase they disappeared. I can't afford a quarantine and he is in a 29 gallon, which is to be upgraded to a 55 as soon as space in my house becomes available and I can get more money. I have bought Rid-Ich+ just in case it can be used. Should I use the medication? <Yes... at half strength... removing any carbon, chemical filtrants... keeping close watch on all, being ready to change water...> What else can I do? I love and have become attached to this fish and I don't want to lose him. Can you help me, I want to save him, raise him up and have him for a while? Thank You, John <Read re: this disease, these fishes... treat carefully and all should be well. Bob Fenner> 

Black Ghost Knife Fish Fins Woes Hello. <Hello! Ryan with you today> I need some answers badly. One of my 2 Black Ghost Knife fish's anal fins splits... it is like they are not joined as a single whole piece anymore. It became 1 part by 1 part.... the end will run perpendicular from the body and all the way to the edge of the fins. Something like strands of hair, but thicker.. about 2mm width. It is something bad? Why is it happening to my fish? How can I solve that problem? Please help. Thanks <OK, here goes.  There are a few things that could be causing this.  Is there any necrotic tissue around the fraying?  Is the edge of the tear whitish?  If so, we're almost certainly dealing with necrotic ulceration of the fins, commonly known as fin rot.  Problem is, many things can be causing the stress leading to this.  They are as follows: Parasites, overcrowding, low oxygen levels in the tank, bullying or poor water quality.  A secondary bacterial infection almost always comes hand in hand with fin rot.  You're going to need to quarantine this fish, and properly medicate him.  If you do this quickly, he may re-grow the tissue.  The underlying cause of this may seem hard to find, but stay with it!  This is a fish that needs lots of hiding places-have you given him some?  A section of plastic PVC pipe in the quarantine tank should be a helpful tool in giving your fish a chance to recuperate.  Ryan>

Black Ghost Knife Fish Hi there <Hello> I came across a page where you discussed Ich, and was just wondering if you would be able to help. I need to treat my tank for Ich but I don't want to harm the knife fish. I have a product called Protozin by Waterlife which mustn't be used if Elephant-nose fish or rays are in the tank. Although it doesn't mention knife fish, I'm concerned about using it because I've heard they're sensitive to Methylene blue. Since I have Clown and Kuhli loaches, I only need to use half the dose, but I just want to make sure this will be alright for the knife fish. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards Graeme <I share your concern and would NOT use this medication in the water with the Black Ghost Knifefish. It likely contains malachite green (is it a dark blue color that stains all?) and is indeed toxic to small- or scale-less fishes. Seek out other means (e.g. temperature increase) and safer chemical treatments for this Ich condition. Please see here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm Bob Fenner>
Black Ghost Knife Fish Hi again <Morning! Ryan here> Thanks for your advice previously. Using half dosages of Protozin seems to have cleared my tank of Ich. <Great> I lost a clown loach, but the symptoms have gone from the other one, as well as the few spots that were on the knife fish. <Clown loaches so sensitive to Ich- their worst drawback>  But the problem I have now, is that the knife fish has some white streaks down his side, running from about the middle towards the tail and the ventral fin. <Eek> I noticed it after a week of the treatment when I repeated a dose (as Waterlife suggested) because there were still a few spots on the clown loach.  My guess is that either there was just too much medication for him to handle and it has strained him (or reduced his slime coat somehow) or that he has a secondary infection from the Ich. Do you have any suggestions? <Could be a combination of both.  Pay special attention to water quality, and make sure he's eating well.  Give it a few days before any new treatment- have you removed the old medication from the water?  Don't get too stingy on the water changes-5% a day until he clears up.  Perhaps this will be of aid http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm Good luck! Ryan> Thanks and Kind Regards Graeme
Re: Black Ghost Knife, Ich and bluish med.s Hi Thanks for your reply! Nowhere on the product does it say that it contains Malachite green, but it is a blue liquid that seemed to stain my fingers when I opened it. The thing is, I've been told that clown loaches are very sensitive as well, so with Protozin you're supposed to only give half the dosage. <Ahh, I do further suspect that malachite is a principal ingredient here. You might look up this term on the Net along with the words "fish medication"> If the loaches are more sensitive than the knife fish then it shouldn't be a problem, so I'm still confused. <In soft water they're both about the same sensitive> I may try it on them in a quarantine tank (although mine has nothing but a heater) but then I'm not cleaning out the whole tank, and then I'm not preventing the knife from getting Ich as well. My temperature is already at about 26/27 degrees C. Do you suggest water changes too? <No to the water changes, as these may stress the animals more than what good they do. I would elevate your temperature to about 30 C. (86 F. for Yanks)... over the next day or two. Bob Fenner> Graeme

