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Black Ghost Knife Fish is among the most popular freshwater aquarium fishes. People who take aquarium keeping as a hobby like it for the unusual shape and movement. It is a big, elegant and fairly friendly fish from South America near the Amazonian Basin. The two white strings on the tail and one on the nose make it more watch worthy. The strange ways of the fish make it more interesting. It steers the water by waving its body underside the fin in a particular pattern.
But the fish does need some caring. And it is only advisable for the beginner hobbyists to know as much as possible about the fish to make its living a comfortable one in the aquarium.
Tank Size
The fish grows to a big length. Make sure you have a good big tank to ensure its movements. Get a tank of 379 liters size. Any extra fish will require more space, hence a bigger tank. Bigger tank will also require a little more maintenance. It is better to know about these before you bring home that jet black fish.
Black Ghost Knife Fish Aquarium Environment
The fish is a scale-less variety making it more prone to the changes in the tank conditions and water parameters.
Changing The Water
The Black Ghost Knife Fish is very sensitive to the waste in the habitat. You need to be very watchful in the water conditions. Water needs to be changed on a weekly basis with 30% -50% water being changed each time.
Filtration
Installing a powerful three stage filter that can filter the large volume of water should be looked for. Such a powerful filter is a comprehensive one with mechanical, biological and chemical filtration. Additionally, you will also need to install a UV filter to kill algae, bacteria and other unwanted compounds.
Substrate
Mix of sand and gravel substrate at the bottom would be ideal for the fish. But you also need to ensure that the gravel is not rough as the fish could harm itself in the absence of scales.
Hiding Places
The fish is somewhat shy yet active and playful. It should hence have some hiding places like the decorative plants and caves in the aquarium for its playful activities.
Lighting
The creature is a nocturnal fish. These are used to darkness and are active during the nights. Subdued lighting or even no lighting during the day is okay with them.
Water Parameters
The Black Ghost Knife fish is quite a convenient fish when the water is concerned. A pH between 6 and 8 can be easily handled by them.
Black Ghost Knife Fish Feed and Diet
The fish is strictly a carnivore variety and will not accept any plant pellet. And at the same time, it will also not clean the algae forming at the bottom. You can feed them insect larvae, grown insects, worms, small shrimp, and other small fish at night time when they are active.
Conclusion
The black Ghost Knife Fish is a friendly fish to have in the house. Caring for the fish will not be a trouble if the tips are followed. These do need fair amount of accessories. But these definitely are a beautiful black variety.
