# Changing stocking due to getting a Salvini...



## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Salvinis haventy been imported to NZ in over 4 years, and there are some now - I dont want to pass up this opportunity to get one!

Im going to try and get a female (shop says cant guarantee, but ill have a look).

It will have to go in my 40G which current contains:

20 Neons
5 keyholes (inc 1 breeding pair)
1 blue acara

No worries with the acara, and ill be getting rid of the keyholes except the pair.
Will neons be okay for a while? (ie. until they can fit in the sals mouth?)

Im going to go get one tonight. Will move the 3 small keyholes into my angel tank for the time being.


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

1 pair of keyholes and a female sal should be good in a 40g. A male would probably outgrow it, and/or would need to be alone.

Neons, I make no promises...I'd expect them to start disappearing rather quickly.

Salvini are generally very easy to sex, even at small sizes. At the petsmart near us the sals are about 1.25" and I can sex them reliably. Females have a black spot ringed with blue on the dorsal fin. I've heard it said that males can have this too, and I'd have no way to contradict it, but it's 90% bet. Females can also (but not always) have a black spot (usually ringed with blue) on one or both gill plates. I've only ever seen females with these spots, but they don't have to have them.

Long story short, If you get one with gill spots, guaranteed female. Good luck! They are great fish.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Sweet thanks. Im kinda gutted as Id just got my stocking on both tanks perfect.

Then someone has to go and import the one fish that *** wanted for agees :lol:

You didnt mention the acara... hes a beauty... will have a nice contrast in colours to the sal


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

the female salvini will rip those keyholes to peaces... that is almost a promise. keyholes are wimpy fish, a favorite of mine, but wimpy, I wouldn't stock these 2 together in my 90, let alone a 40g...


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

gage said:


> the female salvini will rip those keyholes to peaces... that is almost a promise. keyholes are wimpy fish, a favorite of mine, but wimpy, I wouldn't stock these 2 together in my 90, let alone a 40g...


Mine are vicious  Theyve been kept with cons and FMs before and did fine.

I may have to move them to my angel tank. Dont think thatll work either - a pair of breeding angels, a pair of bolivans and a pair of keyholes all in a 29 tall...


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

thats what I'm afraid of, Salvini is in a hole different complex then convict or firemouths... convicts will flare back and chase, as will firemouths. the salvini will chase, grab on, and thrash them to death, especially if the keyholes start something with it.

you can do what you want, but through my experience with Salvinis, and my experience with Keyholes (pushy but not capable of defending themselves when something fights back) I would never mix the 2.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

gage said:


> thats what I'm afraid of, Salvini is in a hole different complex then convict or firemouths... convicts will flare back and chase, as will firemouths. the salvini will chase, grab on, and thrash them to death, especially if the keyholes start something with it.
> 
> you can do what you want, but through my experience with Salvinis, and my experience with Keyholes (pushy but not capable of defending themselves when something fights back) I would never mix the 2.


Noted. cheers.

Maybe *** finally found a fish that I can keep convicts with - *** had convicts twice so far and always ended up close to turning sour...

Ill keep the pair of keyholes with my angels, and sell the bolivians if my partner lets me.

Cheers for the advice.


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

When you say Neons...do you mean Neon Tetras? If so, almost any size Salvini will eat them. Salvinis are basically a miniature Jaguar or Dovii....they are highly predatory, with large teeth.

As for keyholes...I've never kept them. I'd go with what gage says.

Convicts and Salvinis generally make great tankmates.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

oldcatfish said:


> When you say Neons...do you mean Neon Tetras? If so, almost any size Salvini will eat them. Salvinis are basically a miniature Jaguar or Dovii....they are highly predatory, with large teeth.
> 
> As for keyholes...I've never kept them. I'd go with what gage says.
> 
> Convicts and Salvinis generally make great tankmates.


Yes, Neon tetras  I filled my tank with them as Keyholes dont hyave much colour. Looks fantastic btw.

