Black Ghost Knifefish
Apteronotus albifrons
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 50 cm
- Minimum tank
- 648 litres
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
Species profile
Clown Featherback Knifefish
Chitala ornata
Common names: Clown Featherback Knifefish, Clown Knifefish, Clown Featherback
Recognized speciesKnifefish
Adult size
Up to 100 cm
Up to 100 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A keeper with room for a large aquarium
Think carefully if
- You cannot provide about 2430 litres for a fully grown fish
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A very large fish with a hump and rows of dark spots with pale rings near the tail, and it reaches about a metre. Keep alone or in a small group in 2430 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A very large fish with a hump and rows of dark spots with pale rings near the tail, and it reaches about a metre. Most home aquariums cannot house it, and it will eat small fish.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Hard to sex in most species.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 9,720–12,150 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 2425–3650 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 2430 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 300 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Low
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Use dim lighting, plenty of tubes and hiding places, and a soft bottom. Most are active at night, and they are shy without cover.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A shy fish that swims by rippling a long ribbon-like fin, and it can move backwards as easily as forwards. Many produce weak electric signals to find their way.
Varies by species, so see the notes.
Often territorial towards its own kind.
Keep with calm fish that are too big to swallow. It may eat small fish at night. It is likely to eat shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Frozen bloodworm and small prawnFeed in the evening, when the fish is most active.
- Live wormsGood for tempting shy fish to feed.
Feed meaty foods, and do so in the evening.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty
- Not commonly bred
- Parental care
- Unknown
Not commonly bred in aquariums, and little has been recorded about how it spawns.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Cambodia, Laos, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam
- Natural habitat
- Floodplain, Lake, River, Swamp
- Aquarium contexts
- Large Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Specialist
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Chitala
- Family
- Notopteridae
- Species group
- Fish, Knifefish
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