They are Stunning in breeding colouration.
Salvini tank setup
- Thread starter Galactik
- Start date
I hate to say it, but I once tried to grow out a small trio in a 55 gallon and they were viciously attacking each other and constantly chasing from the second day they were in the tank. They also chased the large tetras and the bellycrawler pike I had temporarily housed with them (this was a quarantine tank).
I split them up, putting a pair in a 150 with some larger cichlids and a single in another community tank. The pair in the 150 coexisted for about a week, then the female turned on the male and constantly chased him. I added a ton of hiding spots in the form of driftwood and caves. Eventually things calmed down and they coexisted for several months, keeping to separate sides of the tank. The female only chased the male when it was feeding time.
Then I came home one day and she had been mutilated and was dead on the bottom of the tank. I’m assuming the male got tired of being chased. So now I have two single males living in separate large 6’ tanks.
They are beautiful but my experience has been that they’re highly aggressive and also unpredictable.
I split them up, putting a pair in a 150 with some larger cichlids and a single in another community tank. The pair in the 150 coexisted for about a week, then the female turned on the male and constantly chased him. I added a ton of hiding spots in the form of driftwood and caves. Eventually things calmed down and they coexisted for several months, keeping to separate sides of the tank. The female only chased the male when it was feeding time.
Then I came home one day and she had been mutilated and was dead on the bottom of the tank. I’m assuming the male got tired of being chased. So now I have two single males living in separate large 6’ tanks.
They are beautiful but my experience has been that they’re highly aggressive and also unpredictable.
I'll have to see how things go and play it by ear. I know I should have gotten more to start with probably, but these little buggers are pretty expensive and I figured I'd try my luck with the three pack I bought and see if I get a pair.
For now they will be the only inhabitants in the tank while I see how they adjust and what their aggression levels are like. I figured that theres a very good chance that at least 1 fish will be singled out and picked on. If this happens, the plan is to move him to my 125 gallon tank - in this tank I have bigger SA/CA fish so it should help disperse aggression. But if it gets too out of control I can always separate them and take them to my lfs for credit.
That's an old picture of my 125 / backup plan
I might get more hiding places for the current tank, that's a good idea. Is there anything that they seem to like more in your experience? Wood piles, rocks, terracotta with holes maybe?
I'm currently running this tank at 76 degrees F. As my other tanks, I've found this to be a sweet spot for most of my fish and it helps reduce aggression too.
For now they will be the only inhabitants in the tank while I see how they adjust and what their aggression levels are like. I figured that theres a very good chance that at least 1 fish will be singled out and picked on. If this happens, the plan is to move him to my 125 gallon tank - in this tank I have bigger SA/CA fish so it should help disperse aggression. But if it gets too out of control I can always separate them and take them to my lfs for credit.
That's an old picture of my 125 / backup plan
I might get more hiding places for the current tank, that's a good idea. Is there anything that they seem to like more in your experience? Wood piles, rocks, terracotta with holes maybe?
I'm currently running this tank at 76 degrees F. As my other tanks, I've found this to be a sweet spot for most of my fish and it helps reduce aggression too.
I agree with others that find them very aggressive as adults, in anything under a 6 ft tank, and even in that size tank can be relentless as adults.
They need lots of sight blocks in the form of rocks, logs and aquatic vegetation, your first pic shows about half (or less) sight breaks than I would use.
Being so colorful, they are very easy to see by birds of prey in nature, so although they are aggressive, they can also be shy, if not enough cover is not provided. so surface vegetation in the form of floating plants or lily pads, or overhanging terrestrial vegetation like your Pothos should is perfect.
They need lots of sight blocks in the form of rocks, logs and aquatic vegetation, your first pic shows about half (or less) sight breaks than I would use.
Being so colorful, they are very easy to see by birds of prey in nature, so although they are aggressive, they can also be shy, if not enough cover is not provided. so surface vegetation in the form of floating plants or lily pads, or overhanging terrestrial vegetation like your Pothos should is perfect.
I would agree more decor and hiding spots should be provided. I go with natural stuff- rocks, wood, plants. As long as line of sight is broken.
Hard to say what will happen exactly but you've got the fish coming in already, so give it a shot with the 3 you have. What happens next depends largely on what sexes you get. If you do get a pair, the odd man out is more or less guaranteed to be killed. If you had 2 or 3 extras and not just one, I think the extras would have a better chance since aggression would be spread; and the pair would be less likely to turn on each other as they would be busy fighting off the extras.
Hard to say what will happen exactly but you've got the fish coming in already, so give it a shot with the 3 you have. What happens next depends largely on what sexes you get. If you do get a pair, the odd man out is more or less guaranteed to be killed. If you had 2 or 3 extras and not just one, I think the extras would have a better chance since aggression would be spread; and the pair would be less likely to turn on each other as they would be busy fighting off the extras.
I just added a few more rocks and what not.
Also added a bit more pothos on top (I do like how it partially breaks up the "even-ness" of the light. Maybe more natural looking?)
(Then)
(Now)
(Side angles)
Now I'm starting to feel a little guilty. My temporary resident seems to be setting up camp thinking this entire tank is his... lol
Also added a bit more pothos on top (I do like how it partially breaks up the "even-ness" of the light. Maybe more natural looking?)
(Then)
(Now)
(Side angles)
Now I'm starting to feel a little guilty. My temporary resident seems to be setting up camp thinking this entire tank is his... lol
You should get some fertilizer tabs for the amazon swords, other wise they may start to melt.
Those coconut caves are a great idea, I'd have 1 per salvini.
Well I got the fish in the mail today! much sooner than I thought, but luckily had the tank ready to go.
The fish arrived well from what I was able to see and so far looks like they have acclimated well.
That said they are seriously tiny. Almost borderline fry, at maybe 1" tops. So it should be interesting lol
I'm hoping to be able to see them more as the days go by at least to make sure they are eating and doing well. As soon as I dropped them in the tank, they disappeared. They've been hanging out together on the same piece of driftwood.
The fish arrived well from what I was able to see and so far looks like they have acclimated well.
That said they are seriously tiny. Almost borderline fry, at maybe 1" tops. So it should be interesting lol
I'm hoping to be able to see them more as the days go by at least to make sure they are eating and doing well. As soon as I dropped them in the tank, they disappeared. They've been hanging out together on the same piece of driftwood.
Nice, they should start to colour up a bit over the next few days. Keep us updated, I'd like to see how this turns out.
