torn up lima shovelnose

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neonmadness

neonmadness

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 2, 2006
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when i got home my limas fins were all torn or missing, was missing a barbel and he had a big gash above his left eye. What should i do to treat him? i just put him in my 100g today and he was only in there for about an hour. he still swims alright and is currently in my empty 10g. hes about 5 inches, also who do you think hurt him? his tankmates are in my sig and the lights were on so as far as i know the catfish were all hiding.
 
You have a number of aggressive fish in your sig. Any one of them could be the culprit. I always use melafix along with sea salt, and high temps for my damaged fish. They heal quickly. What are the sizes of the other fish? My oscars will attack fish 2x their size. Good move on the Q-tank.
 
whats melafix? i dont have any sea salt, so will iodized salt work? My oscars 6 inches, my pikes 5 inches and my blue acaras 3 inches(those are the suspects). i think it was the pike or oscar since i don't think my blue acara couldve done it if it tried, and its not at all aggressive. my guess is it was the pike( hes agressive, chases everyone but my o around) or my oscar tried to eat it and failed( he doesnt bother what he cant eat tho).
 
never use iodized salt. I only use evaporated sea salt. I personally use 1 teaspoon per 5 gals, and raise temps above 85 f. Melafix is a common fish treatment that you can get at any lfs. Fins grow back, but they take some time. Whiskers(barbells) should grow back in a matter of 1-2 weeks with proper care. I would think that a 6" oscar could fit a skinny 5" lima in their mouth. I have a 6" oscar, and he could definitely eat a 5" lima with ease. Just keep him seperated til he gets better, and you might want to house him in a different tank. These fish are a little delicate for the fish that you have in your tank, at least until they break the 1ft. mark then they are bruisers. My 13" lima kicks my 6" oscar's *** all the time.
 
ill raise the temp to 85 (its 78 right now) and buy some melafix and sea salt. ill keep the lima in my 10g for another month til he gets bigger. thanks for the help.
 
is the 10 gal an established tank? Make sure you keep an eye out for ammonia levels, and don't overfeed at all in there. Keep that tank super clean!
 
ummm, no offense COL, but I have been keeping large pims for 10 years and I always use salt to treat them with no ill effects. I just half the recommended doseage. They actually seem to be more active with salt in there, and eat more. I have started to keep 1 teaspoon per five gals in all my tanks all the time not just for treatments, and I have never had healthier, faster growing catfish than I do right now. Not trying to step on any toes, I just know that it works because I have been doing it for a long time.
 
Surprised no none has made this suggestion yet - remove the lima.

They are as close to totally non-agressive as a catfish can get, and it is going to continue to get it's *** kicked as long as it is in your tank.

I had tried them many moons ago, only to see them get slaughtered by some young central american cichlids.

Good tankmates for stingrays or angelfish. Not for pike and oscars.

Good reason to get another tank!
/Kris
 
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