# Salvini 114g



## Jai'galaar (Mar 28, 2021)

My salvini male, who was a decent docile guy for four years, yesterday decided that he wants to try the "extremely agressive" mood of his species. When I got back home it turned out that he've butchered the convicts and the firemouths in the tank, leaving only two nicaraguan cichlids with him. He doesn't really seem to give a darn about them. 
My question is, is there any species I can keep him with? It looks pretty obvious that convicts are not one of them... He seems to get along with the nicaraguans right now but I don't know if they'll be tough enough if the fancy hits him again. 
TIA


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## Oscar6 (Aug 4, 2017)

Salvini is often a pure serial killer. Impossible to say what may or may not survive with them. He may never bother the Nics,which btw are not in the Sal's league of goonery. He may take them out anytime.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Oscar6 nailed it. It seems your male Salvini has attained his _*ahem*_, 'majority. And unfortunately, this may be just be a break in the beat downs.... your pair of Hypsophrys nicaraguensis could definitely be up next.  
I would recommend deciding on whether you want to keep either the pair of Nicaraguans, or the Salvini in that tank.
- If you want to keep the Salvini and would like to get him some playmates, you're definitely gonna have to ramp up the size and aggression level of these companions for your little thug. In this case something large enough, and mean enough that the Salvini is going to need a safe place to hide in himself when things get hot. Species recommendations include near adult sizes of an individual Red Devil, Motaguensis or Black Belt Cichlid. Mean and nasty bruisers and thugs!
- or - 
- Keep the pair of Nicaraguans, and you will almost certainly be successful in re-stocking again with smaller/less aggressive CA Cichlids in a community tank.
-
Me? I think adult-sized Salvini work out pretty well in much smaller-sized aquariums, as individually kept 'Wet Pets'.


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## Jai'galaar (Mar 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Oscar6 nailed it. It seems your male Salvini has attained his _*ahem*_, 'majority. And unfortunately, this may be just be a break in the beat downs.... your pair of Hypsophrys nicaraguensis could definitely be up next.
> I would recommend deciding on whether you want to keep either the pair of Nicaraguans, or the Salvini in that tank.
> - If you want to keep the Salvini and would like to get him some playmates, you're definitely gonna have to ramp up the size and aggression level of these companions for your little thug. In this case something large enough, and mean enough that the Salvini is going to need a safe place to hide in himself when things get hot. Species recommendations include near adult sizes of an individual Red Devil, Motaguensis or Black Belt Cichlid. Mean and nasty bruisers and thugs!
> - or -
> ...


Thx for the advice, guys  
How about a carpintis or a Jack Dempsey as tank mates? As far as I know they're pretty much heavy hitters of their size. 
By saying "an individual red devil or mota" you mean there can be only these two fish in the tank, right? :-? I suppose if I put any more in there it would start a war.


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

Nope.
That would be the wrong Texas Cichlid (Better known as a 'Pearl Scale Cichlid', anyway). I believe the H. carpintis may come up short against your male Salvini. You want the 'True Texas Beast' in this case: _Herichthys cyanoguttatus_.
The same goes for the Jack Dempsey, _Rocio octofasciatus_. In CA terms at least, the JD will also come up short, and is just too evenly matched with your male Salvini. You need to think along the lines of the much stronger/meaner Green Guapote, _Mayaheros beani_, if you want some speckles and like the Jack Dempsey 'look'.
-
And yes, add just one more *BIG* Cichlid! And make sure your 'CA Beast' is grown out to at least least three times bigger than the Salvini is when it is first placed in the tank, (An Umbee, _Kronoheros umbriferum_ or a Red Terror, _Amphilophus festae_ could serve as a pretty awesome 'SA Beast'....  )


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## Jai'galaar (Mar 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> Nope.
> That would be the wrong Texas Cichlid (Better known as a 'Pearl Scale Cichlid', anyway). I believe the H. carpintis may come up short against your male Salvini. You want the 'True Texas Beast' in this case: _Herichthys cyanoguttatus_.
> The same goes for the Jack Dempsey, _Rocio octofasciatus_. In CA terms at least, the JD will also come up short, and is just too evenly matched with your male Salvini. You need to think along the lines of the much stronger/meaner Green Guapote, _Mayaheros beani_, if you want some speckles and like the Jack Dempsey 'look'.
> -
> And yes, add just one more *BIG* Cichlid! And make sure your 'CA Beast' is grown out to at least least three times bigger than the Salvini is when it is first placed in the tank, (An Umbee, _Kronoheros umbriferum_ or a Red Terror, _Amphilophus festae_ could serve as a pretty awesome 'SA Beast'....  )


Well, I think I'm just gonna rehome him into a 55g then. It seems to be the safest solution.


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## Jai'galaar (Mar 28, 2021)

Auballagh said:


> - Keep the pair of Nicaraguans, and you will almost certainly be successful in re-stocking again with smaller/less aggressive CA Cichlids in a community tank.
> -
> Me? I think adult-sized Salvini work out pretty well in much smaller-sized aquariums, as individually kept 'Wet Pets'.


 If I keep the nicas, can I keep them with convicts and firemouths? I know convicts aren't exactly peaceful but they got along with the nicaraguans pretty well until Captain Creech (the male salvini) stepped in.
Btw if I rehome Creech into a 55g, should I get him a female or is it just another bad idea?


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## Auballagh (Jan 29, 2003)

OMG... _"CAPTAIN CREECH?!!!" _ LOL!
-
Alrighty then, so in future episodes of _'The Durrells'_, the good Captain will be getting re-homed over to the 55G? Excellent! And yes.... companionship, (of a sort) is a possibility for your lonely sailor. But, it will have to be set up on terms that are absolutely advantageous to The Lady's impending arrival. By this, I mean you will need to place a partial tank divider in the aquarium with holes just large enough for her to safely pass through. This will keep ol' killer safely at bay, when/if he becomes too aggressive with the female. Over time, you may be able to remove the partial tank divider after setting up some small escape spots (terracotta pipes with restricted size openings, etc..) for the female to safely retreat to, if/when your elderly Captain gets over-stimulated in there or something. 
BE ADVISED: This will now be the new 'normal' for your male Salvini. NOTHING placed in that tank with him should be expected to survive very long without built-in place(s) you've purposely built or installed in the aquarium, for the female (or anything else) to safely escape his killing aggression. I'm serious!  
-
As for the much calmer Nicaraguans? As Oscar6 so succinctly put it - they aren't even close to your male Salvini's league in killing aggression. And yes, you should be able to re-build the CA community tank again for the 114G, with the pair of Nicaraguans as the centerpiece fish. However, you will probably want to raise out any new (very small?) occupants for the tank just a bit first before placing them in the aquarium, to ensure they don't just become convenient snacks for the Nicaraguans. :roll:


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