# Will Sal color up?



## Fishfeind (Jan 16, 2007)

I just got a new salvini for my 135 and he was a little beat up, being in a 40 gallon with a flowerhorn, pikie, and a big jack dempsey. It has great blue on the face and red on the fin tips, but the yellow is sort of dull with some brown mixed in. could this just be a female? If not, do these fish color up with age? thanks a lot


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Sounds like it's probably a male, and it might color up a bit but not much. Female sals have all the color, but some males (especially when in spawning dress) look pretty bright . Males also have way more blue spots than females and normally get much larger.


----------



## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

You can clearly tell the females by the bluish/black blotch on the dorsal fin.


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Yep he/she will definitely color up just give it some time. The reason why it's not showing much color is because he/she is a new fish on the block and also got beat up! Krill and Bloodworms work very well for bringing out the color. Just give him/her some time to settle down and get used to the new enviornment and the color will come and be so amazing! :thumb:


----------



## Fishfeind (Jan 16, 2007)

thanks a lot!


----------



## phishes (May 17, 2005)

I bought my sal at only 2'' long, and she was a tan color. She was very dull looking. Here is a pic of her at 3.5''. What a difference!


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Wow beautiful Female Salvini!  :thumb:


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

The one*Fishfeind* is describing sounds like a male though.


----------



## Fishfeind (Jan 16, 2007)

how about I post a picture? Although I don't quite know how to...


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

> The oneFishfeind is describing sounds like a male though.


Even if it is Male it will still color up just as nice if not better than a Female. Have you seen BV's old Male (which my girlfriend has him) but he has some nice coloration and it's by far better than any Female Salvini I have seen.


----------



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

or a pic of my male? (relatively old pic, hes about twice the size now)


----------



## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

My sals have colored up nicely....here's some video of the pair,,,


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Very nice pair sjlchgo!

The Females I got from you are doing really good! They are all showing great color! :thumb:

Very nice Male gage! :thumb:


----------



## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

*CiChLiD LoVeR128*
2 of the 3 Sals I have(the pair) have developed a white spot on their lips and "nose". The other sal in the tank is fine. Doesn't look cottony...looks more like an abrasion or something. Have you ever experienced this? I recently added a new/used filter to the tank and didn't change the sponge in it so I thought fungus and started treating them with Rid Ich. I've changed the sponge...done water changes(60% twice in the past 4 days). Any thoughts or suggestions? I really can't say that they are doing noticably better but definitely no change for the worse. They are still eating and acting as they usually do.


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Kinda sounds like a lip locking injury. Maybe trying to spawn .


----------



## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

That's what I am thinking as well. Either that or from cleaning the flower pot they hang out in. I'll treat them for another day and keep the salt in. Got a better look at them today and they seem to be a bit better. It certainly hasn't effected their appetite. I dropped in some blood worms and they came a runnin!


----------



## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Yep I have experienced this a lot! And yep as Joels Fish has said it's a lip injury from the Male. I would say do a water change and get the medication out of there and let it heal on it's own! I have found that it's better to stay away from medication as much as possible and let it heal on it's own! Especially with Salvini! They are very sensitive to changes and especially medication! Thats how I lost my last Female! She had a lip injury so I treated melafix and it was outdated.......  . The other Female died from Alagefix!


----------



## sjlchgo (Mar 2, 2008)

You guys were right! See my post "Sals have spawned!".....I've put carbon in the tank and will do another water change tomorrow.


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I agree with*CiChLiD LoVeR128*, I'd clear out the meds and just go back to your normal routine. Those "love bites" normally heal fine on there own. Nature doesnt want reproduction to be fatal . My Severums are courting now and the females looking rough, but in a few days she'll be healed up fine. Cichlids heal pretty quick if they're well cared for.


----------

