Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
Black Ghost Knife Fish
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Incredible creature, but what will it eat?
So far its not coming out to take flake or nibble pellets.
OK its only day two but should I be getting some different foods?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- KenS (Ken Simpson)
-
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 940
- Thank you received: 10
Saw them in there. They looked fantastic. Are you aware that they can grow up to 12 inches? What size tank do you have?
With regard to what they eat, I'll leave that to Anto. He has a beauty in with cichlids in his Rio 400.
Edit - just saw your tank sizes in your sig. Should be fine in your 400 or 240 if you keep the stock low.
Regards,
Ken.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ricko10 (jamie)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 229
- Thank you received: 35
mine was fed on bloodworm. but beware as mine grew to 18" long.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Also should I cut the frozen blocks into smaller cubes?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- ricko10 (jamie)
- Offline
- Junior Member
-
- Posts: 229
- Thank you received: 35
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
Because he is in a Tropheus tank now I juast feed him NLS/ Spirolina/Krill and Prawns.
As Holgar said they will eat Tetras but mine never did. They are almost blind and find their food in the sand by electric pulses.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Still have the neons alright, this knife fish is very small.Are you sure that you still have the 19 neons? Knife fish eat small tetras in the wild
I did lose 3 neons last night though.
My ph is 8.0 in this tank, due to the sand I think.
Should I get ph down and adjust it?
(tap ph is 7.6ish)
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
When you mess with the water thats when you start having major trouble.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
However I want to keep all the fish I've never really kept before in a community tank, like hatchets and all sorts of tetrae.
So should I rerally look at getting the coral sand out of the tank and replace with an inert sand?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- arabesque (Mick Veale)
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 315
- Thank you received: 0
your ph should be around 6 for the types of fish you want.
replace with regular sand / gravel and add a few bits of bogwood
to bring the ph down
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I'll remove as much sand as possible and replace with inert stuff.
Next question is, where do I get inert stuff?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- arabesque (Mick Veale)
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 315
- Thank you received: 0
playsand also works aparently but a bit dirty sometimes.
gav in wackers
or drew in mountain view
or the lads in fintastic aquatics
all have a fairly big variety
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Thanks all.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- zale (Mark carroll)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 274
- Thank you received: 0
I can only imagine what they'd do if 30 - 50cm long. :shock:
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- russell (russell)
-
- Visitor
-
This seems to go against the grain, just my opinion!!!!!!!!!!
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Even though you are right
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- zale (Mark carroll)
-
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 274
- Thank you received: 0
Now I have seen the light that is ITFS
I think he now preaches in church on Sundays cause he knows f*** all about fish keeping

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- russell (russell)
-
- Visitor
-
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I did my research on the BGKF, have this webpage saved to my favourites:
badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html
Of course I'm aware that the neons will most likely be fish food in a few weeks, however it is my intention to keep this guy in with the cichlids.
Not really an impulse buy as such as I always wanted one of these, just that when I saw it for €12 I had to pounce.
Anyway he's going into the cichlid tank soon as I get the sand sorted.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- russell (russell)
-
- Visitor
-
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
with your Pseudotropheus lombardoi? they will rip your knifefish to bits, serious aggression issues
Don't worry Holger, I have been observing the Lombardoi for the last couple of days for aggression. They have some new tank mates as per my sig (Thanks Anthony!!!).
They are getting quite territorial and have claimed the two opposite ends of the tank as their own. So far aggression is limited to chasing off anything that gets too close. No actual harm done yet.
I'm probably getting rid all the same.
Russell, no offence taken!!!
I am learning new stuff every day and I knew I was taking a gamble with the BGKF. Still, its only a baby (2") and will be a few weeks before it starts to get to a size safe to go in with the cichlids and the big cats.
I think.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
ps. The fish won`t eat the floating wafers.


Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Didihno (Didihno)
-
Topic Author
- Visitor
-
I meant getting rid of the Lombardoi!!!If you don`t want him I`ll take him off you.
ps. The fish won`t eat the floating wafers.![]()
I think they are for large Goldfish or Carp.
I don't believe those wafers.
The bottom dwellers did eat the one I managed to get to sink.
I screwed a very small (aluminium) screw into it.
Please Log in to join the conversation.