Black Ghost Knifefish sensitivity Crew - To my eternal shame, and by neglecting quarantine, I have killed the Black Ghost Knife that lived with my discus, angels and L-numbers.  I neglected QT and got Whitespot in the tank.  Got reliable treatment, and halved the dose as I knew knifes, like L-numbers and clown loaches (there' one of those in there too), put in med for whole tank.  Well knifes are a lot more sensitive than I thought.  Checked back an hour later, all looks ok.  2 hours later knife is not looking good, move to another tank FAST, 3 hours later dead.    Lesson one - QT Lesson two - QT for sure if you can't treat the tank because of sensitive organisms >>Wayne, sorry to hear of your loss. Out of curiosity, which medication did you use? Some meds are stronger than others, and some have completely different active ingredients. I have treated black ghost knives with Super Ich Cure and higher temps, at half dosage, with good results. Which fish introduced the Ich? And how long were the ghosts in your tank? I agree that anyone keeping discus should quarantine all new fish. It's a sensible thing to do :) -Gwen

Black Ghost Knifefish and meds  Gwen -  JBL Ektol, which has proven pretty effective for external parasites in the past, but has to be watched as it can/will kill your filter. I usually add  half a dose and watch carefully, but not carefully enough this time.  The source - blue rams, introduced several weeks before.  Royal Panaque, Bristlenoses, L-33 and clown loach all fine. But the timing  tells me it must have been the meds. Symptoms were fish just became less active, hid, was obviously distressed.  Wayne  >>Wayne: Hi again. I am unfamiliar with JBL Ektol. What are the ingredients listed on the bottle? There are anti-parasitic meds out there that won't harm your biofilter, at least, not a complete kill-off. I know some meds like malachite green/Formalin mixes can, but only in new set-ups where the biofilter is not mature enough to withstand a bit of abuse. In established tanks, there should be NO noticeable bacterial die-offs. I would assume that the JBL product is a bit strong, perhaps too strong for the more sensitive fish, if it is capable of killing the biofilter I would be leery of using it at all...what were your ammonia/nitrite readings after the treatment? -Gwen<<
Black Ghost Knifefish and meds - 2 lessons learnt the hard way Hi Gwen - according to www.jbl.de..... it doesn't say. I should have stuck to the advice 'if you don't know what it is, don't put it in your tank'. I'd rather have used punktol, but I've found this to be pretty ineffective at reduced doses (as I required) in the past. Ektol is a general parasiticide (?), bactericide... Ammonia, nitrite were fine afterwards - I'd expected some hit? <<Yes, but it can take a couple of days, so check your ammonia again after a day or three, just to be sure. I will try to find some info on this product, but at any rate, we know it doesn't work well on BGK's... :( -Gwen 

