Sometimes things don't work out ..

**Red** · 01-12-2009, 07:06 PM

IMO i would never buy a fish that i know will outgrow my tank and any other tank i have and plan on getting a bigger tank. Things happen, you don't have money, lose a job or something like that and then you have a fish that is being hurt and is unhealthy in a tank.. t is not "bad" for a fish, because getting it off feeders saves money and is healthier for the fish and could keep the fish from getting sick in the future..

**Dave66** · 01-12-2009, 07:38 PM

Clown knife fish reach more than four feet and have no business in anything as small as a 200 gallon. They are such powerful fish they'd burst right through a tank that small.
I kept an adult for years in the 80's, and it'd eat anything you put in the tank, including your hand if you weren't careful.
Mike, he's just being a brat. Wait about a week or ten days then put in some live shrimp in there one night. Larger peanid shrimp would be better, but healthy (ones with clear shells) ghost shrimp would serve.
If you put them in at night he'll see them moving when lights come up in the morning I'd bet his stealth feed behavior would follow.
Mixing prepared shrimp with live ones over time you can eventually wean him off purely live foods and get him on the prepared stuff which will enable you to keep him for 20 years, easy.
Clown knifes, and my adventure with the one I had are in my Oddball primer stickied in the 'other species' forum.

Dave

**Northernguy** · 01-12-2009, 07:46 PM

That is a stunning Clown!

I had one for almost two years and it was a great fish.It use to swim through my fingers every night before feeding.It never took a bite.lol

You could have let it fast for awhile longer no problem.They would have happily taken the shrimp after longer.

**btate617** · 01-12-2009, 08:04 PM

They can go a long time Mike. I thought I was stubborn until I got into fish.... they out-do me by a long shot. When I moved my fronts about 6 months ago to a new tank, they did not eat for about 3 weeks. I would put food in.....watch it sit there for awhile...... then go scoop it out. no matter what I fed they wouldn't touch, by the way it was the same food they always ate, they were just pissed from being moved. You just have to out last them.

Brian

**Brookfish** · 01-12-2009, 08:06 PM

Thanks for all the feedback guys, they say you learn something new in this hobby everyday and i've got about a weeks worth in this one thread.

**rageybug** · 01-13-2009, 01:50 AM

Originally Posted by The Red Severum

IMO i would never buy a fish that i know will outgrow my tank and any other tank i have and plan on getting a bigger tank. Things happen, you don't have money, lose a job or something like that and then you have a fish that is being hurt and is unhealthy in a tank.. t is not "bad" for a fish, because getting it off feeders saves money and is healthier for the fish and could keep the fish from getting sick in the future..

In your opinion should people avoid getting any pet, or even having children just in case they lose their job and don't have money???

In my opinion this forum is for people to discuss fish and aquarium topics in a mature and respectable way. It is also my opinion that you should not pass judgement on people you know nothing about. What makes you believe that I am going to have an "unhealthy" fish or "hurt" the fish? I am well aware of how big a fish will get before I purchase it and have a full understanding of what my responsibilties will be down the road.

**Red** · 01-13-2009, 01:59 AM

I never meant that YOU were going to hurt the fish, and meant that if you got a fish that would outgrow a tank, and you didn't have a big enough tank for it and then got stunted which is hurting it because you didn't have a big enough tank for it. I "you" as a group thing, sorry that you thought i was just pointing you out.

**Northernguy** · 01-13-2009, 04:02 AM

I think all Red was saying is buy the fish for the tank you have not the one you plan on having.People have unforseen problems all the time.
It is a good rule to follow,big tanks can be very expensive.

**rageybug** · 01-13-2009, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by The Red Severum

I never meant that YOU were going to hurt the fish, and meant that if you got a fish that would outgrow a tank, and you didn't have a big enough tank for it and then got stunted which is hurting it because you didn't have a big enough tank for it. I "you" as a group thing, sorry that you thought i was just pointing you out.

I guess I misinterpreted your post...my appologies. I have found that many posters on here would rather tell you how you are doing this wrong than tell you how to do things better. Took it out on you.

**Deleted User** · 01-13-2009, 03:30 PM

That is one heck of a fish Sorry it didn't work out for you. Just for reference and I hope you don't mind. I got this shot at my LFS of a young one.

It was only about 7" Can't get over somthing this small can get to that size.

But my LFS keep a big one in a display tank to put off people who don't have the means to keep them.