Cichlasoma Salvini

[Morcs]

Cichlasoma Salvini or;

Nandopis Salvini.

Just thought id share some pics and info on these very underrated cichlids... My fave cichlid, and ive kept quite a few of them.

Central american, native to Mexico. Pound for pound one of the most aggressive fish in the hobby - when breeding, think convicts but with even more kick-ass.

Females grow to about 5'' max, and males 8'' max. Females are much more colourful, even when not breeding - taking on a nice yellow base colour, sprinkles of blue, and a red belly. Males tend to be really pale yellow, with blue sprinkles.

Sexing - Other than the colour differences, males are have a longer body shape, longer trailing tips to the dorsal and anal fins. Females have a black blotch in the middle of the dorsal, and a black splodge on the gill cover.

Females are an attractive proposition for a mixed cichlid aquarium - they can be mixed ok with firemouths and convicts and other cichlids of similar size and temperment - though like any cichlid tank you need territories and lots of line-of-sight breakers - these guys dont mess around when they get angry.

Males are more aggressive, and id recommend their company being the likes of GTs and JDs - and other cichlids along those lines. Saying that, females too can be kept with much larger cichlids in my opinion - an adult 5'' female sal vs a adult 12'' oscar - id probably put my money on the sal... they really do hold there own.

If keeping a pair, would recommend keeping them as the only cichlids. I have mine with 14 largish columbian tetras, and their numbers are slowly disappearing. If looking to keep a single sal, would recommend a female with a firemouth and a convict in a 4' tank when adults. would work quite well.

Breeding, cant comment on my own experiences here as im currently attempting this. Shouldnt be too difficult, same as convicts... except there is a very very high chance of the male killing the female in the process. My girl is getting a hard time at the moment.

But the stunning colours intensify even more when breeding, and ive read that in a 'community' setup, a breeding pair will take upto 4' of tank space as their own - and they will defend it. very aggressively.

Anyway heres some pics. No flash was used, and no enhancing of pics. Female is obvious by the colours, and not even breeding colours yet! absolutely stunning eh.

[spoon]

i have a large male in my african tank he dosent take any crap was given to me as my freind found it killed everything in his tank gets along ok with my africans despite being quite large and i will say he grew very quickly

[Morcs]

i have a large male in my african tank he dosent take any crud was given to me as my freind found it killed everything in his tank gets along ok with my africans despite being quite large and i will say he grew very quickly

How big is he?

[David R]

Nice write up, want to repost it here? http://fishkeepers.co.nz/forums/viewfor ... 81b87c9a87

[Morcs]

Can you post it up pleeeease

Dont want to register for yet another forum, much too many already :lol:

Thanks

[spoon]

around 11cm was brought as a 3cm juvie from notjust cichlids less than a year ago

[Duncan7]

Nice info and pics there

I got a male and a female sal too, mine are in a mixed cichlid tank with 4 GT's, one large fem JD and the 7 loaches they not looking to pair up just yet. I have found that the female salvinis are one of the most agressive fish ive kept, far more so than convicts and up there with my old grumpy male texas that i had..

Stunning fish, one of my favourites too, it may be a toss up whether the sals or GT's get the 4 footer to breed in..

[Fruju]

Hey Duncan have you sold your dats and bichirs yet?

[Duncan7]

Hey Duncan have you sold your dats and bichirs yet?

Bichirs gone, dats still here.