Need Help I am at a complete loss, and I'm now turning to online resources in my desperate attempt to find a solution to my problem. I found your site to be very impressive; very rarely does one find a resource that contains such a wealth of valid information. I work at a large chain pet store, in the aquatics department. All of us in the department are extremely knowledgeable about fish and their care, and rarely have any problems with any of our fish. However, whenever we receive a shipment of black ghost knives or clown knives, the fish systematically die off within a couple of days. We have no problem with our brown knives, ever. We keep each species in their own tank, the brown knives in a larger tank with zebra Danios (they never come in large enough to eat the Danios), and the ghost and clown knives in their own smaller isolated tanks. We offer ample hiding spots for each type of fish. We feed each frozen food, such as bloodworms, nightly. Our pH is a little high, around 7.8, and our water hardness is through the roof, but our temperature is a consistent 78 F. We always carry juvenile fish; the knives never come in larger than 4 inches or so. We would like to carry ghost and clown knives, but not if it means continuous losses such as we have experienced. If you have any advice as to what we might be doing wrong, and what we might to do rectify this, it would be greatly appreciated. My thanks in advance. L Barker  <<Hello. I need to know if you guys are putting these fish into properly cycled tanks. I know it sounds simplistic, but it would make me feel better if you could provide me with information on ammonia levels, nitrite and nitrate levels in these tanks. The problem with being a store is that as the fish are gradually being sold, over time, the beneficial bacteria can die off without us being aware of it...then along comes a new shipment, and twenty fish are suddenly put back into tanks with limited bacteria. The ammonia level can skyrocket the first few days, resulting in sick knife fish that never fully recuperate due to all the stress from shipping combined with new surroundings...and undoubtedly bad nutrition before you received them. Also, smaller knives are even more sensitive than larger ones. You may have a better survival rate if you can specify 3 inches or LARGER when you order your knife fish. Try, and see. In the meantime, prepare your knife fish tanks either by keeping them full of other species at all times to keep the biofilter alive, or by using pure ammonia to keep the nitrifying bacteria alive, until the shipment lands. You can also try running some peat moss to help lower pH and hardness levels, though these, in and of themselves, should not be enough to kill all the newcomers alone, but it doesn't help when added to the other stressors the fish are facing. Also, keep in mind that knife fish are aggressive amongst each other, and make sure to provide plenty of PVC tubes for the ghosts, at least one per fish!! Keep the lighting low for the first few days, as well. You can cover the tanks with Styrofoam lids to diffuse the lighting, or leave the lights off entirely. -Gwen>>

Melafix with Ghost Knife Hello Crew, This is my first time asking a question on www.wetwebmedia.com. I have a 120 gallon tank with 4 Silver Dollars, 1 Distichodus noboli, and an 8 inch Ghost Knifefish. I purchased these fish about 4 days ago, and 2 days ago I noticed that 3 of the Silver Dollars have their fins nipped and their are black and grey marks( not spots) on their tail. I think it's because of the nipping. I'm not sure if the Distichodus was the culprit or the other Silver Dollars. My question is can I treat my tank with Melafix without the Knifefish being harmed? How much Melafix should I add if I can treat the tank? Thank you, Greg >>Dear Greg; Follow the instructions on the package. Also, you should get your water tested at your LFS for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Is this a new set-up? Either way, your water quality may be the culprit, followed by the Distichodus. Silver dollars will not beat each other up enough for you to need to treat their tank. Look into the other potential problems. -Gwen<<

FW Ich, Ghost Knifefishes, Treatment Hello, I have a 20 gallon tank and I have a black ghost knife fish in it with Ick.  I have heard that you cannot use Ick treatments when there is a black ghost because it will kill them. <These fish are sensitive to many medications>   I remember hearing somewhere that you are supposed to raise the temperature instead.  Can you tell me how high to raise the temp. Or can you give me a better solution.  This is a very expensive fish and I like him a lot so any help you can give me so I don't lose him would be appreciated.   <Raising the temperature will likely effect a cure. If your other livestock can handle it, do raise it to the mid- 80's F. You can do this all in one day (do make sure you have adequate aeration... higher temp. results in higher metabolic rate and less gas solubility). And in a couple of weeks, when you are sure the Ich is gone, do lower it slowly (about a half a degree per day) to the upper seventies. Bob Fenner> Thank you, Jeneane

