shawna - 2009-02-26 We have two Lepos in our tank. They are very nice shy fish. At first they hid a lot, but now that they are more comfortable they come out often. They are not aggressive to any of our fish. However, I noticed a lot of the fish on here that they are eating are from tropical community fish tanks, but these fish are for semi-aggressive communities. We have ours in a 110 gallon tank with a black ghost knifefish, 3 needlfish, and a school of fish including albino tiger barbs, albino tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, an african leaf fish, and 2 plecos. They are the most sweet of all the fish in there - well except for our knifefish and plecos. Just our experience!
My Babies - 2008-11-16 We have a lepo and we call him "Nipper" because that is all he does is nip the other fish in the tank. We have had Nipper for about one year and he does well in the tank with Oscars and a LARGE catfish. However we bought a little Lepo for one of our other tanks and he killed just about everything in it. So we tranfered him into a different tank with just a catfish and he is doing great. But I will say we went through our fair share of fish we before we figured out it was the Lepo that was killing everything. Our large Lepo, Nipper, is not doing so well, he is turning bright red in the front by his mouth. I am not sure if he has caught some type of illness or what the issue is. If someone has any idea what is going on your help would be greatly appreciated. My email address is maryheuer@charter.net. I would really hate to see this guy go, he adds some fun to that tank and a beautiful color. Please help.
Joslyn - 2008-11-08 We are currently looking fora new home for our one year old Lepo! He has killed all of his tankmates except a single Gourami. We love watching this fish - dig rocks, stay inverted for long periods of time and just "rule" our tank. Unfortunately, my daughters have been crushed to see each of their "pretty" fish disappear to our Lepo. He has eaten large tiger barbs, mollies, various large Tetras and 2 Plecos. Unless looking to raise this fish with very few othes - I would not recommend it. I think the pet shop will take him back - going to try tomorrow.
Evan - 2008-10-24 I just got my Leporinus, 2 of them actually. When I first saw them they were in a tank with painted parrots, and silver dollars. When I asked about them I was told they are good community fish and will not harm any of my fish. Reading these comments it seems that I was given wrong information. I don't want them to kill any of my fish so I'm thinking about returning them... I don't know what to do because they are such beautful fish and I really like them, but I love my other fish too and I've had the others for about a year and a half now! What do I do... ps. It seems they are being picked on by my painted parrots, but according to most of you here, that might be a different story soon.
Lauren - 2008-09-23 I believe my Leporinus is about 5-7 years old. I got him already grown with two tank mates, an Oscar and a Pleco. My Oscee Poo passed away so I wanted to see what to put in my 100 gallon with Leo and Plec, since they are full grown. From what I've read that may be difficult. And my Leo is at least 12 inches long! Maybe he is trying to stay big like his tank mates. Plecy is 13 inches long and Oscar was 12+ inches as well. So, they can get much bigger in captivity then what I've read. He is such a fun fish and yes he does nip my Plecy. Silly little fish. RIP Oscee Poo!
Tony - 2008-08-06 I have had mine for about three years. They have never eaten a fish I have kept in the tank with them. They are very peaceful fish that keep to themselves. A great addition to any tank, very easy to take care of. I love my leporinus'.
steph - 2008-06-22 We've had our leporinus for ten years. He has actually became a part of our family and it was so sad to seem him go last night. He wasn't sick or anything, I guess it was just his time to go. Such an amazing fish. I find it quite weird that some websites have said that these fish are social beause he has eaten everything we have put in the tank...mickeys, gouramis, barbs, tetras, deones, neons, oscars, discus, plecos and god knows what else. Ever since we got a pleco that has been bigger then him, he hasn't eaten it but used to nip it every once and a while. He used to eat all our other plecos like they were going out of style. What a joy to have him, he was an incredible fish. We were looking around to find another one today since we re-did our tank after he left us...and couldn't find one like him as a baby. We got a spotted one but he seems to act lke a head stander,so we think he either hasn' fully mastered swimming with a filter or the guy who said at the fish store that he was a leporinus was lying because we didn't think they were to begin with. They were with other head standers so who knows. But I'm trying to keep my eye out for the banded ones, I miss seeing him in my tank. If you got one, you have such a great fish. I love him...he's a little devil but the best fish to have.
Maggie - 2008-01-28 I've had mine for at least 3 years, he was about an inch long when I got him. Now he's about 6" and has killed some other fish. He is now being picked on by my red fined loach, especially if the loach is hungry. I'd move him if I could catch him, and have considered giving him away, but I really just want the loach to quit lunching on his scales.
Lynn - 2007-09-28 Hi! I bought my fish as a baby, maybe 2 inches long. Believe it or not I've now had my fish for 13 yrs & have just now gotten around to looking him up! I love the pictures I've found & find all the information & comments interesting. What I can't believe is that most say these fish gets along well with others. Over the years I've had mine with angelfish, tiger & cherry barbs, snails, small gouramis, large plecostomus & bleeding hearts. He's killed them all! I actually saw him kill a 4 inch plecostomus by ramming him several times until the belly was exposed & he started his feast. That happened in a matter of minutes before I could even get something else set up to put the plecostomus in! It's been 6 yrs now that he's been by himself. I can't stand him killing the other fish! He's very beautiful though with the redish color on his throat really standing out. I wish I could put him with something but as old as he is now I'm afraid to introduce something else for fear of making him sick! Lynn
Gean - 2007-09-20 They have an insane jumping ability. People, you MUST keep a solid lid on your tank. No lid will eventually result in their demise if they're in a position to be spooked while you're not around. Keep the tank covered!
