Video of BGK 10/29/15
Here's another longer video. Hope it helps, I had to add it to DropBox as its
too big to email
Thanks again
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nr7x1tmm0aa43li/20151028_205504.mp4?dl=0
<See this. B>
BGK - hole in side of belly 10/29/15
Hi hun,
Firstly I would like to say thank you for all the amazing info on your website
about BGK'S. You are one of very few sites that will help with these fish and I
have learned a lot about what they need from you.
I have had this tank about 15 month now and the BGK'S about 7 month. They are in
a 120lt corner tank with not many other fish. (I know this isn't big enough for
adult size I'm getting a bigger tank at Xmas ��)
I do a 45lt water change/gravel/filter clean every week and a 50% every few
month
<Good>
Tank contains
2 BGK's (I think male 4" long & female 6" long)
<May be fighting>
2 mollies
3 guppies (won't be getting more because of BGK'S, had these since
beginning)
<Am surprised the Knives haven't eaten these livebearers>
1 Pangasius catfish 3" long
<Trouble.... See WWM Re... Remove>
2 marble Pleco (male 5" & baby 2")(Were sold as clowns but their not)
<Mmm; need to know the species; this too could be an issue>
Temp 26°
PH 7.2
NO3 10ppm
NO2 0ppm
GH 180ppm or 8°d (two different test strips)
KH 60ppm or 6°d (two different test strips
CL2 0
Tank has two airstones and strong filter which I have positioned at the top of
the tank to create a small waterfall/current for the BGK'S. Lighting is 9am till
9pm and its a dim blue spectrum bulb. They have 3 ceramic pots, 3 coconut
shells, two plastic tubes and 2 caves I made from aquarium rocks as well as some
bogwood. No live/plastic plants.
Fed on frozen bloodworm & Pleco/catfish pellets. 2 cubes a day one morning and
one at night after lights out.
Now to the problem...
They both settled in fine and will eat bloodworm from hand and come out in the
day. They get along fine together and seam to play with each other rather than
fight (I may be wrong but it doesn't look nasty)
Yesterday I'd not seen the big female for a while which is unusual because I
watch the tank a lot, more than TV �� she was hiding up behind the filter which
she does sometimes but then I turned the lights out and she came out.
She has a 4mm hole on her left hand side just a bit further onto her belly next
to her gills. Not it's not red or sore it's white ish but pretty deep and I'm
not sure what it could be. Either it's stabbed itself on the bogwood or the
other BGK has nipped it but the other is much smaller or its a water issue. As
no new fish have been added for over a month. The last were the 2nd baby Pleco
and catfish.
Now I know my water is very hard and I spoke to the LFS last week he's ordering
me some peat pad that goes in and softens the water. He said its ok to use with
BGK's.
<Tis so>
My question is do you think the GH could be the problem and the hole is due to
stress?
<My strong bet is that the hole is due to physical trauma. Most likely
the Pangasiid; but could be the others mentioned>
Apart from the hole and hiding more than usual she is fine and eating/swimming
as normal. She's done a bit of
rubbing on that side but that's it. The other BGK is fine. How would you go
about treatment?
<Move the Catfish... if more damage, separate the Apteronotids>
I don't want to use chemicals unless absolutely necessary but I want to help my
fish ��
UPDATE - didn't send this straight away as I had no photo to send. I have just
got a short video and you can just see the white 4mm-5mm hole. I did a 45lt
water change/clean again and the BGK seams fine still. The hole seams to be
heeling it's not as open as it was before so I am leaning more to injury than
illness. I will send the video in another email now as it's too
big to add to this (stupid phone)
Thank you in advance for any reply
Sammie xx
<DO be a keen observer here.... some one in your system is beating on this fish.
Bob Fenner>
re: BGK - hole in side of belly.... Pangasius incomp....
10/30/15
Thank you for the quick response hun. Will have a look about the catfish now
didn't think there would be an issue with the two together
<Do you have any idea of how large and aggressive that swai cat gets?
