# Salvini's courting - and Thoricythis Aureum



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Just a few pics of my pair that are starting to court and have scared off the two other Male Sal's. What's somewhat funny is the male sal is smaller than one of the other male's but more aggressive so the female responds to that and the other males don't even attempt to stand their ground against the dominant male.

Please don't mind the dirty glass and algae in the back - just did WC's and water dripped on the front.

Female on the right









Another shot of the female entering her "cave"









The two of em in their area









Getting ready to go chase the others out









My male con - ignore the annoying donated blue light. 









Another shot - I think he's got good fin extensions









I do have a question for people with aureums or any experience. I have one that's in a tank and is developing nicely with cool colors but can't seem to find anymore available and want to know what other sort of peaceful cichlids I could get them with. Maybe do a planted tank with them because they're big pushovers and mine doesn't even flare his gills but I like him.


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Very nice! I miss my old pair. Thanks for sharing! Good luck!


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Ya I really enjoy watching these two do their thing


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Yeah, they are fun fish to have!  .


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Typically, how long after their tubes are out will eggs be laid? I'm
Kinda lucky because she is much more aggressive than he and if this
First batch doesn't go so well I don't think he can kill her. She's my favorite fish so saving her - should it come to do that - is my priority. I already saved her from a bout with ick when I first got her and had her growing out in a 20L for a bit.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Came home to eggs!


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

CONGRATS! Both are BEAUTIFUL fish, hope the babies will be awesome.  Keep us posted!


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## CiChLiD LoVeR128 (Mar 22, 2006)

Congrats!

When their tubes are down they should have eggs in a day or so.

Good luck! Keep us posted!


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

she's guarding the eggs. I'm pretty sure they hatched tho because they're not on that back wall anymore and she's still guarding that area but I can't find the wigglers.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Quick question - what's the best way to get two spooked males out of the tank? The male of the pair has been chasing them relentlessly and I don't want them to get sick from being so stressed but they're freakin' fast and I don't want them scurrying into the female's area with the fry...


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Wait until the middle of the night (i.e. lights off and they're sleeping), and go catch them then. They won't be able to wake up before you've netted and moved them.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Ok so for a hospital tank for them does it need to be fully cycled?


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Update: fry are free swimming. The two extra males are still terrified as I haven't been able to catch em yet. The dad has just now started targeting my 7 giant Danios so hopefully **** stop pestering the males. When the mom
Does attack, it's exact and swift and pretty bad - she doesn't mess around.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Update: fry are free swimming. The two extra males are still terrified as I haven't been able to catch em yet. The dad has just now started targeting my 7 giant Danios so hopefully **** stop pestering the males. When the mom
Does attack, it's exact and swift and pretty bad - she doesn't mess around.


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Oh lol wow. Sad to hear about the two other males, must be really quick lil' guys.

But hey, at least the fry are free-swimming them.  Can't wait to see them grow up a bit more!


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

They're enjoying moving em
Around the tank. If I dont get those males out tonight they're done


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

I put a divider in two days ago and it's working out immensely - the two males are out and about in their section and are a lot less skiddish. Now my only question is - can I medicate in this tank or will that be bad for the fry? And what do people recommend for repairing nipped up fins and such? Should I make more WC's?


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## Azedenkae (Apr 19, 2012)

Nooooo don't medicate the tank.

The fins will heal eventually, don't do more water changes than the usual. Increase the heat if you want to about 26-28 degrees. Still best to pick out the two males into a separate tank and treat them separately tho, the less you mess around with the tank, the better off your fries will be. Imo.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Ok no dosing just WC's and trying to catch the males to
Put in a hospital tank.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Here's a shot of the two of em - the males getting more yellow which is cool. The divider needs to go tho because they can still see the males and their lips have started gettin tore up from biting the screen


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)




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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi bwestgsx06,

Your Salvini look awesome. Thank you for sharing your images. Do you find your salvini to be reclusive or more out and about patroling? What size tank are they in and with what other cichlids/fish?

Thanks,
Matt


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

mlancaster said:


> Hi bwestgsx06,
> 
> Your Salvini look awesome. Thank you for sharing your images. Do you find your salvini to be reclusive or more out and about patroling? What size tank are they in and with what other cichlids/fish?
> 
> ...


Thank you. I enjoy watching them take care of the fry and just hang out although they've been lip-locking for the past ten minutes (I think the female got mad that the male let a female convict into the area - the convict was freaked out though and didn't eat any fry). They're both doing some HEAVY damage to each other (I'll try and get some pics after they stop if they ever do) but I dunno what caused it and separating them is out of the question because I don't have any other cycled tanks set up. When they do stop they just go right back at it - I'd say the male is getting it the worst.

Anyways, these two sals have been real good about being out and about and let me get right up to the tank inches away without being spooked-although they will flare their gills at me as if to say back up. I have one male in a 20L recovering from the damage the pair did to them and he is definitely more skittish but that may have something to do with the fact he go t his ********** for a while. And I have a female growing out in a different 55 and she comes up to the glass when the other fish do but she's the first to bolt.

For this tank, I have the pair with 7 giant danios and a divider with a convict pair. 20L male sal by himself (convict fry that he's still too spooked to eat and some BN plecos). 55 with the small female is about a dozen female convicts, 4 green terrors, 1 Thor Aureum, and 2 BN plecos. I know that tank is overstocked, it has an AC110, Magnum 350, and Biowheel 350 (I think) on it all with sponge prefilters and biweekly WC's as I wait to get a 75 or 90 for the GT's.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

The aftermath


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

The males lips are healing up ok. I need to figure out a solution for the tank tho because I have a divider in with some convicts who I'm trying to grow out. Also need one of my BN plecos to get bigger so I can put em in there.


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## Lloyd100 (Jul 4, 2012)

hi how big is your taank?


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Lloyd100 said:


> hi how big is your taank?


Just a 55. Last night I rehomed the convict pair (who I discovered had free swimming fry) and added a BN pleco. Watching the parents hunt down all the convict fry and seeing the bigger Salvini fry eat all the convicts was somewhat funny but sad. BTW, the Salvini's HATE the BN. He's doing good though and isn't showing any signs of actually getting caught yet.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Separated the male to a 20L for now due to him wanting to breed again and constantly getting his ********** and tearing up his lips. The fry are a half inch right now.... Female still has awesome coloration right now and I will probably move the pair into a 125 next week when I get it. We'll see how they do in a 6 ft tank with a bunch of other fish.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

The male is doing awesome in the 125. I bought some cichlid stones awhile back because I intended on keeping Africans but I threw them in the 125 anyways and he picked out one on the far side of the tank. The female jumped out of a hospital tank and died. I'm actually really bothered by that as she was my favorite fish and salvini's are my favorite CA.

The fry are all doing well in a 30L...


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)




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