Pairing salvini

[mabirchell]

Hey guys, a couple months back I got a few Florida caught salvini, around 3 - 4 inches. I picked the most colorful male and female and put them in a 29 gallon tank alone to pair. But even now 2 months later all they do is fight. The male does not want the female close to him. Any ideas on how to help this along? Maybe they just don't like each other lol. I've got another male, but he's happy in another tank.


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[auratum]

Post some pics of the fish!

This can happen with the more aggressive species. In the wild the female can retreat until she is ready, but in a smaller tank the male will often kill the female. You can try a divider with holes only big enough for the female to pass through, but I would also suggest a larger tank. If they are wild adult feral salvini then I would put them in at least a 55...


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[fwprawn]

They should be in a mixed tank to allow them to pair off naturally. Also, are you sure you sexed them correctly? Only the female has a black blotch in the dorsal fin.

 

[mabirchell]

I do have a spare 55 gallon I could set up. Guess ill give that a try. Not sure how to get pics, these guys are so shy it's not even funny. Could be tank size spooks them because my lone male in my 100 gallon is out all the time.


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[auratum]

Salvini can be very shy - as shy as any cichlid I have kept (not that all of them are, but some of the ones I've kept are very shy). They can also be extremely aggressive to each other and other fish. They are absolutely gorgeous, but can be a real challenge to raise in harmony much less breed. I have heard some strains are less aggressive, but most of the ones I have kept are shy terrors. I would suggest some dithers but beware they may easily get taken out. 55 gallon would seem like a good move also. I have heard some folks have success with a little lower light or some floating plants (surface cover) to make the fish feel more comfortable.