Lima Shovelnose.

[lilmiss]

Can anyone answer a few questions i have please.
1. can't seem to be able to get my shovelnose to eat as the clown loaches get to any food first.
also i read they will eat beef heart, is this bought from fish shop or butchers??!
2. My pictus seems to want to be under him all the time. ( why?) they display very strange behaviour almost like they are playing, but guy in fish shop said shovelnose would eat my pictus?
3. Any good suggestions for some good fish that my shovel nose would be good with in my tank.
many thanks lilmiss.

 

[CFC]

What foods are you offering? There shouldnt be competetion between clown loaches and lima shovelnoses as they have completely different dietry requirements.
What sort of size is your lima now? Are you aware of its adult size? Unless your clowns are very large they will be viewed as food in the near future.

As for the strange behaviour of the pictus and lima both fish are schooling species and when kept alone they will attempt to school with other fish of a similar shape and colour, this is ok until the lima grows to a size where it can eat the pictus and then its all over.

The best tankmates for lima shovelnoses are medium sized non aggressive Cichlids like Severums, other medium/large catfish and larger Characins such as silver dollars. Avoid keeping them with slim bodied fish or fish with an adult size of under 5 inches or they will become food.

 

[lilmiss]

What foods are you offering? There shouldnt be competetion between clown loaches and lima shovelnoses as they have completely different dietry requirements.
What sort of size is your lima now? Are you aware of its adult size? Unless your clowns are very large they will be viewed as food in the near future.

As for the strange behaviour of the pictus and lima both fish are schooling species and when kept alone they will attempt to school with other fish of a similar shape and colour, this is ok until the lima grows to a size where it can eat the pictus and then its all over.

The best tankmates for lima shovelnoses are medium sized non aggressive Cichlids like Severums, other medium/large catfish and larger Characins such as silver dollars. Avoid keeping them with slim bodied fish or fish with an adult size of under 5 inches or they will become food.

Hi,
Have only offered lance fish , which is what they said he was being offered in the shop.
My clown loachs seem to eat them, even though i put in wafers and other mix of foods for them.
My clown loaches are about 4 inchs but the shovel nose is not an adult yet, waiting on another tank
to put shovel nose and other large fish in.
poor pictus! He really does seem to like him, if only he knew! Will move pictus to another tank when my shovel nose gets bigger. ( he is only about 6 inchs at moment.)

 

[CFC]

One very important question i forgot to ask, how long have you had the lima?

Lima's are very sensative to being moved and can take several weeks before settling into a new tank, one of mine once stopped eating for 10 weeks after being moved into a new tank.

Try feeding some bloodworms at the same time as the lance fish which should pre occupy the clowns, you could also try offering cooked frozen prawns (tesco value are good) cooked mussels or cockles as well, all of which will be relished by the lima and your other fish.

A little tip about the lance fish, dont buy lance fish, instead go to your local fishmongers and by bags of frozen whitebait. Because it is intended for human consumption the whitebait is treated a lot better and retains more of its nutrients, often lance fish have been defrosted and refrozen several times by the time you buy them and are passed their best.

 

[lilmiss]

One very important question i forgot to ask, how long have you had the lima?

Lima's are very sensative to being moved and can take several weeks before settling into a new tank, one of mine once stopped eating for 10 weeks after being moved into a new tank.

Try feeding some bloodworms at the same time as the lance fish which should pre occupy the clowns, you could also try offering cooked frozen prawns (tesco value are good) cooked mussels or cockles as well, all of which will be relished by the lima and your other fish.

A little tip about the lance fish, dont buy lance fish, instead go to your local fishmongers and by bags of frozen whitebait. Because it is intended for human consumption the whitebait is treated a lot better and retains more of its nutrients, often lance fish have been defrosted and refrozen several times by the time you buy them and are passed their best.

Hi, he has only been in tank for couple weeks, so it might explain, also he has eaten few of the smaller fish, with help from my pictus! will get in some of your other suggestions, and like you said i am sure once he is hungry he will except what i am offering, He just seems abit shy at the moment.
Once my big tank is up and running i'm going to get another, have been reading bits from the site and others have said how they like to have company and seem more active together.
thanks for help. great site!
sandi

One very important question i forgot to ask, how long have you had the lima?

Lima's are very sensative to being moved and can take several weeks before settling into a new tank, one of mine once stopped eating for 10 weeks after being moved into a new tank.

Try feeding some bloodworms at the same time as the lance fish which should pre occupy the clowns, you could also try offering cooked frozen prawns (tesco value are good) cooked mussels or cockles as well, all of which will be relished by the lima and your other fish.

A little tip about the lance fish, dont buy lance fish, instead go to your local fishmongers and by bags of frozen whitebait. Because it is intended for human consumption the whitebait is treated a lot better and retains more of its nutrients, often lance fish have been defrosted and refrozen several times by the time you buy them and are passed their best.

Hi, he has only been in tank for couple weeks, so it might explain, also he has eaten few of the smaller fish, with help from my pictus! will get in some of your other suggestions, and like you said i am sure once he is hungry he will except what i am offering, He just seems abit shy at the moment.
Once my big tank is up and running i'm going to get another, have been reading bits from the site and others have said how they like to have company and seem more active together.
thanks for help. great site!
sandi

For got to ask have you still got your lima? If so how big is he? and what tank have you got him in.
We are getting one made to make it a good width, and was wondering what width you'd advise.

 

[CFC]

Ive got 3 limas ranging between 14" and 10" in length in a 6x2x2 tank. I wouldnt recomend less than 24" width with a 5x2x2 tank probably being the smallest id go with.

 

[bunjiweb]

I agree with everything CFC says.

I have 3 myself, 2 about 14" and one 11" ish. They all eat pretty well but I made sure they were eating well before I bought them, and fortunately the move appeared to do them no harm. The one I bought the other week which is 14" from a Maidenhead store was eating mussel, whole prawn and gamma fish straight away.

Ben

 

[lilmiss]

I agree with everything CFC says.

I have 3 myself, 2 about 14" and one 11" ish. They all eat pretty well but I made sure they were eating well before I bought them, and fortunately the move appeared to do them no harm. The one I bought the other week which is 14" from a Maidenhead store was eating mussel, whole prawn and gamma fish straight away.

Ben

He ate a prawn!!!! Put blood worm in for loachs and turned the lights off as well. cool!
thanks for help. sandi

 

[bunjiweb]

so what size is your tank?

 

[lilmiss]

so what size is your tank?
Hi my tank is going to be 5 ft by 2ft by 2 ft, so he should be happy enough.!