Black ghost knife fish 10/12/05 Hello guys just thought of saying thank you for all your useful info. <And thank you very kindly for these words.... It is great to hear/read this, some times.> I had a 55 gallon fresh water planted tank that was running for about 2 and half years. Fish in the tank: 1. a black fin shark (5") <Gets very, very, VERY large with time....> 2. a black ghost knife fish (8") 3. 2 adult angels, a marble and a golden (3" in diameter) 4. a rope fish (8") 5. a Pleco (5") 6. a stripe Raphael cat (4") 7. 3 tiger barbs (2 ½") 8. 2 ruby cichlid (2") <A touch overstocked for my tastes! Just be sure to keep up with water quality....> It wasn't until two months ago that I started having trouble. I acquired the 3 tiger barbs from the fish store when I normally go. Some lady came in and left two containers full of huge fish, between them was the three tiger barbs that I took. I introduced them to my tank without using a quarantine tank the way I should have. <Ohhhh, no.> One of the barbs became really fat. After reading a little I thought it could have been pregnant. About three weeks later I noticed that it had cloudy eyes. They cleared after a couple of days, but it came back and ended up dying a few days later. <Many possibilities, here; including mycobacteriosis....> Now one of the two barbs left started chasing the other and nipping on its fins until it almost had none. So I decided to get three more tiger barbs to keep them in odd numbers.  <Very aggressive nippers; watch that they don't harass the other fish as well.> A few weeks later I noticed my golden angel had this white dust on its body. After reading I found out it was velvet. <Aaaaaargh! Serious bummer.> When I looked around the tank the black fin shark also had it. I did a 40% water change and treated the tank with copper. <Oh, yikes! Toxic/deadly to some of the fishes in your tank.> Kept the temperature on 80*. Next day the angel and the shark died and most of the other fish after that. I decided to get a 20 gallon set up and keep the fish that weren't sick (black ghost knife fish, the Pleco, and the two ruby cichlids). <Surprising that the knife and Plecs survived the copper - delicate fish.> I've done the constant water changes to fight the ammonia spike and it's been pretty good so far. But now I notice that the black ghost knife fish bottom jaw looks like it is decaying. I wish I could show you a picture. <I wish so, as well, but am pretty certain this is water quality related. Be sure to maintain ammonia and nitrite at ZERO, nitrate below 20ppm, with water changes.> Could you please tell me what could be wrong now? Cordially, Ivan. <Though it's entirely possible that these fish did contract velvet, I would lean more toward an environmental issue with this deterioration. Improve the water quality, and observe very, very closely.... and, as you've learned, in the future, quarantine all newcomers to your tank. Wishing you the best, -Sabrina>

Knifefish Fin Problem   1/10/06 Hello, I've had my Black Ghost Knifefish and Blue Gourami for well over a  year now. My water parameters are all normal. The Temp. is 79 degrees. They are  in a 29 gallon soon to be in a 55. My problem is that I have just noticed that a   few of his fins are torn right near his tail. Is this a result of fighting? <Possibly> Will  it heal on it's own? <Should... with the move to larger quarters, good care> Will he be all right or will he need any kind of medical  attention? Thank You <Be careful with treatments around the Apteronotid Knife... often more toxic, hazardous than worthwhile. Good clean water, decent nutrition should cure all here. Bob Fenner>

