# Rainbows and Salvinis



## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

Thinking of housing a pair of Rainbow Cichlids with a Salvini in a heavily planted and well caved 45gal. Think it would work out alright?


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## Hrafen (Feb 19, 2005)

Rainbows will not tolerate plants near their spawning site. Plants hide predators, they will be removed. The usual is Rainbow bites onto plant as base of stem, barrel rolls, plant is uprooted.

Away from spawning site Rainbows may decide plants are food. They are naturally herbivores. They will eat most plants. Even tough plants like Anubias.

A pair and a Salvini in a 45. Dunno. It might work short term, longer term I suspect not.

Just a view, I may be wrong.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

I imagine it could work it just depends on the personality of the Salvini. I would give it a shot! To give it a better chance of working out I would suggest putting the Salvini in another tank just temporarily until the pair have settled in and has found their place then add the Salvini back in. That way the pair is established and the Salvini can hold it's own and find it's own territory against a pair of friendly Rainbows. The only thing you should be worried about is the Salvini taking over the pair. Good luck I hope it works out!


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## mok3t (Nov 28, 2008)

I've been observing my Salvini over the last few days (Shes a small female, about 3") and she seems pretty relaxed to be honest. I thought it might be just the nerves of joining an established tank and would ware off after a few days (I read how nasty they can be) and it just hasn't. She hasn't even attempted to attack anything (Not to my knowledge anyway , I'm not at the tank 24/7, but i do watch them a LOT)

She's been in there coming up to a week now. Think i got a chilled out Salvini or do they just take longer to settle down and get nasty?


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

I'd watch out for the salvini's aggression. Rainbows are pretty peaceful cichlids. It would be a really nice looking tank though.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> I've been observing my Salvini over the last few days (Shes a small female, about 3") and she seems pretty relaxed to be honest. I thought it might be just the nerves of joining an established tank and would ware off after a few days (I read how nasty they can be) and it just hasn't. She hasn't even attempted to attack anything (Not to my knowledge anyway , I'm not at the tank 24/7, but i do watch them a LOT)
> 
> She's been in there coming up to a week now. Think i got a chilled out Salvini or do they just take longer to settle down and get nasty?


To be honest with you all that information about Salvini being really aggressive and nasty besides when they spawn is all a bunch of bull and exaggerated. Which is a shame because I am sure it scares away aquarists from buying and keeping them. As fish get older and bigger they can GET more aggressive then they were at the juvie stage but it's not much of a difference. It sounds like she has tankmates! What are the tankmates? IME Salvini seem to have the same aggression and curiosity as a Convict and skitish as a JD. Salvini will hold their own VERY well and will not back down. When spawning a Salvini pair can be very hyper and aggressive and they are AWESOME parents! Infact, I think they do a far better job than Convicts and have way better coloration and looks.


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## phishes (May 17, 2005)

CiChLiD LoVeR128 said:


> > I've been observing my Salvini over the last few days (Shes a small female, about 3") and she seems pretty relaxed to be honest. I thought it might be just the nerves of joining an established tank and would ware off after a few days (I read how nasty they can be) and it just hasn't. She hasn't even attempted to attack anything (Not to my knowledge anyway , I'm not at the tank 24/7, but i do watch them a LOT)
> >
> > She's been in there coming up to a week now. Think i got a chilled out Salvini or do they just take longer to settle down and get nasty?
> 
> ...


I agree that sal aggression is over rated when kept single. My 6'' female is extremely peaceful. It is just when they breed they get nasty.


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

I have absolutely no experience with salvini's. No experience with breeding rainbows either, but I did want to comment on the post that said that rainbows will eat plants. I have two males in a planted tank and neither one has ever, ever tried to eat the plants. I have observed them grazing on algae but not the plants themselves. I have crypts, onion, java fern and vals. They may indeed rip up plants near a spawning site, I honestly don't know but in my experience they won't devour all the plants in the tank!


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## chrispyweld (Dec 20, 2005)

Every sal I have had male or female will not tolerate anything else yellow or similarly shaped in the tank at all. after about three inches they get mean.

I have owned four of them.


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## rmcder (Jul 9, 2005)

I've also got to chime in as my female sal is an absolute KILLER; has been since she was about 1". There may be some sals that play nicely, but I sure can't vouch for it.


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