Lima Shovelnose

[necrocanis]

This is the one I use to keep. It's stomach almost always looked like this after a feeding and by the next day it would be like that again. It was one of the most aggressive feeding fish I have ever owned. It put my vulture and any rtc that I have owned to shame. This fish would eat till literally it couldn't swallow anything else and would keep grabbing them anyway until tank mates finally took them. The other ones in the tank with this beast would eat maybe one piece of shrimp. This one would eat several handfuls per day.

 

[weirdfishlover]

View attachment 868935

This is the one I use to keep. It's stomach almost always looked like this after a feeding and by the next day it would be like that again. It was one of the most aggressive feeding fish I have ever owned. It put my vulture and any rtc that I have owned to shame. This fish would eat till literally it couldn't swallow anything else and would keep grabbing them anyway until tank mates finally took them. The other ones in the tank with this beast would eat maybe one piece of shrimp. This one would eat several handfuls per day.

Nice fella you got there Sir. Do u find that they tend to shed their slime ever so often ? I have issues like b4 so I refrained from acquiring another piece. Please advice.

 

[necrocanis]

Nice fella you got there Sir. Do u find that they tend to shed their slime ever so often ? I have issues like b4 so I refrained from acquiring another piece. Please advice.

This fish was killed by my ex years ago, but to answer your question it seemed that most often the slime would be shed during large water changes, and when introducing new fish. this one in particular would always eat the slime once shed. lol

 

[boosteshemi]

Amazing looking fish necro. I plan on getting mine to look like that some day. I know they have a slow growth rate, but monthly wise would they grow like 1 inch, more or less. Just trying to do some homework so i know hes doing good. I am currently feeding him an earthworm every other day. Should i give him some feeders? And i am going to start feeding him some shrimp, I know about deshelling and detailing the shrimp but should i cut the shrimp up because of his size? Thanks for all the info.

 

[boosteshemi]

Also should i add a powerhead to add some current. There is a decent current now but i was curious if they like alot of current.

 

[necrocanis]

Mine never seemed to hang in the current. Always was on the bottom when big, and was in the plants when little. I'd say growth was maybe an inch the first month I had it, but slowed down a lot after that. Took it 4 years to grow from 3" to 16" when it was killed. Fed shrimp, floating pellets, and occasional night crawlers that were wild caught.

 

[boosteshemi]

When yours was smaller did you cut up the shrimp or throw in a whole one?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Do u find that they tend to shed their slime ever so often ?

IME and from I read, it is normal. All of mine ate their slime too.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

This is the one I use to keep. It's stomach almost always looked like this after a feeding and by the next day it would be like that again. It was one of the most aggressive feeding fish I have ever owned. It put my vulture and any rtc that I have owned to shame. This fish would eat till literally it couldn't swallow anything else and would keep grabbing them anyway until tank mates finally took them. The other ones in the tank with this beast would eat maybe one piece of shrimp. This one would eat several handfuls per day.

I guess I stand corrected unless Cliff will agree that this is unusual for this fish to be such an aggressive feeder. My impression was based on my seven specimen and what I've read of others but, of course, still may be wrong and things surely vary for different keepers.

I am actually happy to see that they can feed like that.

 

[Jbh2383]

Mine shed everytime I do a water change. Had my biggest one for about 2 yrs and its about 12" and got another a few months ago it's put on a few inches since prob about 5-6" now. As for the current they don't really seem to like it so I turned the return down on my canister. Awesome fish IMO.


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