Missing Ghost Knife?

HI guys, I purchased a black ghost knife fish yesterday, and I went to feed the fish this morning, and he’s nowhere to be found. I noticed yesterday that he was pretty good at hiding, but I could still see him. Today, I have picked up and moved every single decoration in the tank, and he is nowhere to be found. My tank is also completely sealed because I have some escape artist reedfish. I checked the ground around the tank, anyhow. Nothing. It literally seems like he disappeared into thin air. Anyone else ever had this problem? I’ve been looking all day for him. He wasn’t cheap, either. And he is such a cool fish. I can’t understand where he could’ve gone. Any advice?

 

Have you turned over every rock, every pebble, and every leaf? If so, can you post some pictures of his tank?

 

Yes I have
Here are some pics, don’t mind the ugly white gravel

 

Yes I have
Here are some pics, don’t mind the ugly white gravel

Check your filter

 

Check inside any hollow decor with a flashlight.

 

Already checked both, nowhere to be found. I just don’t understand this at all. I can’t find him anywhere.

 

How big is/was the knife? you can maybe limit where it could've gone. And how big is your biggest fish in there? You never know when a fish wants a little snack.

 

He was about two inches long and way too big to be eaten by the others. I’ve honestly searched every place possible and just have to accept that he’s gone, but it’s just blowing my mind. It’s just like he proofed away like a magician. He’s nowhere. It really doesn’t make sense.

 

I've had that happen with a freshwater goby and a twig catfish.

 

Lindsey, isn’t that crazy? I’ve never heard of such a thing. It sounds impossible, yet he’s not here. I don’t know what to do now expect to just move on, honestly. Really sucks, he was a cool little guy.

 

Lindsey, isn’t that crazy? I’ve never heard of such a thing. It sounds impossible, yet he’s not here. I don’t know what to do now expect to just move on, honestly. Really sucks, he was a cool little guy.

How big are all of your other fish ?

 

My biggest is a 6 inch dojo loach, but he has a small mouth and he’s always been very peaceful.

 

Hate to suggest it, but check the area around your fish tank as well. Sometimes fish jump out. It happened to one of my loaches a few weeks ago. I was so sad. I hope your knifefish is hiding in the gravel somewhere! they can be sneaky.

 

Had the same thing happen to me!

Bought a new goldfish for my tank.. Running for 8 years, stable parameters etc. Woke up and he was nowhere to be found. Pulled apart filter, decorations etc but no sign!

Assumed he'd died somehow during the night (tank has fine water ps so I was even more confused, plus my fancies are peaceful) and my two fantails had eaten the remains.

A couple of weeks later I added a pleco to my tank and he managed to unearth the remains. Found them in a conch shell that had a small hole at the top where my goldfish possibly got stuck and died? I had checked the conch shell too, which added to the oddity.

Check your decorations and maybe run some water on them to dislodge anything. Could be the remains are wedged somewhere?

 

I once drained my 90 gallon, and found a horseface loach buried in the wet gravel weeks later. We put him in another tank, and he lived a few years longer. Fish can be surprisingly hardy!

 

I agree with the post above, take out the decorations and run water through them to fish him out, and don’t put decorations back in! He will most likely move to a different decor, and you will still be looking for him

 

Forgot to add that there is a chance he's still alive. Had ghost knife fish a long time ago. They're are very very shy and mostly nocturnal so he might hopefully re-emerge.

 

I've got a clown knife about 5 1/2 inches long I call Houdini. He's always hiding in the ornaments, but I can still see him. Sometimes at night I don't see him, but I shine a small flashlight into the tank, and I can see a set of glowing eyes looking back at me. Yup, that's Houdini.

 

I once had a pair of German Blue Rams they built nest two times never seen any eggs. One night I took a cool pic of the two inside their nest then the next morning the male was missing. Couldn’t find him anywhere no decorations in tank just planted. He was nowhere not inside or outside the tank. I came to the conclusion that he died and other fish in the tank ate him before morning.

The sad part was that the female became sad stop eating and died herself

 

I once had a fish that did the exact same! I can’t remember the type but it was an algae eater type fish. He just disappeared! A while later I was cleaning the tank and I pulled out a large ornament that was hollow on the inside, somehow he had got himself under the ornament (that was pushed into the gravel) and died after he got stuck up the top!

Good luck, I hope you find him!

