SALVINI CICHLID - How To Setup The Aquarium For This Cichlid?

What is a salvini?

Salvini cichlid or the yellow belly cichlid is also known as the Tri-color cichlid especially during breeding season. They do not appear to be extremely colorful however they show color variations with intensity at the time of spawning.

They are by nature moderately aggressive but gets really aggressive when breeding which is why smaller fishes should not be kept together with salvini's at this time. Ideally they can be tank mates with Jack Dempsey or a Red Devil cichlid.

Salvini male (Cichlasoma salvini)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These species are quite known to hobbyist because of its hardiness and vividly beautiful coloration. It exudes spectacular colors of yellow, black, red, and sometimes even blue. They thrive well showing its stunning colors especially when kept with South American Cichlids of equal size and temperament.

What to feed the Salvini?

Feeding them is effortless because it will grab any type of foods given to them. They eat foods like flakes and pellets, or live foods, and frozen foods too. Always remember to add vegetables such as lettuce or zucchini in its meal every now and then to keep diet balance.

What are the preferable aquarium conditions for Salvini Fish?

A 50 gallon aquarium for a pair of salvini is adequate enough. Fill in water with a pH value between 6 and 8, a dH of 8 - 15, and a temperature of 70 - 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A constant water change of 25% - 30% is required at least once a week. The salvini aquarium water also needs a powerful filtration system. Moreover, salvini's tank should be decorated with lots of rocks, driftwood, and plants to provide them copious hiding places.

Live plants may be used in the tank since these species are not substrate digger or plant destroyers, actually it is said to be that salvini's color are enhanced deeply if kept in a well planted tank. Nevertheless, the salvini's should be kept in capacious aquarium. It is preferable to provide them a larger space for the cichlids to swim freely without the distraction of plants and other decorative items. Keep in mind that this variety is a bottom to mid swimmer fishes.

Salvini's are also an excellent parent to its babies thus the fry may be kept together with its parents as they grow. However, when kept in community tanks, the fry may be transferred to a new tank to avoid overcrowding.

Find out more on how to breed and care for the salvini cichlid's fry. Reading and understanding first the basic information about salvini's as well as the aquarium set-up and its water conditions gives hobbyist ideas on what are salvini cichlid fish and how to care for them. After which, they are ready to move on about how to go about breeding.

By Lacey Bryant Lacey Bryant is a cichlid enthusiast and author, who has been caring for cichlids for over 15 years. She has been breeding Cichlids for years and it has become her passion to share her knowledge about their proper care. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Discover the Unique OSCAR CICHLID

Oscar Cichlid, also known for their scientific name Astronotus Ocellatus, is found in South America and native to Peru, Brazil, French Guiana and Columbia. Other common names include Velvet Cichlid, Marble Cichlid, and Tiger Oscar. These fish are rapid growers. Reaching an average of 12 inches in length, some have been known reach a total of 18 inches and weigh 3.5 lbs.

Photo of a leucistic Long Finned Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus). Some have remarked that this strain is more difficult to care for than the strain found in the wild. However, this is not noticeable unless the specimen is under a lot of stress. The fish is a little bulkier due to carrying more fins.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Typically dark in colour, orange-ringed spots also known as ocelli are found around the gill area, dorsal fin, and on the sides towards the back end of the fish. Found in a variety of colours, Oscars can range from being mottled, all black or red, marbled, or albino. When becoming combative or territorial, they are known to change colour rapidly. Juvenile Oscars have spotted heads and are striped with wavy, orange and white bands.

Oscar Cichlids are known to be aggressive compared to other members in the cichlid family. Jack Dempsey's, Pacus, and Silver Dollars will work well as tank mates as well as other moderately aggressive cichlids.

Noted as being intelligent creatures from aquarists alike, they are able to distinguish their owners apart from strangers. Oscars are curious, playful, and popular among hobbyists.

Since Oscars are carnivores, their diet should consist of fish and insects. Feeder fish, brine shrimp, krill, and crickets are all acceptable food types. High quality prepared foods such as pellets and flakes can also be supplemented with the food types previously mentioned.

A 75 gallon tank per Oscar is the ideal size with a water temperature range of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. PH should be maintained between 6.5 and 7.0. Although Oscars are relatively hardy fish, water conditions must be kept clean and maintained. Improper water and tank maintenance can lead to certain diseases that Oscars are susceptible to, such as HITH, (hole in the head) a disease which affects the sensory organs in the lateral lines and face of the fish, thus causing pitting in both areas.

By Craig Wrightson If you would like to learn more about Oscar Cichlids and their environment, visit my site African Cichlid Success NEW eBook! Get Instant Access! Learn everything you need to know about setting up and maintaining a perfect Cichlid Tank including the unbelievably simple secrets the professional breeders use on caring, feeding, breeding and diseases! Article Source: EzineArticles

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FLOWERHORN Fish - A Hybrid Cichlid of South American Origins

One of the more unusual cichlid varieties is the flowerhorn. It is actually not a recognized species due to its hybrid origins. The actual parent species remains a mystery because the original breeder has not made the origins public. It is widely believed however that South American cichlids were used in it's creation.

