I was thinking of adding a lima shovelnose catfish to my tank which includes a shoal of clown loaches. My loaches are 4-7 inches and I want to add a lima shovelnose to the tank. Will it be safe longterm if I got the shovelnose at 6-7 inches?
Lima Shovelnose and clown loaches
- Thread starter TheEelKing
- Start date
NO!!!! BAD IDEA!!! It will be ok for a VERY SHORT period of time! Just count your loaches.... when your missing 4-5 and the LSN looks a bit fat you know its time to remove him. I would not put him in at all. I lost a 4" Pbass to a 7" TSN. By the time I noticed what he had in his mouth it was too late!
I've been thinking about doing this combo as well but I don't even know if it would work. I defiantely wouldn't do it with a TSN but a Lima I think could be different. Lima's mouths don't appear to be as big as a TSN's and Limas are relatively slow growers (not as slow as Clowns). As long as the Loach doesn't fit in the Lima's mouth, I think it would work.
Just a few things i have found searching the net. And if you look at and or measure the Lima vs TSN, the TSN will eventually "outgrow" the Lima (not by much) and there growth rates are FAST AS H.E.-Double hockey stick's.....
The Lima shovelnose catfish is a species of shovelnose catfish that are common throughout the Amazon and parts of South America. Their name originates from their flat rounded heads, which they use like a shovel to dig in the substrate for various food items. In the wild, the Lima shovelnose catfish spends much of its time moving about the bottom of rivers and tributaries looking for small crustaceans and fish species to consume. Lima shovelnose also position themselves vertically near tree roots and similar structures waiting for unsuspecting fish to swim nearby. While they are an aggressive predatory species, the Lima shovelnose is one of the smaller Pimelodidae family species reaching between 14 to 18 inches within the aquarium environment. While this is still a large sized fish, it is much smaller than the 36 to 48 inches of length that other members of the Pimelodidae family reach.
The Lima shovelnose Catfish requires a larger aquarium as an adult (180 gallons or more), but can be raised in smaller aquariums from 55 gallons on up as a juvenile. They are an active fish species that is known to jump out of uncovered aquariums, thus well covered aquariums are recommended. Lima shovelnose will do best in aquariums that resemble their natural surroundings as close as possible, thus a sandy/gravel mixed substrate, driftwood or tree root and Amazonian plant species will all highly desirable additions to a Lima shovelnose tank. While not overly sensitive to overall water quality the Lima shovelnose does put out a large bio-load, which means aquariums housing this species should have strong biological filtration and good water movement in order to keep high quality water conditions. Lastly the Lima shovelnose should be housed with other large aggressive fish species that it cannot fit in its mouth. Lima shovelnose catfish consume a wide variety of small crustaceans, fish, insects and worms in the wild. They will readily accept these same foods within the aquarium environment, or they can fairly easily be weaned from these foods to more economical pellet foods, crickets and earthworms. An added benefit of pellet foods, crickets, earthworms and similar foods is that they do not spread diseases like feeder fish can and provide a more nutritious and balanced diet for the Lima shovelnose.
Don't Be Fooled
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva, helvetica, sans serif]The Shovelnose Catfish may be quiet by day but come night time small fish become a buffet [/FONT]
by Mike McEwan
The common Shovelnose Catfish, Sorubim lima, is a slender fish from the rivers of the Amazon, Venezuela and Paraguay. The body is very elongated and built for speed. The upper half of the fish is a dark brown, the lower half being a creamy white. This color pattern allows the fish to blend in whether you're looking up at it against the sky or down at it towards the rocky bottom.
Tank Setup
Sorubim lima is a very quick fish and, coupled with its large size, makes it suitable for only extra large aquariums. They spend most of their day hiding among tall reeds in their natural habitat which is why the fish sometimes rests vertically to blend in. For this reason you must provide tall plants if the fish is to feel secure in its home. The horizontal water current provided by a powerhead or similar device also helps replicate their natural fast-flowing river habitat. Subdued lighting through the use of floating plants is recommended.
Although they're timid during the day, Shovelnose Catfish hunt at night and that is the time when smaller tankmates are in danger of becoming a meal. The fish will generally leave fish alone that it cannot eat.