Please, READ>
but as I'm getting a larger tank soon I'll have space to separate them. I watch
the tank a lot so ill turn the lights off and see how they are in the dark.
Everything seams to leave the BGK'S alone because if they don't they'll get
nipped. Even the big marble Pleco (Colin) unless he's stabbed it with a fin.
What tank mates would you recommend with BGK'S?
<.... this is also archived on WWM>
Obviously bigger fish to avoid bullying. The BGK at 6" is the biggest in the
tank but the 5" marble is stocky.
Someone else said I was lucky they hadn't eaten the 3 guppies, they've had a few
small ones but these 3 keep away somehow. I'll move them to my other tank ��
Thanks again
<W. B>
Black Ghost Knife Fish 9/5/15
Hello! I have a 150 gallon aquarium, and I bought a black ghost knife fish back
in November of last year. It is around 7 inches by now, and hasn't had any
problems with any fish (that I have seen) thus far. However, I noticed today
that the end of the "snout" is gone. It looks like it was chewed off.
<Likely has>
It is very fleshy and strands of tissue are floating off from his face. I don't
know who could be doing this. I have a rainbow shark, two algae eaters,
<.... Chinese? As in Gyrinocheilus? These or the shark minnow could be culprits.
Search/READ on WWM re>
some mollies and platies, blind cave fish, a Plecostomus, and two smaller
angelfish. I haven't added any fish in a few weeks. Is there anything I can do
to correct this problem?
<Have to separate the Knife, treat it for bacterial/fungus issue. Bob Fenner>
Thank you! Jeremy
Emaciated BGK... in w/ breeding Ancistrus in a too small
world 7/2/12
Hi there,
I'm concerned about my BGK who I've had for about a year in a 90 litre
<Needs much more room than this. Read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bgksys.htm
community tank (2 gouramis, 6 neon tetras,
<Not compatible...>
1 peppermint Bristlenose, 2 Bristlenose plus their fry (last count about a
dozen
<Neat!>
) - still babies but will be rehomed before they get too big. My BGK has
always thrived but the last few days he has suddenly lost a lot of
weight and become emaciated (top of his head sunken in, really anorexic
looking). He was lethargic and seemed to be breathing heavily (not
gasping but gills working harder than they should?) - so I reduced the
water temp from 26-27 C to 24-25 C to make more oxygen available.
<Good>
Also he was still eating but not as much, and not as eager as he usually
is, with his main diet of frozen bloodworm
<See WWM re these sewer fly larvae... I'd diminish or eliminate their
use... implicated in disease issues>
(he also gets a mixture of beef heart, shrimp, fish, as well as picking on
flakes, algae discs, that are for the other fish).
<Try some (live if available, frozen/defrosted if not) Tubificid worms>
I have started feeding him diced cooked prawns (human grade) and he is
eating a lot more and seems to be more himself. But I'm really worried
about his weight loss. He also has 2 white spots on his body that look a
bit 'fluffy', could this be a mild case of Ich?
<Mmm, not likely, no>
One of my neon tetras had a little case of cotton mouth(?) which has
healed, only other issue is one of the other tetras which lost an eye
(probably from BGK) -
<Telling>
he now swims on a slight tilt and has slightly shredded fins, assume
because he gets picked on a bit - but are otherwise fine. (Neon tetras
are tough as nails!) I have been too afraid to add any meds or salt
since GKF is so sensitive to these things. The only changes to my tank
lately have been the addition of some new plants, and the addition of
the Bristlenose fry since my adult pair have decided to mate like crazy!
The male has taken over the submarine to care for the eggs,
<This aggression is likely the root cause or at least a large
contributor to the loss of health of the Knife... one of them needs to
be moved, now>
one of the places my BGK liked to hang out until the BN banished him (he
still has a nice hollow driftwood log however - his most favourite
place). Water parameters are pH 7.4, ammonia 0, nitrate 0, nitrite 20.
Don't have a hardness test but the tap water where I live isn't hard. I
admit that I'm not an expert but I love my fish and want to do the best
for them!
Adele
<Read and heed. Bob Fenner>