Will put 10 of them in with the angels (munch munch) and leave 10 in the 40G and see what happens.

Would a female Sal be ok with a Blue acara and a female convict in a 40, with nothing else?


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

The sal and the con will be ok. Haven't kept acara's so I won't speculate.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Comic Sans said:


> The sal and the con will be ok. Haven't kept acara's so I won't speculate.


I dont think any problems temperment-wise - thinking of size wise. 
Very placid. Never had another cichlid bother him - including jewels, FMs and cons


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Ok, I have one. Please help sex!

Shes about 3''. the smallest out of the bunch and the least boisterous. Has the gill spot but on one side. The tank full of salvinis was the most aggressive thing *** ever seen! :lol: 
I moved all my keyholes and neons into my 29G (except for the breeding pair) and they are giving the Sal a very hard time - that will change soon most likely so will move them on asap.


























Heres a pic of my blue acara. Hes beautiful, so would love to keep him!









Heres the 40G thats housing them. Gonna re-scape it as its scaped to provided hidy holes for small fishes like keyholes.









Heres a pic of my 29G. Overstocked now, but looking good!


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

Well with the dorsal fin down it's hard to be absoluely sure, I don't se much of a spot...but as I said, I've never seen a male with the gill plate spot, so my vote is female!


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Comic Sans said:


> Well with the dorsal fin down it's hard to be absoluely sure, I don't se much of a spot...but as I said, I've never seen a male with the gill plate spot, so my vote is female!


Thanks. So thats 2 votes for female. Ill be 100% sure when we have 5 votes!

I didnt realise Sals were so slender. Really thin, and long. maybe just underfed?


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## jack lover (Aug 12, 2008)

Dont know about sex but nice acara! And beutiful tank Morc!!! Love it!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

IME, most blue acaras could hang with a convict ... never tried with a salvani though ... might be worth a try as your blue acara is very beautiful.


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## Comic Sans (Apr 21, 2009)

Morcs said:


> I didnt realise Sals were so slender. Really thin, and long. maybe just underfed?


Not mine. She's a porker.


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## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

95 percent chance that the Acara will be fine with your Salvini.

I'm not so sure about your Salvini being female though. I'd give it 50/50 either way.

Here's what makes me think that it could possibly be a male; male Sals generally have more blue/green sparkles on their bodies, and less red on their bellies...compared to their siblings. I see quite a few sparkles, and not a lot of red. Also males are less brightly colored yellow, and more golden/yellow most of the time.

On the other hand, yours is pretty bright yellow for a small one--so that makes me think female. How did the Salvini look compared to the others in the tank?

All that being said---I've seen many male appearing Sals that look like females, and females that look a lot like males. But when seen in a tankful of juveniles at a store...I can usually pick them out about 90 percent of the time.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

oldcatfish said:


> On the other hand, yours is pretty bright yellow for a small one--so that makes me think female. How did the Salvini look compared to the others in the tank?
> .


Cheers. Compared to the others, she was the smallest, quietest and one of the most colourful.

It was hard to sex any of them...


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## chrispyweld (Dec 20, 2005)

Sorry mate but I'm voting male on that one. The coloration and lack of dorsal blotch or red on the body make me think it's a male.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> Well with the dorsal fin down it's hard to be absoluely sure, I don't se much of a spot...but as I said, I've never seen a male with the gill plate spot, so my vote is female!


Nope definitely a Male! It has way more spangling then a female especially in the dorsal fins and on the body. The black spot on the dorsal fin is the only way to sex Salvini. The black spot on the gill plate isn't reliable. All of the males I have ever kept all had the black spot on the gill plate. Here is a few pics to help sex!










http://img118.imageshack.us/i/mg5697wa7.jpg/









Male Salvini



















http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_user ... b4a754.jpg









Female. Notice the black blotch on the dorsal (top) fin.

I hope this helps!

By the way these are not my pics I gathered these off of google


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

Mine has the black blotch on the dorsal fin, yay!

Cheers


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