Description
Scientific Name: Apteronotus albifrons Common Name: Black Ghost Knife (BGK) Origin: South America (Amazon River Basin, Venezuela, Paraguay)
Physical Characteristics This fish looks unlike almost anything else in a standard freshwater tank.
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Body Shape: It has a flat, knife-like body with no dorsal fin (top fin).
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Coloration: The body is a velvety, matte black. It typically has two white rings on its tail and a thin white stripe running from its nose over its head.
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Locomotion: It swims using a long anal fin that runs the entire length of its underside. By rippling this fin, it can hover, swim vertically, or dart backward instantly.
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Size: Warning: They grow slowly but eventually get very large. A full-grown BGK can reach 18 to 20 inches (50 cm).
Behavior and Temperament
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The “Sixth Sense”: It possesses a specialized electric organ that generates a weak electrical discharge. This acts as a radar system (electrolocation) to help it “see” in pitch-black water. Note: The shock is too weak for humans to feel.
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Nocturnal: They are strictly night-active. During the day, they will hide in caves or tubes.
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Temperament: They are generally peaceful toward fish they cannot eat. However, they are predators. They will eat small fish (like Neon Tetras or Guppies) at night.
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Intelligence: They are very smart and can eventually be trained to eat from their owner’s hand.
Care and Habitat
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Tank Size: Because of their potential size, they eventually need a tank of 100 to 150 gallons.
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Hiding Spots: They are shy. They absolutely require a tube, cave, or dense thicket of plants to hide in during the day.
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Scaleless Fish: They do not have scales. This makes them extremely sensitive to medications (like copper or Ich treatments) and salt. You must be very careful when treating a tank containing a Knifefish.
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Diet: They are carnivores. They love bloodworms, blackworms, brine shrimp, and sinking carnivore pellets.
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