You can guess how old the Black-Banded Leporinus is by counting its black stripes!
We have two Lepos in our tank. They are very nice shy fish. At first they hid a lot, but now that they are more comfortable they come out often. They are not aggressive to any of our fish. However, I noticed a lot of the fish on here that they are eating are from tropical community fish tanks, but these fish are for semi-aggressive communities. We have ours in a 110 gallon tank with a black ghost knifefish, 3 needlfish, and a school of fish including albino tiger barbs, albino tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, an african leaf fish, and 2 plecos. They are the most sweet of all the fish in there - well except for our knifefish and plecos. Just our experience!
We have a lepo and we call him "Nipper" because that is all he does is nip the other fish in the tank. We have had Nipper for about one year and he does well in the tank with Oscars and a LARGE catfish. However we bought a little Lepo for one of our other tanks and he killed just about everything in it. So we tranfered him into a different tank with just a catfish and he is doing great. But I will say we went through our fair share of fish we before we figured out it was the Lepo that was killing everything.
Our large Lepo, Nipper, is not doing so well, he is turning bright red in the front by his mouth. I am not sure if he has caught some type of illness or what the issue is. If someone has any idea what is going on your help would be greatly appreciated. My email address is maryheuer@charter.net. I would really hate to see this guy go, he adds some fun to that tank and a beautiful color. Please help.
We are currently looking fora new home for our one year old Lepo! He has killed all of his tankmates except a single Gourami. We love watching this fish - dig rocks, stay inverted for long periods of time and just "rule" our tank. Unfortunately, my daughters have been crushed to see each of their "pretty" fish disappear to our Lepo. He has eaten large tiger barbs, mollies, various large Tetras and 2 Plecos. Unless looking to raise this fish with very few othes - I would not recommend it. I think the pet shop will take him back - going to try tomorrow.
I just got my Leporinus, 2 of them actually. When I first saw them they were in a tank with painted parrots, and silver dollars. When I asked about them I was told they are good community fish and will not harm any of my fish. Reading these comments it seems that I was given wrong information. I don't want them to kill any of my fish so I'm thinking about returning them... I don't know what to do because they are such beautful fish and I really like them, but I love my other fish too and I've had the others for about a year and a half now! What do I do...
ps. It seems they are being picked on by my painted parrots, but according to most of you here, that might be a different story soon.
I believe my Leporinus is about 5-7 years old. I got him already grown with two tank mates, an Oscar and a Pleco. My Oscee Poo passed away so I wanted to see what to put in my 100 gallon with Leo and Plec, since they are full grown. From what I've read that may be difficult. And my Leo is at least 12 inches long! Maybe he is trying to stay big like his tank mates. Plecy is 13 inches long and Oscar was 12+ inches as well. So, they can get much bigger in captivity then what I've read. He is such a fun fish and yes he does nip my Plecy. Silly little fish. RIP Oscee Poo!
I have had mine for about three years. They have never eaten a fish I have kept in the tank with them. They are very peaceful fish that keep to themselves. A great addition to any tank, very easy to take care of. I love my leporinus'.
We've had our leporinus for ten years. He has actually became a part of our family and it was so sad to seem him go last night. He wasn't sick or anything, I guess it was just his time to go. Such an amazing fish. I find it quite weird that some websites have said that these fish are social beause he has eaten everything we have put in the tank...mickeys, gouramis, barbs, tetras, deones, neons, oscars, discus, plecos and god knows what else. Ever since we got a pleco that has been bigger then him, he hasn't eaten it but used to nip it every once and a while. He used to eat all our other plecos like they were going out of style. What a joy to have him, he was an incredible fish. We were looking around to find another one today since we re-did our tank after he left us...and couldn't find one like him as a baby. We got a spotted one but he seems to act lke a head stander,so we think he either hasn' fully mastered swimming with a filter or the guy who said at the fish store that he was a leporinus was lying because we didn't think they were to begin with. They were with other head standers so who knows. But I'm trying to keep my eye out for the banded ones, I miss seeing him in my tank. If you got one, you have such a great fish. I love him...he's a little devil but the best fish to have.
I've had mine for at least 3 years, he was about an inch long when I got him. Now he's about 6" and has killed some other fish. He is now being picked on by my red fined loach, especially if the loach is hungry. I'd move him if I could catch him, and have considered giving him away, but I really just want the loach to quit lunching on his scales.
Hi! I bought my fish as a baby, maybe 2 inches long. Believe it or not I've now had my fish for 13 yrs & have just now gotten around to looking him up! I love the pictures I've found & find all the information & comments interesting. What I can't believe is that most say these fish gets along well with others. Over the years I've had mine with angelfish, tiger & cherry barbs, snails, small gouramis, large plecostomus & bleeding hearts. He's killed them all! I actually saw him kill a 4 inch plecostomus by ramming him several times until the belly was exposed & he started his feast. That happened in a matter of minutes before I could even get something else set up to put the plecostomus in! It's been 6 yrs now that he's been by himself. I can't stand him killing the other fish! He's very beautiful though with the redish color on his throat really standing out. I wish I could put him with something but as old as he is now I'm afraid to introduce something else for fear of making him sick! Lynn
They have an insane jumping ability. People, you MUST keep a solid lid on your tank. No lid will eventually result in their demise if they're in a position to be spooked while you're not around. Keep the tank covered!