# Chitala Blanci VS. Chitala Ornata



## Master wilkins (Dec 10, 2012)

To start off my question, I went away on vacation and entrusted my 380 gallon tank with all of my prized fish to my girlfriend's care... I can't even begin to describe what a mistake that was... Halfway through my vacation she texted me with a picture of one of my fish dried up on the floor, at the time I just figured that the Tire Track Eel had just decided to explore a hole through the glass canopy. Nope, it was trying to escape the horrible water conditions! So a very long explanation short of what happened, ALL of my big, expensive, favorite fish died except for the African Lungfish (which I'm incredibly relieved for it to still be alive as its the most expensive one I have).

So now I enter my long and slow journey to re-stock the giant tank in my living room. First up is the knife fish, I had a Clown Knife fish at about 12" before it died that I had bought at 3" a year and a half ago. Hands down my favorite fish, so naturally it's going to be the first one back in the tank. 
I went on a journey out to IPU Burnaby to see what they had, and I noticed that they had both Clown knives and Royal knives (both are gorgeous) and I couldn't make up my mind! I have never owned a Royal knife before, but I hear the care aspects are pretty much the same with a few slight details modified minutely. 

As I couldn't make up my mind I thought to myself "why can't I have both?", but now that I am a little bit smarter and a little bit wiser I staved off my impulses (just barely) to do a little more research. These two different knife fish have been in the same tank at IPU together for quite some time now and have always seemed to be getting along fine as far as I could tell. However there are about 8 in total in the tank, and aggression will be thinned out as a result. 

My questions are - Can I have one of each in my 380 gallon tank?

- Will their territorial aggression spark up if there are only two in the tank even though as far as I know they have, for all intents and purposes, "grown up together"?

- If ultimately I can't have both, help me make up my mind on which one I should get. 

When I had my CK, it was my all time favorite fish, I am more sad about the death of that fish than any other. I have had it since it was pretty much a fry! And I had to pellet train it through it's complete stubbornness to not want to do so. We went through quite a bit together, and it is truly in its own right an incredibly beautiful fish with amazing character. The RCK is also an incredibly beautiful fish but in its own regard. I've never owned one before so I can't say anything past it's looks other than from what I've read it's "pretty much" the same thing.

Please help! I don't think I can stave off my impulses much longer!


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## mrbob (Aug 9, 2012)

I say try both if they fight all the time then make decision to sell one! try I'll buy one off you if it don't work!! LOL you never know till you try? people tell me never do this or that, but I try and most of time it works!! Good luck!!


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

i would replace both the fish and the gf............just kidding.


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## King-eL (Apr 21, 2010)

380g is a big tank for both. I have them in the same tank and they do fine. care is also the same. i've seen the royal knifefish at ipu and it's been there for a long time now and not even growing. hopefully they are not stunted. if ur friend at bosley can get u rare fish it should not be a problem getting u a royal knifefish. best to order than get those at ipu as chances are they could be stunted, if u plan on mixing it with ur clown knife it could out grow it and kill the smaller royal knife. featherbacks are actually fine living together as long as they grew up together at the same size.

here is my tank with a clown knifefish, golden clown knife and royal knifefish all at 27". i also have an 25" albino clown knifefish, 14" asian knifefish and 21" pompom knifefish.


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## Master wilkins (Dec 10, 2012)

Thanks King-el, you just reminded me that I had a Black Ghost in with my Clown (sadly both died in the crash), they grew up together from early on and there were no problems whatsoever. The BK is quite a bit different than a RCK in behavior, but the principle is the same I guess. The only reason I brought up IPU for the knives is because I'm trading in a couple fish from a different tank of mine and figured that I could start strong in my re-stocking. I'm having beers with Kurtis later today, I'll see what he's got on the order form.

Also, everything I've read, says either have only 1 or 3+ as 2 will kill each other. But like you say King-el, like my BGK and CK, if they grow up together they should be fine.

P.S. Gorgeous fish, and where did you get your Bichir substrate?! I've never seen a product like that around before.


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## King-eL (Apr 21, 2010)

Master wilkins said:


> Thanks King-el, you just reminded me that I had a Black Ghost in with my Clown (sadly both died in the crash), they grew up together from early on and there were no problems whatsoever. The BK is quite a bit different than a RCK in behavior, but the principle is the same I guess. The only reason I brought up IPU for the knives is because I'm trading in a couple fish from a different tank of mine and figured that I could start strong in my re-stocking. I'm having beers with Kurtis later today, I'll see what he's got on the order form.
> 
> Also, everything I've read, says either have only 1 or 3+ as 2 will kill each other. But like you say King-el, like my BGK and CK, if they grow up together they should be fine.
> 
> P.S. Gorgeous fish, and where did you get your Bichir substrate?! I've never seen a product like that around before.


it's a 3m color quartz. hard to find now as 3m now discountinued of making them.

As for bgk treat it differently from ck, as bgk is modern knifefish. They are from the order: Gymnotiformes which is related to the catfishes, milkfishes, cyprinids and characins from the superorder called Ostariophysi:. modern knifefish actually evolved from the Siluriformes: catfish. There are more closely related to catfish than to featherback knifefishes (ck,rck etc).

CK are primitive knifefish and are called featherbacks from family Notopteridae, they are closely related to arowanas, elephantfish, aba aba and arapaimas. they are not cloely related to the bgk or any of the Gymnotiformes. it's just the name "knifefish" that people think they are related and care are the same.


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## Master wilkins (Dec 10, 2012)

Well I didnt know that about the BGK thanks for the info.

I wasnt actually asking about the substrate as you have so many bichirs in there covering the floor you cant even see it! Just a little joke...


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## Master wilkins (Dec 10, 2012)

AARRGH!!! No clown knives or royal knives on kurtis' order form this week... Only black ghost knives and black african knives... He said that i shouldnt have to wait too long for it to show up again on the form. Now i have the dilhemma of should i wait? Or should i go back to IPU and grab those?... Im sure im not the only fish keeper out there who hates to have to wait...


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