Black ghost knife - advice needed

[AquaLene]

Hello all

I got a BGK a few months ago, he/she was still juvenile (3 inches) when I got it.

I first put it in my ("bigger" fish) tank with eels, celebes halfbeaks, large rainbows & angels, and they all immediately attacked his tail (obviously thinking it was a small fish). I whipped him out straight away, saved his life, and moved him/her into my more "smaller fish" friendly community tank.

Now he is 5" long, still very friendly and thriving. At what point should I move him back into the ("big fish") tank. Right now the smallest fish in community tank he is in, are about 3,5cm long. By the look of the size of his mouth he/she won't be able to hunt and eat them (as yet).

Should I leave him where he is until certain size, or attempt to put him back into the more predatory tank he was intended to habitat?

Basically the question is, at what size are they able to eat smaller fish (3 to 4cm)

Hope someone can help!

Thanks in advance. AquaLene

[Lady Hobbs]

What's in the big boy tank now? I would think he'd be fine in there and can really start to grow fast.

[AquaLene]

Big boy tank has 3 eels (largest only about 23cm, can only eat adult guppy sized fish I reckon), Celebes halfbeaks and large rainbows (who all nail large moths) Also big CAE (yet seemingly peaceful for now) & a red tailed black shark

May be time for me to move him? He/she is so timid though. am really worried the "big boy" tank guys will attack his tail again.

[Spartanhockey89]

get a piece of PVC pipe, just long enough for him. This will protect him from any bigger fih and give him a hiding spotfrom others. (Just keep it away from the eels). I've had these in semi-aggressive tanks and once they get settled, they do OK. But its a fish and who knows whatll happen. O yea and they'll eat anything that fits in their mouths, so dont keep him in that community tank for much longer if you have small(er) fish.

[AquaLene]

I would provide PVC pipe for BGK definitely. The eels have PVC pipes and hiding spots, must say the eels are the least of my worries right now, they are really timid, even when out and about at night.
Believe it or not, the celebes halfbeaks and large rainbows are the one's worrying me, they attacked his tail initially immediately.

The smallest fish in current friendly community he is housed in, are juvenile rainbows -around 1,5"+. I don't have any small tetra's etc in it.

I think its probably best to test the reaction of the "big boy tank gang" if I put him into it in a bag to acclimatise? Will try that and see what they do while he is in the bag. Am terrified of losing him due to others eating his tail though, he holds a special spot in my heart, as I hand feed him every day.

[smaug]

When I had mine the tail nipping never stopped even when he got 8".He never got it chewed up badly but the angel couldnt help but stalk his tail all the time.

[Spartanhockey89]

they really are cool fish. definetly attention getters and show fish. Could you try building him a cave that he could back into to protect his tail. Once he learns it once, he'll protect his spot. They can be aggressive when they have their own territory to protect. Mine would take on an angel and win most of the time.