Black Ghost Knife Fish

Not all of our Thundering Pack has 4 legs and fur.  I finally got some decent pictures of my Black Ghost Knife Fish.  Being nocturnal, it’s hard to catch them out when there is enough light to photograph or videotape them.  Meet “Bowie”….
 
    

He is the biggest Black Ghost I have ever seen.  He is about 14 inches long, very wide, and still growing.  He is in a 75 gallon tank, with a large Black Angel fish and a large RedCap Oranda.  I also have a few Cory Cats and Black Skirt Tetras in there.

Click HERE for a short video of Bowie 

I have always admired Black Ghost Knife fish.  They are a nocturnal fish from the Amazon River basin.  They are black with a wide white blaze down their face, which extends along their back, and a white, randomly spotted tail.  Their faces remind me very much of a dog, or dolphin.

 

 My first Black Ghost, Casper, lived 15 years.  He also survived moving to three different houses.  Casper was approx 10 inches long when he was 15.  He was only a tiny guy, about 3 inches long, when I brought him home from the fish store.  Overall, BG are peaceful fish, despite their size.  They can be difficult to raise, but with a little consideration for their needs, they do well.  Being nocturnal, their number one requirement is a safe, dark, place to hide.  The other special thing I do for my Ghosts is to feed them sinking pellets, via a “tube”.  I have a 36” section of clear riser tube.  (The kind you see on undergravel filters.)  I put the tube near the opening of his cave and drop the pellets down.  This keeps other fish from eating the Ghost’s food, and I always feed them at night with the lights off.  They have all eaten like this immediately and heartily.  I feed Hikari Lionhead pellets, sinking variety.  The quality of this food is outstanding. 

Trying to force a BG to stay out in the open will result in a very unhappy and most likely dead, fish.  They spend most of the day in their “cave”, but become very active at night.  They have a caudal fin that runs the length of their bodies, and they can maneuver forwards/backwards/sideways and upside down smoothly and easily.   
 

You want to avoid having any tank mates that will compete with your BG for his hiding spot.

The Black Ghost is definitely a fish for someone who appreciates their unique character and beauty, when the fish grants you the pleasure of them coming out so you can see them!