My dad mfk user 'kiloindia' has a 125 he has been procrastinating to set up. He wants to focus his tank around a female salvini or a pair. He plans to overstock a bit when the fish are juveniles. Please list or name some tank mates that could work around this. There would be 2 HOB filters and a cannister.
125 gallon salvini tank mates
- Thread starter Acerbeast
- Start date
Texas,convicts,loiselli,JD.It would hard on tankmates if a pair of salvini spawn.maybe try an all M or all F tank.you want a community tank or breeding? If trying for a pair get 5-6 salvini let them pair,then rehome the others.you might be able to house some dithers with the pair
Convicts, JD, Texas, Midas - basically a lot of the standard CA cichlids would likely have similar if not identical ideal water parameters. As far as compatibility goes I think any of those could work. I also understand that Firemouths have been collected from the same locations as Salvini, so they occur together naturally.
But I have heard that Salvini can be really quite aggressive when breeding, so your mileage may vary.
But I have heard that Salvini can be really quite aggressive when breeding, so your mileage may vary.
Salvini are hit-or-miss on aggression.....they can be very nasty according to some, but they can also be big teddy bears like all 3 of mine were and get killed by Oscars, Jack Dempseys, Firemouths, Convicts, EVEN BLUE ACARAS, etc. My suggestion is start the tank w/ an abundance of various SA/CA cichlids and closely monitor their behavior several times daily. Pay close attention to anything that cowers and hides constantly, watching especially for fish that stay in corners at the surface. Observe for torn fins, since that is usually the 1st fish to end up missing scales and getting bullied.
Rule #1 for aggressive cichlid community -
A.) make sure EACH FISH has 2-3 hide-places and/or caves - prevent territorial disputes by giving them too many territories to manage all at once (ever heard of Alexander The Great?)
B.) Keep SEVERAL Breeder's Nets handy so you can immediately remove a bully or a fish being bullied. At least one or more hospital tanks will work equally well if not better.
C.) Keep EVERYTHING well-fed. Do NOT JUST feed what they can eat in a few minutes - instead take the time to make sure every feeding that every fish has a full belly. This may take 15-30 minutes. Cichlids will kill and eat each other, especially at higher temperatures and a fast metabolism. I have lost fish doing cichlid communities, but bodies are rarely found because they are devoured afterwards.
D.) Make sure your filtration is rated DOUBLE your tank volume - a 125g should have 250g of filtration OR 800-1,000 Gallons per hour.
E.) Don't feed live fish. This may seem elementary to the experienced fish-keeper, (aside from pathogen transmission) but killing and eating other fish is often a "learned behavior" and generally makes fish aggressive or makes already aggressive fish MORE aggressive. Stick to frozen-thawed fillets cut into small pieces if you want to feed them fish. Tilapia is readily available at Wal-Mart at $5 for a 2lb bag of fillets. Frozen Silversides also seem to be a favorite, cut into bite-size pieces
F.) Remember, higher temperature mean more aggression, so if you are experiencing aggression issues at 78F, turn it down to 72F-74F. One thing many tend to overlook is that higher temperatures also mean faster metabolism - which translates to lower minimum acceptable temps will LIKELY give your fish a longer lifespan. ALL fish in my collection over 1 year old (yearlings) are dropped from 78F to around 74F while going through stage 2 and stage 3 growout tanks. They are only kept at 78F for the 1st year to ensure a good growth rate.
Good luck.
Also, a good read for you
jwd
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I am going to have to disagree with Frank on this one(sorry Frank).
These so called over stocked aggressive tanks are very hit and miss,even in large tanks.
Members on here that have made it work usually have tanks well over 220 gallons.I also believe most of them have had fish get killed or have had to take fish out before they kill or get killed.
I guess it depends on your out look on things.
Personally I'm no tree hugger save the whale hippy or anything.However I do feel a responsibility towards the welfare of the fish i buy.I hate the thought of a fish being bullied to death due to my poor judgement or lack of self control because I want that extra fish.
A lone female salvini,I doubt will cause any trouble in a community of like sized tank mates.
Fish like sajica,spilurums,nicaraguense would be good candidates for a community of central American cichlids in a tank your size.
I would strongly advise you resist the temptation to add more aggressive larger cichlids like carpintis any of the parachromis species and midas cichlids.In a tank your size they are more than likely going to take over and kill off their tank mates one by one.The salvini would have no chance against any of the above in a 125 gallon.
My advice, if you are set on salvini 's is get a pair and scape the tank nicely and enjoy the brilliant breeding colours of these cichlids,observe fascinating courtship and parental care.
I would also add a large group of dithers for the upper layers.Nothing too small as salvini are quite predatory. Giant sailfin mollies (wild type)
Would be my first choice.
I would also avoid fish from the thorichthys family as tank mates.They have weak easily dislocated mouths.Pound for pound a firemouth will fare poorly against a territorial salvini.
If you must do a crowded community, which is like playing Russian roulette with the fishes lives.Stick to fish in the 6inch size bracket.
These so called over stocked aggressive tanks are very hit and miss,even in large tanks.
Members on here that have made it work usually have tanks well over 220 gallons.I also believe most of them have had fish get killed or have had to take fish out before they kill or get killed.
I guess it depends on your out look on things.
Personally I'm no tree hugger save the whale hippy or anything.However I do feel a responsibility towards the welfare of the fish i buy.I hate the thought of a fish being bullied to death due to my poor judgement or lack of self control because I want that extra fish.
