To those that keep Limas!!!

[rvm]

As a few of you may know; I have a new 140g tank with a Lima Shovelnose. The other inhabitants are a red Oscar, 2 Juraparis, 4 Clown Loaches, and 3 Bala sharks.
Every now and then; the Lima has a bit of a dig at the Oscar and sometimes the others. Nothing major, but he has taken a couple of scales off the oscar.
Anyway; I know CFC has said that he would be better off with another shovelnose, and I am looking for one as we speak, but would that help with the chasing thing?
Like I said. I'm not too concerned as it isn't constant harassing and nothing too violent, but just wondering.

Oh yeah BTW CFC, my LFS are still insisting that he will eat just about everything that is in the tank including the Oscar (who is about 10") I just laughed at them and walked out!!!!!

 

[CFC]

The minor aggression you are seeing will subside once the tanks hierachy has been established, with bigger fish you can always expect a little settling down period at first.
The limas are a social fish that enjoy the company of their own kind, they dont school as such but kind of just hang out together, there was a deffinate marked difference in mine when i added the second one about a year after i got the first and the third one was accepted by both instantly.

The opinion that shovelnoses will eat anything is one i have encountered a lot, the reputation comes from the tiger shovelnoses and people who dont know any better just presume that one shovelnose is just as bad as the other. you only need to look at the limas mouth to know there is no way it could swallow a tall bodied fish like a severum or oscar, long thin torpedo shaped fish under 4 inches may be in danger but anything larger is safe.

 

[rvm]

Cheers mate, I'll step up the search for another one a little. If you came across any; let me know. I live in bucks, so a trip into London shouldn't be a massive problem, I can get there in less than an hour, so the fish will be ok on the trip home!!

 

[Joviella]

I am getting two lima shovelnoses v.soon rvm. The man at the fish store I am getting them from is transporting them from a branch of maidenhead aquatics in wembley(I think thats where he said)
Anyway......There were 3 of them and as I am only getting 2......there is one going spare!!!! If you are interested,let me or cfc know and we can sort something out.



Edited to say that they are apparently 8" each.