# Salvini fry!



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Here is a pic and 2 videos of my new Salvini spawn! All of the fry are freeswimming and doing really good!  I estimate there is maybe 3-400 fry!!  I won't even bother counting them! 

Video's

http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m20/ ... V01867.flv

http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m20/ ... V01873.flv

Picture


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Awsome :thumb: ! I think I see some algea in that tank. :lol:


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Thanks Joels Fish! Um.......yeah there is a lot of alage and I am not going to use alagefix if that's what you were jokingly hinting about! :lol: :lol:. I dont bother with the back glass anymore I just scrap it off the front when it gets bad because from what I heard it's actually a good thing to have some alage in the tank!

I am SO excited though! Everything is going great! And I have 3 females in the 40 from Jeff Rapps and when they get bigger I am going to form a 2nd pair and MAYBE try shipping some!


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I don't bother with the back glass on mine either. I only get the front and sides , and maybe the back when it starts to get ridiculously thick. The algea being a plant will use the nitrates in the water helping a bit with water quality . I don't know by how much it helps , but any help is good help. As long as you keep it under control I don't see any reason not to have it in there apart from asthetics. 
Let me know when your ready to ship, maybe we could work out a trade. :wink:


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

> I am not going to use alagefix if that's what you were jokingly hinting about! .


Really havn't you had great luck with it? I've only ever heard GREAT things about it! JK :lol:


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## stuckinthemiddle (Feb 26, 2008)

since you seem to be the resident Salvini expert and how to make them spawn, maybe you can help me out.

I got two males and two females in my 55 along with a 3" jag, 3" flowerhorn, 4 cons and 2 firemouths.

And yes, I do plan on getting a bigger tank once everyone gets bigger.

I cant seem to get my 4 salvini to pair up. its been about a month now. should I move all of the salvinis to my 20 long and see what happens? (and use the divider method?) All of them are no bigger than 3 inches. I would have thought that the larger male and female would have pair off by now.

Water parameters are in check and temp is kept at 80 degrees with a 25-30% water change every week.

Also, I have been waiting for my firemouths to pair off as well, but no luck with that either. Do you think that there are too many fish in the tank for this to happen? Plan was to take back the fish that did not pair up to the LFS.

thanks!


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

definitly too many fish in your tank for anything to breed. You would have to be terd ferguson to make that work! Do you plan on getting a 300 Gallon tank? you might need it. :lol:


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Oh he'll get fish to breed , namely the convicts. Then he'll have WWIII in his 55. Of course that's provided the FH or the Jag doesn't decide to go on a killing spree first.


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## stuckinthemiddle (Feb 26, 2008)

As soon I get another con pair, those will go into my other 20L and the rest back the LFS.

Ill go ahead and put the 4 salvini's into their own tank and if and when they pair up, Ill take the unpaired back. Im assuming a 20L will be too small long term for the sals. Will a 30L work?

So an overcrowded tank will definately inhibit spawning?.....(with cons being the exceptions)


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

> So an overcrowded tank will definately inhibit spawning?.....(with cons being the exceptions)


 Absolutely, and cons will spawn anywhere anytime. I'll let CL answer the Sal question since he has the most experience with them and it's his thread :lol: .


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Let me know when your ready to ship, maybe we could work out a trade.


Definitely man! I will let you know! :wink:



> Really havn't you had great luck with it? I've only ever heard GREAT things about it! JK


Hahaha! Yeah the funny thing is it says on the bottle that it is safe with fish and plants! But it doesn't say "Warning it will kill your entire stock of fish but it will kill the alage for sure!" :lol: :lol:



> since you seem to be the resident Salvini expert and how to make them spawn, maybe you can help me out.
> 
> I got two males and two females in my 55 along with a 3" jag, 3" flowerhorn, 4 cons and 2 firemouths.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't call me the Salvini expert but I have had some experience! BV and Bernie Cromau (I think that's how you spell his log name) have both helped A LOT! And Bernie has A LOT of experience!

But I will and can help you! I will agree with everyone that you do have too much fish! But as you state that you will upgrade so that's a start. Everthing as far as parameters, water changes, and temperature are all in check. But what is your feeding like? What I feed my Salvini is Flakes in the morning and then one of the following and I alternate each night: Brine Shrimp, Mysis Shrimp, Beefheart, Emerald Variety, Plankton, and Bloodworms. You need to keep a high protien in their diet as this goes along with all cichlids when breeding. You need to keep in mind Salvini are predators and they need high protien and meats in their diets. Yes, to some extent having too much fish will put a hardship in breeding but it won't stop Salvini for sure! If a pair of Salvini is formed I don't expect the other fish to handle it! Maybe since the Salvini are small everything will be fine but once when they get around the 2.5 and 3 in mark the Salvini will take the WHOLE 55 trust me!!

It just takes some time so just let nature take its course and they will spawn! When I baught my Salvini it took them about a month and a half before they actually decided on spawning. Yes, a seperate tank will help! I would move the Salvini to your 33 gal L and aquascape VERY heavily! Also keep a close eye on them and divide or seperate when neccessary. Although I will advise that the 55 will be better! That's what I did and it worked wonders. When you get a pair I would also advise keeping the other Female incase of problems. You are going to need to give the Salvini pair the 55 gal for longterm. The 33 gal L won't be enough longterm. You will need to buy another tank for the other's SOON! To have a pair of Salvini and to have the Jag and Flowerhorn will be too much on your hands IMO. It would be too much on anyone's hands. Here are my four methods of spawning that I made up on my own:

1. Raise the temperature to 80-82 F
2. Feed high protiens as the foods above: Flakes, Brine Shrimp, Bloodworms, Mysis Shrimp, Plankton, Beefheart, and Emerald Variety. (Make sure you feed the Mysis Shrimp and Plankton once a week as it can be TOO much protien and can cause health problems.
3. Weekly syphon water changes ranging from 25-50%
4. Just let nature take it's course

They will spawn trust me! Just give them time, high protien, good water conditions, high temperatures and you will be on your way to success! More than likely the Female's and Male's haven't reached maturity to spawn yet but in due time they will! I have found my Salvini spawn when the Female's are 2.5 in and the Males 2.5-3 in mark. But all Salvini's are different as this goes with all cichlids. Good luck! PM me or post! I will gladly help!  :thumb:


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Stuckinthemiddle could you post some pics of your 4 Salvini?


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## stuckinthemiddle (Feb 26, 2008)

yup, will try to do so tonight and thanks for all of the info!


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## rosemerry (Jun 16, 2008)

That's super. And the videos are great too. Good luck with your fry.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> yup, will try to do so tonight and thanks for all of the info!


Sweet deal! Not a problem dude! Glad to help! 



> That's super. And the videos are great too. Good luck with your fry.


Thanks Rosemerry!


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Congrats on the new batch of fry...sals are looking good. 8) 
BV


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Thanks BV!


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