Black Ghost Knifefish, Quarantine - 10/17/2005 Greetings and salutations! I would like some advice on caring for a Black Ghost Knife. I brought home a healthy specimen at around noon, and put him in a 10 gallon quarantine. <Ah, good. Quarantine is essential with new stock.> He was a beautiful deep black with off-white markings, roughly 4 inches. It's now 2 AM and the entire front part of his body has faded to a silvery color. <Go to sleep! Actually, he could just be fading to more nocturnal colors.... though I cannot recall having seen them change to lighter colors at night - but many fish do.> It's as if his black is fading completely away! My QT water parameters: Nitrite/Ammonia-0ppm, Nitrate-10ppm, temp-78F, slightly hard water, pH 7.2. <What pH was he in at the store? He could be suffering from a bit of a shock from change in pH and hardness.... They hail from waters of low-ish pH and low-ish hardness, so this may be part of the issue. At this point, however, I would not change what you have - a steady pH is FAR more essential than a "perfect" pH.> The tank is bare but for 2 PVC pipes. <Large enough for him to enter and hide in?> The tank is in a private room, and the light is off. The fish is swimming "normally" (like an excitable drunk). Fed some frozen brine shrimp earlier, but he seemed to be spitting them out. <He may not eat for a day or so.... but likely you will need to start him on live foods. I could be mistaken, but I believe these animals are only wild-caught and not at all bred in captivity.> I read that these fish are very sensitive and their rich black color may fade due to stress, but I was wondering how common it is for this fish to fade so drastically in this short period of time!!! <Mm, 14 hours isn't really a short period of time.... a fish turning pale at night can do so in minutes. 14 hours is more than plenty of time for the fish to get stressed, as well.> I will keep a sharp eye (I can't sleep the way it is). Should I add a bit of salt? <No.> Stress-zyme? <No.> Is there possibly a metal in the water that Aqua-safe is not removing? <Not likely that this is what's harming the animal, if anything. I would suspect a poor reaction to a sudden change in pH above all else.> I always appreciate your help, thank you in advance. ~M <All the best, -Sabrina>

Black Ghost Knife Compatibility, Disease - 10/12/05 Hi - <Hello.> I have a black ghost knife that was bought recently - about 5 inches long. He's in a community tank and unfortunately we forgot about the nippiness (is that a word??) of our Serpae tetras. <Uh-oh.... Err, *I* say 'uh-oh', but Bob (whom I'm visiting currently in HI) says there really isn't a compatibility issue here. I, personally, would be a little nervous about these two species together.> They have bitten off the end of his tail!! RIGHT TO THE 2ND BAR!!! <I do agree with Bob here that the Serpaes may not have been the sole contributor here - please check your water quality. Maintain ammonia and nitrite at ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm, with water changes.> I treated the water with this thing called MelaFix for any bacterial infection that it might get( I'm in Australia - hopefully you know what that product is!!) <I do.... and though MelaFix (extract of the Melaleuca tree, or "tea tree") does seem to have some mild antibiotic properties, I would not rely on it alone as a medication for anything severe.... furthermore, I have seen evidence in my own fishes that it may be a little (or a lot) irritating to the fish.> He seems OK but I'm worried that he won't survive without the tip of his tail. Is there any thing else I can do to help him out?? <Maintain optimal water quality, and (though Bob and I disagree on the Serpaes!) keep him separate from any fishes that might bite or nip at his wounds until he's healed. The end of the tail might not grow back in its entirety, as well.> Also we recently moved house (about 3 weeks ago) and obviously had to transport tank and contents. It's a 4 ft tank (180litres) so we took about 1/2 the water with us and didn't clean filters out etc the ph is 7, the nitrites are 0.1 and the ammonia 1.2. to me this is high as it is normally 0. <Dangerously so.> Is there any thing I can do to lower ammonia levels. I haven't done a water change since we moved. <Water changes alone will fix this.... and it is urgent that you do.> Thanks for your help... Tam <Any time, Tam. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Black ghost knife problems? Hi Robert, I'm a bit worried about my new BGK (my new favourite fish!). I am currently setting up a new tank after becoming addicted to my boyfriend's set up! New tank is 80 litres, planted and has a fine gravel substrate. It is currently stocked with 2 Pearl Gourami, 2 Angels, 3 Tiger Danios, 2 Corydoras sterbai and a small (2.5 inch) BGK. <This IS small!> Tank is two weeks into its first cycle. <Yikes... Knifefishes don't "like" new systems... Hard on them to go through their initial chemical, biological changes> The BGK has been in for 3 days and while it seemed happy in the first two (hiding amongst plants) but I have come home from work today and it doesn't seem right. It is sort of hovering around the bottom of the tank, moving around almost like a drunk person. It kind of wobbles around a bit, then rests and then wobbles around again. It has plants to hide in, as mentioned, and also a piece of driftwood to go under but it doesn't seem interested in this. <Mmm, well, this is pretty standard behavior for the species... but... do you have another, older system you can/could move it to?> At the LFS it was happy hiding amongst Java Moss and seemed unconcerned with the lit tank (I'd watched it there for a couple of days and it seemed very strong and healthy). There are really no other signs/symptoms except this apparent listlessness and my gut instinct (and it appears to be easily caught in the relatively light current and moved along which wasn't happening yesterday). I checked the water parameters and everything was fine - Ph 7.0, temp 26C. Nitrite was very slightly elevated but not of note (I have added Amtrite down to fix this.) <Mmm, only temporarily and at a "cost"... as stated, Apteronotus don't like "going" through cycles> Is it just acclimatizing or do I have a problem?? <Perhaps both> Please help, I was really impressed with what I've seen on the site and decided you're the man to ask! Thanks. Alia <Best to move the specimen to an established, similarly peaceful setting, second best to be very careful of not feeding much, urging your completion of biological filtration (Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm.  Bob Fenner>

