# salvini



## bigdaddycon (Dec 13, 2008)

hey guys i just ordered a salvini so when i get it it will go in the 125 with 1 texas 1 jd 1 fm and 2 cons, when they are all full grown will it be to many fish


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## Lively (Jan 13, 2009)

Sounds like a good reason to get a new tank! lol


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

125 should have plenty of room for all, and maybe one or two more.


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## RobD213 (Mar 2, 2006)

Joels fish said:


> 125 should have plenty of room for all, and maybe one or two more.


Agreed :thumb: :thumb:


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## Lively (Jan 13, 2009)

I read it wrong - learn me to be staying up so late...


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## bigdaddycon (Dec 13, 2008)

thanks for all the repiles, *** never kept a sal before so can anybody share their experiences with them.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Sounds like a job for *cichlidlover128*, who has been surprisingly absent from this thread.My personal experience with them has been good but in general they tend to be relatively shy and reclusive. Males get around 8" females around 6" . Can be aggressive but how much so depends on the individual. Mine were pretty tame compaired to others. Males tend to be more bland in color but have more blue spangles and females have more vivid coloration. Either sex is still a very attractive fish though. Should do well with the stocking you've listed.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> My personal experience with them has been good but in general they tend to be relatively shy and reclusive. Males get around 8" females around 6" . Can be aggressive but how much so depends on the individual. Mine were pretty tame compaired to others. Males tend to be more bland in color but have more blue spangles and females have more vivid coloration. Either sex is still a very attractive fish though. Should do well with the stocking you've listed.


 :thumb: Well said!

However, I found that Salvini are not as aggressive as they are described to be. They will hold their own very well. Sometimes they start fights but not a lot. Salvini like to have a lot of plants, caves, rocks, and driftwood. The more secure they feel the more color they show off and the more active they are. Also it would be a good idea to use plants for top cover to cover over them. They are skitish and hide a lot because in the wild they have predators such as birds and other land animals. They are not picky with foods but they are finicky with water quality so make sure you do weekly syphon water changes anywhere from 25-50%. Try not to make sudden changes to the water chemsistry like medication and other things. They are very hardy and tolerable but they are a little more sensitive then the Texas, JD, Firemouth and Convicts. Also stay way from alage chemicals and other tank care products they are big fish killers. The only chemicals you should use is dechlorinators and bacteria such as stress zyme. If you need to treat them for some reason remove them and place them in their own tank AKA hospital tank and treat and follow directions. Good luck I hope this helps! :thumb:


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## bigdaddycon (Dec 13, 2008)

thanks everybody, all the info helps out quite a bit.


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## bigdaddycon (Dec 13, 2008)

hey guys, im trying to sex my sal, but it doesnt have a black splotch on its dorsal fin, but it has red on the belly, so do males get the red on the belly to.


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## Philg (May 14, 2007)

Hi cichidlover128- Are salvini's ok to keep and breed with such high pH (8.2)?
i have never had these but am thinking to try them. My local water is hard and pH around 8


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Most centrals do ok at a higher ph as the water in their natural habitat is on the alkaline side of things . Adding driftwood and plants can help bring down the ph to more comfortable levels as they release tanic acid which moderates the high ph. Also addind some RO (reverse osmosis) water at water changes will help bring down the hardness a bit as well.

Sorry CL I just got here first :lol:


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Hi cichidlover128- Are salvini's ok to keep and breed with such high pH (8.2)?
> i have never had these but am thinking to try them. My local water is hard and pH around 8


No you didn't beat me Joels Fish. 8)

Yep Salvini's will live and spawn just fine in 8.2. My ph is 8.4 and they have spawned just fine! I have a 30 gal full of Salvini fry! And currently I have a batch in my 40 gal breeder! I switched my Female for 3 others in the 55 gal and the Male chose one. She has just spawned 2 days ago! This will be her first spawn and I hope it's successful. Salvini like all other CA's are very hardy and tolerable and will live in just about anything. As long as your water is clean and you have a heater thats all you need!

