Question About Lima Shovelnose Compatability

[Jox]

I read certain stuff that lima's can be kept in a 55G. I have a 55G and will be upgrading in about a month to a 75G or 100G. I read they get around 12 inches and on planet catfish some mentioned that they are a peacefull fish with a bad reputation. I seen some at my LFS andwanted to get one and maybe put him in the 55G for a short while . Yeah its gonna be overstocked but not for long I hope. Right now there is one African Knife thats around 6-7 inches, one senegal at around 6 inches , three 4-5 inch rainbow fish and one 4 1/2 inch suncat fish. Will the lima eat the knife? I know it might and most likely eat the rainbow fish and I think the sun is gonna be good. Is this a good choice, a choice that "might" work out or just another crazy thread started by some optimistic fish owner. If not any other choices for a predatory not so aggressive type of catfish or oddball?

 

[CFC]

Lima shovelnoses are indeed peacefull fish that also happen to have a big mouth and a taste for other fish. Slim bodied fish like knife fishes are prime targets for night time snacking and are almost guaranteed to be eaten unless they are significantly larger than the lima, tall bodied fish like Cichlids that are over 4" are safe and thick bodied fish like other catfishes and barbs are safe when over 6" .
Although most places say the minimum recomended tank size for limas is 55g i think most are reffering to imperial gallons which are larger than US gallons or have got their info from a source using imperial gallons, to be safe tank dimensions should be given instead really, a tank that is at least 4 feet long by 18 inches wide is needed for adults, the height is unimportant.

Limas are great fish for larger communities (i have 3) but you must choose their tankmates carefully.

 

[Paul_MTS]

as a side note I'ved found mines growing quite slowly so it should be ok in your 55 for a good few months before it becomes drastic, in about 4 months mines grown about 2-3", making him about 6" now.

 

[Jox]

Woosh. Thank you guys a lot. I was serious into buying one too. I'd risk the rainbows for it but not the knife. My mom's favorite fish . Any other nominees for a nice sized (around or under a foot) for a catfish or oddball ?

 

[Paul_MTS]

dwarf girrafe nose catfish P. Macrostoma are quite nice, grow to 6" but you probable won't see too much of it.

There's a few eels that would go in your set up nicely.

can't think of much else at the moment

 

[bunjiweb]

CFC it is interesting you say they shouldnt be kept with knifefish. My 2 are with a BGK that is about 9" and they don't seem to bother it, they sit there when he zooms on past (he is very active!).

Ben

 

[CFC]

At 9" its probably just about too big for your limas to bother trying to eat Bunji, if you didnt feed them for a few weeks the larger lima might try his luck though. Where the trouble is usually is that people buy their fish when they are all about the same size and then the lima outgrows the other fish and starts eating them, knife fishes are quite slow growers in the scheme of things and unless the knife was quite large to begin with it could end up as a snack.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

I have a 10" lima and 3 smaller 5" ones..The 5 inchers dont bother anything at all..and nor does the 10" one..he has however eaten a few fish I thought would be ok...umm a 5" red tail shark, a 6" harlequin shark, 6 3" Tiger barbs... bloody fish >.< He is awesome though.

 

[bunjiweb]

I keep them well fed on all sorts of things, but they particularly like gammafish (whitebait) and mussel.

Ben