Hi, I have a 140 gallon tank with three pairs of semi-aggressive SA/CA cichlids (Firemouths,T-bars and Blue Acaras). I also have male and female Rainbow cichlids, which are a bit of a problem because they won't spawn and they can't hold their own against other fish. I am wondering, if I could replace them with a single female Salvini cichlid. There is a 4,5 inch female Salvini in my local fish shop, which I could purchase. I am mostly worried about its compatibility with my 6 inch Firemouth male (he is aggressive but poorly skilled in fighting). I would like the Firemouth pair to remain as the dominant fish in the tank. Do you think my plan could work out?
Salvini cichlid in a 140 gallon medium sized cichlid community
- Thread starter Cichlid_Guy
- Start date
As you mentioned, Thorichthys are not really aggressive, they are bluffers, and try to intimidate rivals with the eye spot on each gill plate, flaring the spots making the cichlid appear much more substantial than it is.
Salvini are not bluffers, they can back up their threat with lethal action, maybe one of the reasons the females are so colorful, color usually is a warning stay to stay away (as in poison dart frogs, or coral snakes).
If you add the Salvini it will probably be shy at first, but in the end unless the FMs can bluff her into submission, she will kill them, then the Acaras, and maybe even the sajicas.
'I would guess, the reason the LFS has a 5" Salvini, is it killed everything in someones tank, they got pissed, and dropped it off, glad to be rid of it.
Salvini are not bluffers, they can back up their threat with lethal action, maybe one of the reasons the females are so colorful, color usually is a warning stay to stay away (as in poison dart frogs, or coral snakes).
If you add the Salvini it will probably be shy at first, but in the end unless the FMs can bluff her into submission, she will kill them, then the Acaras, and maybe even the sajicas.
'I would guess, the reason the LFS has a 5" Salvini, is it killed everything in someones tank, they got pissed, and dropped it off, glad to be rid of it.
Thank you for the advice, I will take it into consideration. But I dont think there is anything wrong with the Salvini, because the shop doesn't take fish back from people. In the shop the Salvini is living in a 40 gallon with smaller Texas and Dempsey cichlids. Aggressive cichlids are also very unpopular here in Finland, so I guess that is why the Salvini has been in the shop for at least a year. As you said firemouths are mainly bluffers, but I wouldn't be worried about the Acaras because mine are Convict cichlid level aggressive when spawning (they ram and bite other cichlids, my same sized T-bars can hardly manage with them if they spawn too close to each other)
I think that the salvini could be a problem but every fish is different and you could try it if you want. I think a pair of cryptoheros nanoluteus could work, really nice fish and should work well with what you have now. I had a rainbow pair and they never spawned and were very shy and quite boring so I would definitely swap them out.
I tried the Salvini acara combination and it went well for a month then ended very badly for the acaras. I ended up taking the salvini back to the shop when I t had killed the other salvini and severely beaten all the acaras. Salvini are great fish and I will keep them again but in their own tank. One thing for sure is the firemouths won't end up as the dominant fish, the salvini will and I think the rainbows will be absolutely destroyed.
It may work for you if you have lots of cover and sight breaks but personally I wouldn't try it.
It may work for you if you have lots of cover and sight breaks but personally I wouldn't try it.
Thank you all for the advice. I won't probably get the Salvini because it seems like it would be a too big risk for my other fish. For now I'm not planning to get any other fish either, I was just facinated by the Salvini which has been in the fish shop for a long time . It' s a shame if such a beautiful fish has to live its whole life in a fish shop.
I keep salvini w/ my thorichthys and other “peaceful” cribroheros. Never had any issues in my 150g. Going to add one with zero worries.
Well, I think I could maybe give it a try. At least I dont think that the Salvini will kill anyone because she has lived for a long time with a much smaller texas cichlid in the fish shop. Hopefully the Salvini will respect the Firemouths' territory. I must consider these things more before I make the final decision because I don't want to impulse buy any fish.
I believe if you had got all the fish while young, and placed them together in the same tank to grow together, since day one, you might have a chance at a copasetic community, but it will be a gamble with an adult salvini.
To me, 3 "the most" aggressive Central American cichlids pound for pound are not dovii, managuense or some other Parachromis (they are simply predatory), but T salvini, Neetroplus nematoplus, and C grammodes have an almost psychotic sense, of lethal territoriality, and predation.
But if you decide to do it anyway, I suggest you periodically keep us up on how it turns out, one way or the other, as an educational tool.
To me, 3 "the most" aggressive Central American cichlids pound for pound are not dovii, managuense or some other Parachromis (they are simply predatory), but T salvini, Neetroplus nematoplus, and C grammodes have an almost psychotic sense, of lethal territoriality, and predation.
But if you decide to do it anyway, I suggest you periodically keep us up on how it turns out, one way or the other, as an educational tool.