Clown Knife fish
- Thread starter Oscardude
- Start date
Clown knives are very beautiful, graceful, peaceful predators that are primarily nocturnal, but can be taught to feed during the dayling. But they are not reccommended for beginners because they do grow to immense lengths, sometimes topping three feet or more. They're primarily an ambush predator, although if feeling comfortable in their habitat, they'll seek out food.
The Clown knives I've had have always been babies, and they'll eat feeder guppies/minnows, and occasionally can be trained to a ciclid pellet, krill, or flake. Always gut load your feeder fish to make sure clown knives get the full nutrition from the meal.
They get along with just about everything that would leave them alone, and even though their an African fish, I have kept them sucessfully with Green and Gold Sevrums, Blood Parrots, and other relatively quiet SA Cichlids. I would not reccommend them with Pacu or other very fast fish since these may shy the clown knife into hiding all the time.
Things definately not to put with a clown knife are fish that are small enough to fit into his mouth, like neons and such.
Clown knives are also sometimes called Featherbacks, or Featherfins, so check these two ailiases when looking for information as well.
~~Colesea
The Clown knives I've had have always been babies, and they'll eat feeder guppies/minnows, and occasionally can be trained to a ciclid pellet, krill, or flake. Always gut load your feeder fish to make sure clown knives get the full nutrition from the meal.
They get along with just about everything that would leave them alone, and even though their an African fish, I have kept them sucessfully with Green and Gold Sevrums, Blood Parrots, and other relatively quiet SA Cichlids. I would not reccommend them with Pacu or other very fast fish since these may shy the clown knife into hiding all the time.
Things definately not to put with a clown knife are fish that are small enough to fit into his mouth, like neons and such.
Clown knives are also sometimes called Featherbacks, or Featherfins, so check these two ailiases when looking for information as well.
~~Colesea
I've worked on my tank getting it ready. I put some Pvc caves under gravel and put some extra rocks in. He'll be in with an Oscar but the the most tolerant oscar I've ever seen. He lets me put anything in the tank. Have you had any luck with them? I herd there kind of fragile during the early stages of there life.
I don't know about fragil, but I've not had one die on me yet. Then again, I work in a pet shop, and most of the time I sell them faster than they stay in the store.
The one thing that worries me sometimes is I'll not witness one eat, yet it will stay alive, and stay alive, and stay alive...I had one for a month that I never saw eat, and every time I put feeder minnows in the tank, all the minnows would be alive the next morning, everybody accounted for. I discovered that the knife was actually eating flake! I would put marine flake (the Wardly suff) in the tank because I just never knew the fish was eating...and low and behold, no leftover flake would be in the tank the next morning. It had learned how to eat flake with its tankmates.
That's the only concern I have with these fish, is trying to watch them eat. I usually have to turn the tank light off, add the food, then take several steps back so as not to spook 'em. Then it's a frenzy.
I'd be careful about mixing it with an oscar, especially a little one that might get bullied by the oscar. Oscars are known to be pushy-shovey, grubby fish that eat -everything- before a tankmate even comes out of hiding. Usually I make sure I stuff my oscars so full of pellet they can't get another mouthful down before I feed their tankmates. Try to find an knife as big or slightly bigger than the oscar, so it won't be bullied.
As far as water conditions *snort* if they're surviving in a pet shop without problems, I'm sure they'll do just fine so long as you do your regular tank maintance at home.
~~Colesea
The one thing that worries me sometimes is I'll not witness one eat, yet it will stay alive, and stay alive, and stay alive...I had one for a month that I never saw eat, and every time I put feeder minnows in the tank, all the minnows would be alive the next morning, everybody accounted for. I discovered that the knife was actually eating flake! I would put marine flake (the Wardly suff) in the tank because I just never knew the fish was eating...and low and behold, no leftover flake would be in the tank the next morning. It had learned how to eat flake with its tankmates.
That's the only concern I have with these fish, is trying to watch them eat. I usually have to turn the tank light off, add the food, then take several steps back so as not to spook 'em. Then it's a frenzy.
I'd be careful about mixing it with an oscar, especially a little one that might get bullied by the oscar. Oscars are known to be pushy-shovey, grubby fish that eat -everything- before a tankmate even comes out of hiding. Usually I make sure I stuff my oscars so full of pellet they can't get another mouthful down before I feed their tankmates. Try to find an knife as big or slightly bigger than the oscar, so it won't be bullied.
As far as water conditions *snort* if they're surviving in a pet shop without problems, I'm sure they'll do just fine so long as you do your regular tank maintance at home.