 

Alright guys, so I was about to turn on the light and feed the fish, right? But I was watching all the night guys swimming around first, like the beautiful silvery pictus cats, and MR. GHOST KNIFE WAS JUST CASUALLY SWIMMING AROUND. I was going to rinse out all the decorations today, as you guys suggested. Turns out there’s no need to. I was watching him intently to see where he’d go when the light was on, but I had to say goodbye to my fiancé, and when I turned back, he was gone again. Absolutely nowhere in sight. I still have NO idea where he’s hiding, but I’m really glad he’s doing fine. I guess he really is a super shy sneaky guy. Thanks everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it. Yay for living fish.. !

 

Alright guys, so I was about to turn on the light and feed the fish, right? But I was watching all the night guys swimming around first, like the beautiful silvery pictus cats, and MR. GHOST KNIFE WAS JUST CASUALLY SWIMMING AROUND. I was going to rinse out all the decorations today, as you guys suggested. Turns out there’s no need to. I was watching him intently to see where he’d go when the light was on, but I had to say goodbye to my fiancé, and when I turned back, he was gone again. Absolutely nowhere in sight. I still have NO idea where he’s hiding, but I’m really glad he’s doing fine. I guess he really is a super shy sneaky guy. Thanks everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it. Yay for living fish.. !

Glad to know he's OK! I have to say this thread has made me tempted to get some ghost knife fish now lol

 

Fawkes21, If you plan on getting some, I hope you get to see them every now and then! They’re suuuuper cool to look at..when they’re showing themselves haha
(We have the same birthday!)

 

Fawkes21, If you plan on getting some, I hope you get to see them every now and then! They’re suuuuper cool to look at..when they’re showing themselves haha
(We have the same birthday!)

I hope so too...I was thinking of setting up a saltwater tank but I may change that to tropical to accommodate the ghost knife fish. Apparently they can grow to 50cm!!! Might not stay hidden for long lol


Awesome tank btw, love that red theme you seem to having going on!

 

I have a missing Nerite Black Racing Snail and he was about the size of a nickle. I have not seen him for over a week now, and looked on the floor and everywhere else for his remains, but nothing. I don't have a clue.

 

I have a missing Nerite Black Racing Snail and he was about the size of a nickle. I have not seen him for over a week now, and looked on the floor and everywhere else for his remains, but nothing. I don't have a clue.

What fish do you have?

Could he have burrowed himself in your substrate. I have an assassin snail I haven't seen in weeks.

 

Fawkes21, I can’t wait to have a saltwater tank. It’s going to be several years until I can afford to do it, so I’m just focusing on this one for now. I want to put my babies in a bigger tank because I keep buying more and it’s getting too crowded. I also want to start using my old 20 gallon again and have it dirted with all real plants. Maybe I’ll just transfer some of the fish to that one instead of going bigger because I really don’t have room right now. I’m probably going to have to wait until I move. Thanks for the compliment on my tank! I bought a small bag of white gravel at the dollar store thinking it would look good with the red/pink gravel, but it was a big mistake. I gotta bring myself to pick out as much of the white as I can.

Countryrain, I’m sorry to hear about your snail. My mind was just as boggled as yours. I really hope he pops up out of nowhere like mine did, and I hope he’s still alive and healthy. I’d love to get a red racer snail one day, but I can’t put a small snail in my tank now because I have a dojo loach, who are known to feed on snails. My one mystery snail is huge and doing fine with him, though.

 

Fawkes21, I can’t wait to have a saltwater tank. It’s going to be several years until I can afford to do it, so I’m just focusing on this one for now. I want to put my babies in a bigger tank because I keep buying more and it’s getting too crowded. I also want to start using my old 20 gallon again and have it dirted with all real plants. Maybe I’ll just transfer some of the fish to that one instead of going bigger because I really don’t have room right now. I’m probably going to have to wait until I move. Thanks for the compliment on my tank! I bought a small bag of white gravel at the dollar store thinking it would look good with the red/pink gravel, but it was a big mistake. I gotta bring myself to pick out as much of the white as I can.

Countryrain, I’m sorry to hear about your snail. My mind was just as boggled as yours. I really hope he pops up out of nowhere like mine did, and I hope he’s still alive and healthy. I’d love to get a red racer snail one day, but I can’t put a small snail in my tank now because I have a dojo loach, who are known to feed on snails. My one mystery snail is huge and doing fine with him, though.

You and me both! All the extra salt water equipment is so pricey, as well as the livestock. Fell in love with subzero frostbite clownfish at my lfs though...

Could maybe transfer the smaller fish to the 20 gallon or maybe get another filter?

Your tank seems fine for now though, especially since your dojo and gkf are still relatively small.

