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African KnifefishAfrican Knife Fish ~ Brown Knifefish ~ Black Knifefish

Family: NotopteridaeAfrican Knife Fish, African Knifefish African KnifefishXenomystus nigriPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough
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I saw one of these in petsmart, and the care sheet said 20+ gallons. Is this right? Or is that way too small? Because I have a 20 gallon and think these fish... (more)  Fish Dude

    The African Knifefish is a most intriguing fish for many Aquarists, and is one of the most popular species of knife fish available!

     One of the easiest species of knifefish to care for, the African Knifefish is hardy and generally more outgoing than other species of knifefish. This knifefish makes a good candidate for a community aquarium containing medium to large sized fish.

     What the African Knifefish lacks in color, it more than makes up in hardiness and personality. Most species of knives are very shy and rarely seen during daylight hours. The Notopteridae family contains some of the more outgoing species but some of these, such as the Clown Knifefish, can grow to huge proportions. In the wild, the African Knifefish can grow as large as 12 inches, but a maximum size of around 8 inches is more realistic for a tank raised specimen. Since they are wild caught, they may seem shy at first, but given time they will come out of their shell.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
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Distribution:      The African Knifefish was described by GĂĽnther in 1868. They are found in many of the coastal rivers of Africa including the Congo, Nile, Niger, Ogooue, and Chad River basins. Most of the specimens that make it into the aquarium hobby are exported from Nigeria.

Status:      The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:      The uniform blackish gray brown body of the African Knifefish is flat and elongated with an arched back. It has a continuous fin along the underside formed by a joining of the caudal and anal fin. It is a graceful swimmer and this fin allows it to move both forwards and backwards. An interesting characteristic is its ability to emit a bell-like sound, produced by ejecting air from its swim bladder.

Size - Weight:      In the wild, the African Knifefish can grow as large as 12" (30 cm), but a maximum size of around 8" (20 cm) is more realistic for a tank raised specimen.

Care and feeding:      The African Knifefish are carnivores. In the wild they begin to eat when the sun sets and continue throughout the night, feeding on worms, crustaceans, insects and snails. A tank of around 55 gallons is large enough to keep an adult in good condition for all of its life. They are one of the few species of knife fish that will eat dried foods such as flakes and sinking pellets. A varied diet is important so be sure to also feed some fresh or frozen foods such as brine shrimp or bloodworms. They will eat small fish but this is more of a warning that small tank mates may disappear, not a suggestion for feeding.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:     This species of knifefish will spends most of its time near the bottom, although they will occasionally swim to the surface to grab a gulp of air.

Acceptable Water Conditions:      Temp: 72 - 82 ° F (22 - 28 ° C)
     Hardness: 5 - 15 dGH
     pH 6.0 to 8.0

Social Behaviors:     They are peaceful towards other species but adults will sometimes turn aggressive towards others of their own kind. They do have a relatively large mouth so smaller tank mates may disappear. Some of the Mormyridae fishes, such as the Elephantnose and the Baby Whale make good tank mates as do Synodontis catfish.

Sexual Differences:      Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:     This fish has supposedly been bred in an aquarium but the details are unknown.

Availability:     The African Knifefish is commonly available.

Author: Ken Childs


Xenomystus Nigri Black African Knifefish
Offered By: That Pet Place
Price: $9.99
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Comments
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Latest Comments

I saw one of these in petsmart, and the care sheet said 20+ gallons. Is this right? Or is that way too small? Because I have a 20 gallon and think these fish are really cool.
Reply
Fish Dude
2010-05-28
Click For Replies (3)

Since these guys only get to about 8-12 inches in the aquarium, 20 gallons would be fine if you go by the 1 inch per gallon rule. Since all 8-12 inches are in one fish though, you should be very conservative with it. Like if the fish actually gets to 12 inches 20 gallons would be an absolute minimum.... Editor's Note