Feeding
Shovelnose Catfish are carnivores and should be fed accordingly. They are highly nocturnal and thus should be fed at night when the lights are out. Some specimens may only accept live foods such as earthworms, live fish and prawns. Accumulated fish may accept prepared foods such as beef heart, fish meat or frozen bloodworms.
Water Chemistry
Sorubim lima is a hardy species that can adapt to most aquarium conditions. Keep the pH close to neutral, between 6.5-7.5. Frequent water changes should be carried out to keep the fish in good health. Like many catfish from the family Pimelodidae, the Shovelnose Catfish will shed its body mucus during times of stress, the mucus seen as a cloudy substance in the water.
Breeding Breeding has not been accomplished in home aquaria.
The Lima shovelnose catfish is a species of shovelnose catfish that are common throughout the Amazon and parts of South America. Their name originates from their flat rounded heads, which they use like a shovel to dig in the substrate for various food items. In the wild, the Lima shovelnose catfish spends much of its time moving about the bottom of rivers and tributaries looking for small crustaceans and fish species to consume. Lima shovelnose also position themselves vertically near tree roots and similar structures waiting for unsuspecting fish to swim nearby. While they are an aggressive predatory species, the Lima shovelnose is one of the smaller Pimelodidae family species reaching between 14 to 18 inches within the aquarium environment. While this is still a large sized fish, it is much smaller than the 36 to 48 inches of length that other members of the Pimelodidae family reach.
The Lima shovelnose Catfish requires a larger aquarium as an adult (180 gallons or more), but can be raised in smaller aquariums from 55 gallons on up as a juvenile. They are an active fish species that is known to jump out of uncovered aquariums, thus well covered aquariums are recommended. Lima shovelnose will do best in aquariums that resemble their natural surroundings as close as possible, thus a sandy/gravel mixed substrate, driftwood or tree root and Amazonian plant species will all highly desirable additions to a Lima shovelnose tank. While not overly sensitive to overall water quality the Lima shovelnose does put out a large bio-load, which means aquariums housing this species should have strong biological filtration and good water movement in order to keep high quality water conditions. Lastly the Lima shovelnose should be housed with other large aggressive fish species that it cannot fit in its mouth. Lima shovelnose catfish consume a wide variety of small crustaceans, fish, insects and worms in the wild. They will readily accept these same foods within the aquarium environment, or they can fairly easily be weaned from these foods to more economical pellet foods, crickets and earthworms. An added benefit of pellet foods, crickets, earthworms and similar foods is that they do not spread diseases like feeder fish can and provide a more nutritious and balanced diet for the Lima shovelnose.
Don't Be Fooled
[FONT=verdana, arial, geneva, helvetica, sans serif]The Shovelnose Catfish may be quiet by day but come night time small fish become a buffet [/FONT]
by Mike McEwan
The common Shovelnose Catfish, Sorubim lima, is a slender fish from the rivers of the Amazon, Venezuela and Paraguay. The body is very elongated and built for speed. The upper half of the fish is a dark brown, the lower half being a creamy white. This color pattern allows the fish to blend in whether you're looking up at it against the sky or down at it towards the rocky bottom.
Tank Setup
Sorubim lima is a very quick fish and, coupled with its large size, makes it suitable for only extra large aquariums. They spend most of their day hiding among tall reeds in their natural habitat which is why the fish sometimes rests vertically to blend in. For this reason you must provide tall plants if the fish is to feel secure in its home. The horizontal water current provided by a powerhead or similar device also helps replicate their natural fast-flowing river habitat. Subdued lighting through the use of floating plants is recommended.
Although they're timid during the day, Shovelnose Catfish hunt at night and that is the time when smaller tankmates are in danger of becoming a meal. The fish will generally leave fish alone that it cannot eat.
Feeding
Shovelnose Catfish are carnivores and should be fed accordingly. They are highly nocturnal and thus should be fed at night when the lights are out. Some specimens may only accept live foods such as earthworms, live fish and prawns. Accumulated fish may accept prepared foods such as beef heart, fish meat or frozen bloodworms.
Water Chemistry
Sorubim lima is a hardy species that can adapt to most aquarium conditions. Keep the pH close to neutral, between 6.5-7.5. Frequent water changes should be carried out to keep the fish in good health. Like many catfish from the family Pimelodidae, the Shovelnose Catfish will shed its body mucus during times of stress, the mucus seen as a cloudy substance in the water.
Breeding Breeding has not been accomplished in home aquaria.