I have a planted tank myself and and live plants are really nice to look at.. Until my 10 goldies decide to eat them and remodel my aquascape lol

 

This same exact thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I had a blue half moon betta named Steve, and one morning when I went to go feed him and say hello he was gone. There was a small feeding hole in the cover (very small, I have no clue how he aimed so well) and am assuming he jumped out of the hole and then one of my cats ate him. at least I didn’t have to see his remains on the ground

 

You and me both! All the extra salt water equipment is so pricey, as well as the livestock. Fell in love with subzero frostbite clownfish at my lfs though...

Could maybe transfer the smaller fish to the 20 gallon or maybe get another filter?

Your tank seems fine for now though, especially since your dojo and gkf are still relatively small.

I have a planted tank myself and and live plants are really nice to look at.. Until my 10 goldies decide to eat them and remodel my aquascape lol

Yeah it sucks how pricey saltwater stuff can get. I probably won’t start for another five years or so. I want to have a giant saltwater aquarium. Around 200 gallon or so. Definitely going to be a while for that. That’s a cool looking clownfish. I love the awesome variety with saltwater fish.
I had thought about putting the smaller fish in the 20g, but I know I’ll just buy more fish... lol
I think I’m addicted
I just got my first plant, an anubias barteri, just to start with. I’m excited to start a tank with all live plants. Going to have to look more into caring for them first, and get brighter lights. Sorry about your eaten plants

This same exact thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I had a blue half moon betta named Steve, and one morning when I went to go feed him and say hello he was gone. There was a small feeding hole in the cover (very small, I have no clue how he aimed so well) and am assuming he jumped out of the hole and then one of my cats ate him. at least I didn’t have to see his remains on the ground

Sorry about Steve it’s crazy how good some fish are at being escape artists. I had a reedfish jump out while I was at the grocery store once. I’m glad I came back home in time, and I’m glad they have lungs. Every possible part of my cover is completely sealed off now. I just lift the lid to feed them.

 

Sorry about Steve it’s crazy how good some fish are at being escape artists. I had a reedfish jump out while I was at the grocery store once. I’m glad I came back home in time, and I’m glad they have lungs. Every possible part of my cover is completely sealed off now. I just lift the lid to feed them.

Yeah, I used some plastic wrap to wrap the feeding hole after that happened. I still wonder which of my cats got him

 

Next time you can't find him, check under the lip of the HOB filter (if you have one)
My 14 inch ghost knife has a huge cave made just for him. And he does use it a lot. But he also likes to hang out under the lip of my HOB filter. Its one of the big marineland biowheel filters and it is about as long as he is.

At just 2 inches, they can squeeze into really tight spots. But if you had moved everything around and still didn't find him, I wonder if that is where he was hanging out.

Just a suggestion.

 

Yeah it sucks how pricey saltwater stuff can get. I probably won’t start for another five years or so. I want to have a giant saltwater aquarium. Around 200 gallon or so. Definitely going to be a while for that. That’s a cool looking clownfish. I love the awesome variety with saltwater fish.
I had thought about putting the smaller fish in the 20g, but I know I’ll just buy more fish... lol
I think I’m addicted
I just got my first plant, an anubias barteri, just to start with. I’m excited to start a tank with all live plants. Going to have to look more into caring for them first, and get brighter lights. Sorry about your eaten plants

200g!! That would be epic. I'd love to have a wall sized aquarium. Keep some rays and epaulette sharks or something, plus a bunch of schooling fish.

I can emphasise with the fish addiction... Upgraded my tank and went from 2 goldies to 10 plus a pleco in the space of a month.. I'd always find a stunning goldfish I couldn't help buying now I'm at max capacity

Anubias are pretty hardy. Do better when tied to something. I have some root tabs and fertiliser and my plants are doing fine (bought some buffer plants for my goldies so they leave my others alone lol)

 

200g!! That would be epic. I'd love to have a wall sized aquarium. Keep some rays and epaulette sharks or something, plus a bunch of schooling fish.

I can emphasise with the fish addiction... Upgraded my tank and went from 2 goldies to 10 plus a pleco in the space of a month.. I'd always find a stunning goldfish I couldn't help buying now I'm at max capacity

Anubias are pretty hardy. Do better when tied to something. I have some root tabs and fertiliser and my plants are doing fine (bought some buffer plants for my goldies so they leave my others alone lol)

I hope we can both have our dream wall sized aquariums one day haha
The fish addiction addiction shall never stop!
I hope my fish don’t end up eating all the plants I’m gonna have lol

I waited a bit after turning their light off and shined a flashlight in and got video of the knife if you guys would like to see him

Well the video won’t upload so I took some screenshots of it





Here’s a few more..sorry, couldn’t help myself. It’s just so neat to actually see him out!!

 

Wow he's beautiful! He sure is camera shy! LOL!