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FAQs on Black Ghost Knifefish, Apteronotus (Sternarchus) albifrons, Disease/Health

Sensitive to salts, dyes and metals... NOT to be exposed to such med.s

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>

Ghost Knife sick - please help
Good Morning - I came across your FAQ on the Knife fish and was very appreciative. I read through much of what you had and it was helpful but not sure if what my fish has is Ich or not so not sure to use the info your site kindly provided. Hoping you can help as I really love my fish and am very worried. Here's the stats...
55 Gal tank - PH is 7.8.
<A bit high for the fishes listed...>
Tank established for 8 months. Put in feeder goldfish about 3 weeks ago to feed Arowana and two weeks later my fish are dying.
<Not... an uncommon problem... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/goldfshfd.htm this practice, feeding feeders, is a HUGE source of aquarium livestock mortality>
Have removed feeder fishes from tank altogether.
<Too late>
Water tested by local shop and hubby and both said it tested very good just pH a little high. Just lost my Yo Yo Loach and Arowana with no visible signs of sickness. Yesterday morning I checked my tank to see my Black Ghost Knife with white spots all over - but not like I've seen Ich before - like little salt sprinkles. These white spots appear to be more flat looking and more grouped. Please see attached picture.
<Does look like ich... though could be another parasite... most all are treated similarly>
He is eating and acting normally. Was told to do following treatment but have seen no change as of yet; raise water temp to 82 degrees, use AquariSol 12 drops per 10 gal, add sea salt 1 teaspoon per 10 gal and remove charcoal from filter and use PimaFix 1 tsp per 10 gal. I'm worried that I'm overmedicating.
<Might be... as Knifefishes are intolerant of the poisons that are used to treat such infestations... I would raise the temperature to mid eighties F., not use the PimaFix (it's of no use), and use half doses of the AquariSol (a copper sulfate solution)>
Should I be doing water changes?
<Yes>
Will that amount of salt hurt my BGK?
<No, should help more than hurt>
I'm worried he's not tolerant enough for it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much! Jennifer Welker
<Have you read the article and FAQs on ich on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm The FAQs are linked (above, in blue)... 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 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

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>

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>
Regards
Graeme

White Furry Growth on Black Ghost Knife
Hello Web Wet Media Crews, Happy New Year. "Houston", we have a problem! My 16cm Black Ghost Knife is covered with furry white "slim/growth" all over its body, including its eyes. At first I thought it was body fungus
<You are right it is fungus.  It's a true fungus that attacks the outer layers of the fish. Fungus prefers cool temperatures, acidic conditions, so check the temp of the tank and what the pH levels are at.>
used "OCEAN FREE" medication. I have no idea what it contains but it turned the water really green.
<Not sure what actually does turn it green, but it's suppose to do that.>
I did a partial water change. I increased the water temperature from around 26 or so to 32 Degree Celsius.
<Make sure you medicate the exact way the package tells you to do so, doing water changes during treatment simply removes the medicine already in the tank.>
My BGK fish stopped fishing and rest on the bottom of the tank for the whole 3 days. When I used an object to lightly scrape its body, the whiter furry things is easily peeled off.
<It's best not to physically scrape the fish, you run the risk of scraping the fish, damaging it skin, or bothering what's left of it's protective slime coating.  If you should scrape the fish, the bacteria can get deeper into the fishes skin causing more problems.>
This happened quite often. What seems to be the problem? Is it a fungus growth, water conditions or other ailments?
<The fish has true body, mouth and eye fungus, a fungus infection -- treat with MarOxy. Use Maracyn-Two or Maracyn or Tetracycline or TriSulfa to prevent secondary infections.>
You guys have provided me with many valuable tips that keep my fish surviving till now. I hope you can help me with this again. Many thanks.
<Hope that helps.  I hope your knife gets better! -Magnus>
<<Malachite green is likely the ingredient in the medication that turned the water green. Malachite green is toxic to ghost knives, for future reference. -SCF>>

Re: White Furry Growth on Black Ghost Knife. Passed Away
Hey Magnus. Just a few minutes I sent you a reply, my fish passed away.
<I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.  It is a very sad thing when we lose pets we cared for.>
Nevertheless, I would like to thank you and the whole crew for the help.
<I'm just sad that I was unable to help you save your fish.  But remember we are hear to help you, so ask a question anytime.>
1 more question.... can I bury my fish in my flowerpots? Is it safe to do that?
<You would need to have a large flowerpot, and you run the risk of having loads of bugs and such coming into you flowerpots after the body of the fish.>
Will the disease be spread to the plants?
<Fungus can spread to the roots of certain plants provided the soil is acidic and moist.  I really would worry that the decomposition will affect the pH of the soil and hurt the plants.  I would probably dispose of the body in a different way.>
What is the best moral ethnical way to dispose one's beloved died sick fish?
<With large fish I have actually buried them in the back yard.  Please don't take offense to third, if you have no yard, you could always seal it in a multiple bags and simply deposit it in the trash. some people became far to attached to do that to the fish, and would hate to "throw them away".  I would try and find a place to bury it if you want, rather than throwing it away.  A park or some other area would be better than your flowerpots.
I'm sorry to hear of your fishes passing, I do hope that you know that you had done your best to care for it.  -Magnus>

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>

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