You don't need to use R/O water. And Driftwood and plants *CAN* help and if it does it won't be much of a difference but not in all situations. My water is so hard that it doesn't affect my ph at all! I have a piece of driftwood from the UK and a piece of driftwood from an LFS. In the wild a good majority of the CA's inhabit 7.5 ph but it's hard. In some lakes, rivers, and streams I have heard that they are higher in ph than the african lakes and reach a ph of 9.0. CA's prefer a harder ph. Good luck! :thumb:



> hey guys, im trying to sex my sal, but it doesnt have a black splotch on its dorsal fin, but it has red on the belly, so do males get the red on the belly to.


Yes males get red on the belly as well! Here are a few pics I pulled up from google! I hope these help you!

http://www.aquariumlife.net/profile-ima ... ichlid.jpg
Female

http://www.aquamojo.com/misc/Salvini3.jpg
Male



> thanks everybody, all the info helps out quite a bit.


No problem! :thumb:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> > CA's prefer a harder ph.


Tsk tsk tsk *CL*!!! Making such general statements!!! Don't forget two species come from acidic, soft water!!! 

But yes in general you are right ... 

Sorry, had too. You are usually good about those sweeping statements, I had to poke at you for the lapse! :lol:


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## RobD213 (Mar 2, 2006)

Philg said:


> Hi cichidlover128- Are salvini's ok to keep and breed with such high pH (8.2)?
> i have never had these but am thinking to try them. My local water is hard and pH around 8


My water is also like liquid rocks, and my female sal bred with my male con.

HTH.

Rob


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Tsk tsk tsk CL!!! Making such general statements!!! Don't forget two species come from acidic, soft water!!!
> 
> But yes in general you are right ...
> 
> Sorry, had too. You are usually good about those sweeping statements, I had to poke at you for the lapse!


 :lol:

The only CA specie that comes from soft acidic water that I know of is the Nano.

I also forgot to add that the ph in some lakes, rivers, and streams down there ranges from 7.0 - 7.5. It's just what I have researched and heard.


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## RobD213 (Mar 2, 2006)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> CA's prefer a harder ph.


As we are picking holes :lol: :lol: do you mean higher ph? Ph being related to acidity or alkalinity not hardness?


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

my bad

:lol:

They prefer neutral ph but hard alkalinity. But they will do good in a high ph.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

> You don't need to use R/O water.


 True that it's not needed but helps a great deal to bring down the hardness of your local tap water. Little trick I learned living in Texas for all those years.Tap water was transparent concrete. The driftwood works but goes hand in hand with the reduction in hardness. If the water is too hard you loose the benifit of the tanic acid to lower the ph. That's where the RO water comes in handy. Of course all this depends on just how much effort your willing to put into things and just what you want out of it.


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## RobD213 (Mar 2, 2006)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> my bad
> 
> :lol:
> 
> They prefer neutral ph but hard alkalinity. But they will do good in a high ph.


SOrry dude not picking on you but wouldnt a high alkalinity raise the pH?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> > The only CA specie that comes from soft acidic water that I know of is the Nano.


Correct!!! The other is panamensis btw ... pH 6.8 and 124 micro-Siemens!!!!!!

And alkalinity is the ablity to withstand pH changes, and while it like hardness tends to be higher pH water, it doesn't necessarily always work that way.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> True that it's not needed but helps a great deal to bring down the hardness of your local tap water. Little trick I learned living in Texas for all those years.Tap water was transparent concrete. The driftwood works but goes hand in hand with the reduction in hardness. If the water is too hard you loose the benifit of the tanic acid to lower the ph. That's where the RO water comes in handy. Of course all this depends on just how much effort your willing to put into things and just what you want out of it.


Very good point! :thumb:



> SOrry dude not picking on you but wouldnt a high alkalinity raise the pH?


I am at a loss of words. I must not know how it works. Can someone help me? :-?


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## RobD213 (Mar 2, 2006)

A very basic idea is (and I apologise if its too basic) and please correct me if I have forgotten any of this from school.

pH is the level of how acidic or alkaline a substance is, in this case the tank water. The scale runs from 1-14. 1 being highly acidic, 1 being high in alkaline. Alkaline substance will neutralise acid and vice versa. a ph of around 7 is generally consdered to be neutral.

Alkalinity on the other hand is a measure of a waters ability to netralise acid, so is similar but easily confused as the same as pH.

Driftwood is used to lower pH as it contains tanic acid. Tanic acid can also soften water.

GH is a easure of general hardness and KH is a measure of caronabte hardness.

HTH and is correct.

Rob


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