Black ghost knife fish I have a BGK fish and yesterday noticed three splits in the fin under his body, today there must be about thirty of these splits, could you help me in finding out what this is and what I can do. Yesterday I bought a new African Knifefish and wondered if this may be the cause, I'm not sure because the splits were already there  before I added the new fish. Thank you Anita <These two may well be fighting... during the night probably... I would separate them... the Black Ghost will heal on its own otherwise. Bob Fenner>

Black Ghost Knifefish and Ich 10/24/07 <Hi Jillian, Pufferpunk here> I am at a loss as to how to treat my two BGK fish. They live together in a large tank along with two Raphael catfish and an Oto whom they surprisingly do not bother. Recently I noticed a few small white spot (suspecting Ich) on one of the BGK, and am wondering what is the best course of action for treatment. Firstly, should I isolate the infected fish or treat the tank as a whole since all fish have now been exposed? <I would treat the whole tank with heat & salt.> Secondly, what it the highest temperature that BKNs will tolerate, as my usual treatment for Ich is to up the temperature to 82-84 F and add 2Tbs of salt per 10g of aquarium water? <MT BGK lives in a discus tank with a normal temperature of 86. Since these are soft water fish, I'd start with 1 tbsp salt/10g.> This leads me to my third question, is it better to treat the BGK with this salt treatment or to use a product like RidIch at 1/2 strength? <I wouldn't use meds on scale less fish. Before starting treatment you should do at least a 50% water change and vacuuming of your tank. I also suggest doing 50% water changes every other day of treatment, (again vacuuming the substrate) to reduce the number of parasites in the water. I do not like to use medication with scale less fish, except in cases of heavy infestation. Melafix is helpful to treat any damage done to the puffer��s skin from the parasite. If you run into any secondary bacterial problems, Pimafix may also be used. By the 2nd day of treatment, you can raise the salt to1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water (remember you already have 1 tbsp/10g in there, so adjust for that), while gradually raising the temperature to 86 degrees F. Continue with this for a period of one month, adding back 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of aquarium water that you remove during water changes. One thing to remember with high temperatures is that there is less dissolved oxygen available in warm water than there is in water at cooler temperatures, therefore it is recommended to run an additional airstone to oxygenate the water.> I am a little attached to these fish and would like to see them make it through this. Thank you in advance for the advise. <It sounds like you have caught the disease early & your fish should be fine. ~PP> -Jillian Scharfstein 

Black ghost knives... hlth., reading   10/23/07 I have 3 black ghost knives, 2 of which have dangling "worm-like" appendage from the throat. It's usually about 1.2-2 inches long. I don't know what it is or how to treat it! Please help. Thank you. Regards, Allison <... could be a parasite... Worm... I'd treat with Prazi.... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwwormdisfaqs.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>