~~Colesea
aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh knife fish gotta love em i do im gonna set up a knife tank soon i already now have a clown knife and an african in a communtiy the clown knifes do get very big tho live 28 inches mines only 6or 7 now but grown fast cant wait to find some new knifes for my tank but about the clown knifes they are great fish mine is peaceful and clm he lets me pet him during feeding its great but he is also shy i call him
my gentile giant in the tank fishguy33 *thumbsupsmiley* o yea by the way my clown willl eat the occasional pellet and he loves frozen brine shrimp and he likes color enhancing flake food by tetra
my gentile giant in the tank fishguy33 *thumbsupsmiley* o yea by the way my clown willl eat the occasional pellet and he loves frozen brine shrimp and he likes color enhancing flake food by tetra
Holy %^@#! i have a tiger oscar and a clown knifefish as tankmates. the clown knifefish has knocked around the oscar a couple of times yet he always hides in the corner behind a plant. whenever i put in a couple of goupies the oscar immediatly eats most of them. ive had both fish for about three weeks and have only the clown eat 5 guppies. im sure hes had more but amazes me how little he eats. im kinda worried about him though. whats the best way to keep both fish and still make sure hes getting enough nurishment?
Clowns are awesome fish.
I bought one about a week ago and he is currently in my 55 with my angels, at first when I stuck him in the angels were bossing him around for the first 10 minutes. And he is only like 5-6 inches long in with adult angel fish hah!. well now he's kind of the tank and eats very VERY! well on bloodworms. The first 5 days or so he wouldn't touch the food and I was scared that he would starve. But yes, they are night feeders but I think ive trained mine to eat when the lights are on. He's a pig now!
In another week or so when my stand for my 120 is done he is going in there to grow up
They are very cool fish!
I bought one about a week ago and he is currently in my 55 with my angels, at first when I stuck him in the angels were bossing him around for the first 10 minutes. And he is only like 5-6 inches long in with adult angel fish hah!. well now he's kind of the tank and eats very VERY! well on bloodworms. The first 5 days or so he wouldn't touch the food and I was scared that he would starve. But yes, they are night feeders but I think ive trained mine to eat when the lights are on. He's a pig now!
In another week or so when my stand for my 120 is done he is going in there to grow up
They are very cool fish!
Hi, I am new here and really like this site. I have a ghost, a great fish. I had a clown, at first I had alittle trouble getting him to eat. Once I got over that, about a couple of weeks, he jumped. Pretty depressing(?) Anyway if you decide to get one my only advice is to make sure there is no way that he can jump out. They are great fish.
clown knife
Hi im new here, its my first post so hello everyone
anyway, i've got a clown knife, small fellow about 6 inches in a ten gallon at the moment. yes yes i know how big they get hehe... but his tank mates are a shubunkin goldfish, male blue gourami and a pleco. The most agressive one in the tank is the gourami. However when feeder guppies go in, i've got to "segregate" the goldfish so the knifey can feed. I've got him trained to eat during the day, and feed on algae pellets and frozen brine to supplement his feeder fish. All in all, a very beautiful fish!
I'll be getting a larger tank for him soon
Hi im new here, its my first post so hello everyone
anyway, i've got a clown knife, small fellow about 6 inches in a ten gallon at the moment. yes yes i know how big they get hehe... but his tank mates are a shubunkin goldfish, male blue gourami and a pleco. The most agressive one in the tank is the gourami. However when feeder guppies go in, i've got to "segregate" the goldfish so the knifey can feed. I've got him trained to eat during the day, and feed on algae pellets and frozen brine to supplement his feeder fish. All in all, a very beautiful fish!
I'll be getting a larger tank for him soon
This is my first post as I only discovered this site tonight , so , Hello all !
I was reading your posts and found them all to be most interesting as I have a clown knife that I have had for a year now. I purchased him from Petsmart as a baby, about 6" long. He started out eating frozen brine shrimp cubes and frozen blood worm cubes, of which he prefers the blood worm cubes if live food is not available. However... he IS very spoiled and dines on large gold fish, 2-3" in length. He also dined on my baby Ghost knife at $22 !! Expensive little morsel! Live and learn. He or she, not sure which, but lovingly refered to as HE, is a whopping 17" in length now and prefers 5 large goldfish a day and his frozen food too! He is growing rapidly!!! His tank mates are two larg Pleco's, 2 large Silver Dollars, and a pang. catfish that is about 7" in length. He loves to pester the Plecos and the silver dollars but they arent too worried, the Pleco's just body slam him if he gets too troublesome! I also use fake plants and an Emporer 400 pump and filter system and a small bubbler. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention he likes to watch tv with the catfish!
I was reading your posts and found them all to be most interesting as I have a clown knife that I have had for a year now. I purchased him from Petsmart as a baby, about 6" long. He started out eating frozen brine shrimp cubes and frozen blood worm cubes, of which he prefers the blood worm cubes if live food is not available. However... he IS very spoiled and dines on large gold fish, 2-3" in length. He also dined on my baby Ghost knife at $22 !! Expensive little morsel! Live and learn. He or she, not sure which, but lovingly refered to as HE, is a whopping 17" in length now and prefers 5 large goldfish a day and his frozen food too! He is growing rapidly!!! His tank mates are two larg Pleco's, 2 large Silver Dollars, and a pang. catfish that is about 7" in length. He loves to pester the Plecos and the silver dollars but they arent too worried, the Pleco's just body slam him if he gets too troublesome! I also use fake plants and an Emporer 400 pump and filter system and a small bubbler. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention he likes to watch tv with the catfish!
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