Most likely the fish won't get to a full foot probably around 9 inches I'd say this is fine but if you want other fish you may consider getting a larger tank.... brandon

I have an African knife fish and he was in my 75 gal tank, but he is very territorial so I moved him into a 10 gallon and he is doing well. So the only thing I can say is that he won't get that big in a 20 gallon tank. ... ryan

I never see my knifefish. He stays hidden at all times! Kind of a disappointment! I only have one. He's in a 55 gal tank w a couple sharks and 4 gouramis and a couple tiger barbs.
Reply
Carol Montgomery
2010-07-08
Click For Replies (1)

Depending on how long you've had him he might just keep hiding, also tiger barbs are famous for nipping fins, and a knifefish's undulating fin is a big temptation. I have mine in a 75 gallon while at least 6 or 7 hiding places so he's good, and mine will turn right around and bite at whatever bites his tail. They also don't like bright lights much( mostly nocturnal), so try dimming your lights by taking plastic plants, ripping them out of the little roots and letting them float right under your lights and/or giving him more hiding places, they like dark caves, broken/upturned flowerpots or PVC pipe will do, and if all else fails just give him some time and he should come out more often over time.... Tlaloc

Yes, 30 gallons is way too small. Same for your tinfoil barbs, which if in a larger aquarium will get HUGE!. In your tank they will become stunted and die. Get a bigger tank and learn how to keep fish.
Reply
Will N.
2009-06-01

African Clowns need to be in a 55 gallon or more they need there room! a 20 gallon is way to small!!
Reply
Nichelle
2008-12-20

I just recently purchased one of these from my local pet store and it is a great fish so far. It's surprisingly peaceful and a great fish to watch. I keep it in my 20-30 gallon fish tank with 3 Opaline gouramis and 2 tinfoil barbs. They are all getting along well so far. Overall a great fish.
Reply
nick
2008-09-15
Questions - Answers

My knife fish is in a 40gallon tank and I've had it for 4days now. Yesterday it formed this white skin shield over it's eyes. What does that mean? Is it going to die?
Reply
Jessica
2010-03-03
Click For Replies (5)

It definitely seems to have some type of illness, although I'm not sure what. You could always try a broad spectrum antibiotic.... Katie

No all you have to do is just keep the water clean and buy a medicine that will help it heal.... martin calderon

It means your tank is too small and you should dim the lights.
... knife fish rule

Cold water whats temp? Will die sounds like ich-x
... steve

It might, but what it has is some kind of eye infection, go to a local fish store NOT PETSMART or any big chain store, they mean well but 99.9% of them haven't the faintest idea what they're doing, and it was probably caused by the stress of changing tanks.... Tlaloc

Can I put the african knife fish with cichlids family fish?
Reply
osama
2008-11-01
Click For Replies (4)

I probably wouldn't. A lot of the cichlids will pick on the knife.... Katie

I would say probably not, my sister had a oscar in with her knifefish and the oscar tried to attack it. But im not quite sure other cichlid species would do this but i probably wouldn`t try it.... Robert

Yes I keep mine with my oscar fish and they get along great!... nate

My vote is maybe...Depends on the aggression level of your type of Cichlid, I had a Salvini and it straight up attacked and chased my knife for 2 days before I ditched the Salvini...I later found this is a more aggressive species of cichlid. If you have Kribensis or yellow labs (2 of the more agreed non-psycho cichlids) it'll probably be OK.... Shawn K

Hey guys, I have a knife fish who is very happy in my 55 gallon aquarium w/ many different species. But some of the other fish have started to get aggressive towards the other fish (not my knifefish) due to the high protein I have to feed my knife fish. I usually feed him bloodworms or brine shrimp. Any suggestions how I can feed my knife fish but keep the other fish on lower protein diets?
Reply
rick
2010-04-19
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Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!

Great web site!
I found profiles for every type of fish/crustacion for my new large community Aquarium!
Reply
Bennett Harnisch
2008-07-19

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