A lone female salvini,I doubt will cause any trouble in a community of like sized tank mates.
Fish like sajica,spilurums,nicaraguense would be good candidates for a community of central American cichlids in a tank your size.
I would strongly advise you resist the temptation to add more aggressive larger cichlids like carpintis any of the parachromis species and midas cichlids.In a tank your size they are more than likely going to take over and kill off their tank mates one by one.The salvini would have no chance against any of the above in a 125 gallon.
My advice, if you are set on salvini 's is get a pair and scape the tank nicely and enjoy the brilliant breeding colours of these cichlids,observe fascinating courtship and parental care.
I would also add a large group of dithers for the upper layers.Nothing too small as salvini are quite predatory. Giant sailfin mollies (wild type)
Would be my first choice.
I would also avoid fish from the thorichthys family as tank mates.They have weak easily dislocated mouths.Pound for pound a firemouth will fare poorly against a territorial salvini.
If you must do a crowded community, which is like playing Russian roulette with the fishes lives.Stick to fish in the 6inch size bracket.
Not being a wise guy seriously asking but how do you guys that have the these overstocked set ups manage good water quality ?
I have 1 cichlid per tank and keeping nitrates down is a serious chore... multple fin level wc's per week and i dont feed heavily.
I have 1 cichlid per tank and keeping nitrates down is a serious chore... multple fin level wc's per week and i dont feed heavily.
I am also raising salvini for the first time and read about their nasty behavior. I have the Candelaria salvini which are said to be redder than the common store strain and look forward to seeing how they will turn out.
I agree with Frank and Stanzzzz strategies to manage aggression in cichlid tank, except that I didn't read that Frank is recommending overstocking aggression control.
I agree that overstocking control only works for short term and eventually, without intervention, chain murder will begin. Besides, I don't find overstocked tank pleasing as the fish don't behave naturally but constantly play musical chair to avoid getting nipped.
The joy of keeping cichlid is to observe their natural behavior specially during brooding. So my strategy is to keep a few mildly aggressive large cichlid in single males in a community with many pairs of small cichlid. The big cichlid are the center pieces by size impact with a collateral duty to police small tankmates. The small cichlid will be allowed to bond, parent and defend territories against the big tankmates and one another, but can't do harm due to their diminutive size.
I agree with Frank and Stanzzzz strategies to manage aggression in cichlid tank, except that I didn't read that Frank is recommending overstocking aggression control.
I agree that overstocking control only works for short term and eventually, without intervention, chain murder will begin. Besides, I don't find overstocked tank pleasing as the fish don't behave naturally but constantly play musical chair to avoid getting nipped.
The joy of keeping cichlid is to observe their natural behavior specially during brooding. So my strategy is to keep a few mildly aggressive large cichlid in single males in a community with many pairs of small cichlid. The big cichlid are the center pieces by size impact with a collateral duty to police small tankmates. The small cichlid will be allowed to bond, parent and defend territories against the big tankmates and one another, but can't do harm due to their diminutive size.
Step 1 is to obtain a breeding pair of salvini. You will need to either purchase a proven pair of get a group of about 6 and let them figure it out. It is possible to id a pair in the stock tank at the lfs since they will pair off at a young age, but once the net goes in good luck figuring out which one was which. If you get a group there will be aggression most likely, and even adding targets will not prevent it. Salvini like a lot of fish are more likely to go at each other than other fish. Adding other fish is just hit or miss, but like
Stanzzzz7
said look at fish that are in the same size bracket. I do think having other fish in the tank may help defuse some of the aggression between the pair after breeding. It can be brutal and fatal for the female.
Stanzzzz7
said look at fish that are in the same size bracket. I do think having other fish in the tank may help defuse some of the aggression between the pair after breeding. It can be brutal and fatal for the female.
I totally agree w/ Darren on this.
Salvini are very water quality sensitive and stress easily w/ aggressive tankmates. Overstocking w/ aggressive tankmates will lead to bloat or HITH. Breeding pairs are very aggressive, but that doesn't make anything better.
IMO I would get a female salvini, because they look nicer and slightly less aggressive (personally never noticed a difference though).
Good tank mates for a 125g would be JD, HRP, thorichthys species, nics, convict (no breeding pair), or rainbows.
I have always kept a salvini w/ firemouths and livebarers with success. Even in a smaller tank like a 55g. Even now I keep my salvini w/ more peaceful CA cichlids and have zero aggression issues other than firemouths being firemouths lol. It's a 150g so similar foot print.
I also notice salvini ignore non-cichlid tankmates unless breeding, because they are protecting eggs or fry.
Salvini are very water quality sensitive and stress easily w/ aggressive tankmates. Overstocking w/ aggressive tankmates will lead to bloat or HITH. Breeding pairs are very aggressive, but that doesn't make anything better.
IMO I would get a female salvini, because they look nicer and slightly less aggressive (personally never noticed a difference though).
Good tank mates for a 125g would be JD, HRP, thorichthys species, nics, convict (no breeding pair), or rainbows.
I have always kept a salvini w/ firemouths and livebarers with success. Even in a smaller tank like a 55g. Even now I keep my salvini w/ more peaceful CA cichlids and have zero aggression issues other than firemouths being firemouths lol. It's a 150g so similar foot print.
I also notice salvini ignore non-cichlid tankmates unless breeding, because they are protecting eggs or fry.