Stocking and compatibility questions

[Kostas G]

I went to get the "blue acara", and it turned out a salvini as well... It looked so much like a blue acara and is so so blue with no black marks visible, that it was crazy to see it change color to dead ringer salvini colors when it was chased with the net, in a split second! Still, it was a very beautiful fish and after doing some research on it and finding it ignores fish of different species to is own and that it's well behaved towards catfish and pleco, I still got it as it was the most impressive salvini I had ever seen. I introduced it right away, very late in the day and it was soon too dark to see in the tank. Hope all is good in the morning...At least the catfish have the chance to see the salvini before it does.

What amazed me was how uneasy it was in the shop's tank and stressed in the bag, and how comfortable and sure for itself appeared in my tank, not trying to hide the least bit, just calmly exploring everything.

Tomorrow the A. multispinosus will be coming. Any tips to making things work out nicely for everyone in the tank?

 

[rodger]

Sounds like you will be overstocked. Plan on lots more waterchanges

 

[Kostas G]

Thank you for letting me know, I though I am about ok. Current stock comprises of:
1 Platydoras costatus
2 Panaque maccus
1 Cichlasoma salvini

Tomorrow 1 Archocentrus multispinosus will be added
The rest of the fish I mentioned(1-2 more Panaque maccus and 2 L183) are future plans if they don't lead to overstocking, otherwise I will probably not get them or I will up size the tank.

I will increase the water changes but as I prefer the tank to be somewhat sustainable and not fragile, I prefer to be understocked.

I hope things work out and I don't have aggression in the tank

 

[Kostas G]

So far:

My dominant Panaque maccus is happy to be out and and still feels like a ruler, so its not chased of harassed, which is great. I saw no damage on its fins and it sat right by the salvini at his usual place. My second Panaque maccus has damaged tail, but i am not sure if its from salvini or from the other Panaque or from Platydoras are they do have had fights in the past, mostly minor but i have seen it with bitten tail before. The dominant Panaque sits very visibly to the salvini and is ignored, so i think its not from it but i will monitor it.

Platydoras seems a bit uneasy when it sees the salvini close to its hide but i think its mostly interested in defending its cave/territory as it does not have any damaged fins as far as i can see.

Salving is hiding but tried its first stroll out a while ago, appearing bold and sure, till my cousin went to see it from close(wrong move of course for a settling fish!)

 

[Kostas G]

My dominant P. maccus was also damaged at his tail fin now and bitten on his pectoral(only reddening). It is not actively chased by the salvini though, could be from Platydoras but i am more suspecting salvini for his tail fin damage. Now he threatens salvini, so he probably tried to claim territory from salvini or it was the initial contact? Don't know but i am closely monitoring.

Salvini seems indifferent or slightly wary of the Panaque maccus when he jerks around threatening it. Its slowly and warily exploring the tank and getting used to it. I have not seen it bite or chase the place when they meet, but obviously the damage on the tail fin happened from interaction....Salvini is undamaged.

Should i call it already and separate them or was this probably the initial contact where each fish learned his boundaries and that there is a new fish in the tank?

 

[Kostas G]

I monitored them and caught salvini on the act. It is not actively chasing the pleco or anyone but sometimes, as it passes by the Panaque maccus, usually with it eating food, the salvini stops, turns towards it without raising fins or appearing to go for aggression but rather like feeding or curiosity, it bites on the pleco and I even caught it going for the tail, though I did not see any visible damage after these bites, but seeing it's damaged tail fin, and knowing the power of this mouth, they made me very nervous. It was good to see it didn't chase he pleco but the pleco sat still most of the times. Only once did it take the lead and chased salvini away(and salvini did not go against it then), the others times it just sat there doing nothing. Most of the times salvini passed by the pleco, it did not do anything, but a few times, it did bite it.
Is the above described behavior going to resolve and stop? I did not see much worsening on the tail fin damage over the day and the damage is not close to critical yet, so I am waiting it out so far.
Platydoras is not damaged as far as I can see but has changed his orientation on the cave to face the opening instead of having his tail at the opening

I fed the salvini very well in case it was missing food from its previous tank and it got a loaded belly..



Here is the beauty


I hope it can stay, it's very clever and interested in the outside world

Any suggestions and advise would be most welcome

 

[Kostas G]

Things seem to have calmed down and i see no more damage on the place's fins. Salvini is liking the tank big time and is pretty calm/peaceful now, but a little skittish, maybe because its still new and doesn't know us and there are no dithers. Still, it cruises the tank out of cover now and then and comes out fast at feeding time. It loves food and knows it comes from me. It watched me through the whole process of opening the cabinet, bringing out the food, getting out the pellets and then throwing them one by one. It likes the process

Here are a couple better photos




Should i add dithers(i don't want to) or an Archocentrus multispinosus? Or should i not add anything now that the salvini is settled and does not annoy the other fish from as much as i can see? I am pretty content with the current stock(one cichlid is enough for me if it can feel happy and cruise the tank/interact with me) and only want to add a couple more Panaque maccus and/or Ancistrus L189. Will the salvini eventually settle and not be afraid every time its out in the open? Half the tank has heavy plant and wood cover, and he prefers that part
Of course i wouldn't mind a rainbow cichlid as well, but don't want to get into problems with torn fins every now and then or worse. I like all fish be in perfect condition.

 

[ad88]

Salvini will pester everything in your tank once it is comfortable so if you are wanting a peaceful tank that isn't the fish!! They are also sneaky bastards!!

 

[Kostas G]

It has stopped pestering the plecos the last two days and they got no more fin damage from the salvini. I saw the pleco chasing the salvini today and it run away, isn't fighting/taking offence.
I have heard there is a great character variation in this species when kept as single specimen, and that they can be quite peaceful or ferocious. This one tolerated a second male in its previous tank, though with bullying, and did not harass nor mind the presence of a very young convict.

I would certainly hate it if it would pester the catfish in the tank but is this necessarily gonna happen or it going to be a nice, calm fish growing up in a tank with no hostility around it?

 

[Kostas G]

Some photos of the aquarium










And a couple photos taken today of the salvini




It had recently eaten, so belly was full...I try to feed relatively little but it's a voracious eater