The flowerhorn is an unusual looking species that can grow a large nuchal hump on it's forehead. Coloration can vary as many variations have been created using selective breeding. Red patterns with scattered black scales are typical of the fish frequently seen. Other types such as the red flame flowerhorn have large yellow areas at the dorsal end of the fish's body. The black scales are sometimes arranged into bands as seen in the red general flowerhorn.

Tanking (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Flowerhorns have the potential to grow quite large. 40 cm can be expected from a mature specimen. For this reason a large aquarium of 4 feet and upward is recommended. Due to their potential for aggression they are often kept alone or with other flowerhorns in such fish tanks. If your aim is to keep more than one fish it is advised to select the tank mates while young. By doing so they can become accustomed to one another and show less aggression once mature. Suitable fish to keep with flowerhorns are red devils and other large South American cichlids. Such species will be better suited to defend themselves than smaller varieties.

These fish should be cared for in the same way that other South American cichlids are. A high protein cichlid pellet can be fed though there are also foods produced specifically for flowerhorns. Water should pH should be kept in the vicinity of neutral using a test kit and adjustment additives.

As large cichlids have a tendency to rearrange their surroundings care should be taken in decorating the tank. Aquarium plants can not be used because thy will soon be uprooted and damaged n the process. Large stones and resin ornaments are suitable but heavy rocks should not have any gravel beneath them. This will ensure the object is not undermined and toppled onto the digging fish.

While these behaviors can be tiresome for the aquarium owner it is quite stimulating for the fish. To further amuse your flowerhorns additional objects can be offered from time to time. If you have several tanks the ornaments can be periodically switched around.

By Andrew Fuller Andrew Fuller spends much of his free time writing about aquarium related topics on a range of websites. He believes in free information for fish keepers who want to learn about their pass time. You may find buy flowerhorns online to be a useful resource from aquarium fish shop Article Source: EzineArticles

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Can You Buy Discus Fish Online?

Discus fish are available to buy online, if you decide to get your discus fish online then you must make sure that you know everything that there is to know about discus fish and taking care of them before your order any discus fish online.

There are many fish owners who consider discus fish to be quite difficult to look after and they are not often recommended to inexperienced aquarists. Although discus fish are not particularly difficult to manage, they can often become susceptible to stress borne disease and can die if they are not kept in optimal conditions. Ammonia cause from fish waste and bad water temperatures are the main threats to the discus immune system, in their natural habitat they live in distilled water and the chemicals which are more often than not added to the municipal water supply can harm the fish. Many discus fish owners choose to change water using RO water, however if you do use RO water you must be sure to add minerals back into the water that it takes out.

Discus Fish - Photo by basheertome 

Before you buy your discus fish online you should make sure that:

1  You have a tank large enough to contain your discus fish- 20 to 27 gallon tanks should be sufficient for your discus fish

2  Do your homework- make sure that you have read through discus fish care books that you know how to take care of them, what they eat, the water pH, temperature, breeding- there is a lot to know before you get started.

3  Make sure that you have all of the equipment that you need to keep discus fish- filters, food, ornaments for the fish to hide behind etc.

4  Make sure that you have a safe and quite place to keep your discus fish tank

Once you have considered all of the facts about discus fish, then you are ready to buy your discus fish online! But where can you find discus fish online? There are dozens of websites which offer links to stores where you can order discus fish- these vary in prices and shipping charges to you might want to do a little bit of research before you settle for your buyer.

You should take into consideration; cost of fish, cost of shipping, shipping time and you should also consider whether or not you can trust the website to deliver your discus fish safely and in a healthy condition. If you want to find more information on where you can buy discus fish online, then do a quick internet search to find out everything that you need to know.

The author has created a review site that provides you with the most in-depth and complete analysis of the best discus fish online products to date called Discus fish Secrets. Article Directory: Article Dashboard

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The OSCAR CICHLID

The Oscar Cichlid is an intelligent fish which creates a friendly bond between itself and its owner. To achieve this, the fish requires the utmost care and undivided attention. They respond well to gestures and will swim into your palm once the bond is formed. The Oscar Cichlid has lots of amusing gestures. For instance it knows when the owner gets home and will wag its tail.

Oscar Cichlid (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The personality of the Oscar Cichlid is unmistakable. In the first instance, they will be timid and will spend most of their time in hiding. As time goes by, they gradually come out and interact with the owner. Within no time, the fish will eat from the hand of the owner as well as ask for food.

They will swim to the surface while moving their teeth as though they are eating. This gesture is meant to mean that it's time to feed.

The name Oscar is the most commonly used while the scientific name is Astronotus ocellatus. It goes by other names like Velvet and Marble. As a pet, the Oscar is very easy to keep. However it needs a very big aquarium, large enough for it to swim freely around and burrow. In particular, it needs a well maintained water volume of up to a maximum of 600 liters.

In the aquarium, you need to include plants also although they are easily uprooted. Include in it bigger rocks so that the fish can be able to find places to hide.

It is not possible to immediately tell the sex of the Oscar. To tell the difference, you should wait for them to start spawning. When they are ready, the sexual organ will be evident on the female. Usually these fish will form a lifelong relationship with each other.

When breeding these fish, it is a good idea to breed them in even pairs of males and females. This encourages them to choose a mate for themselves. In the event one of them dies, they will rarely make new relationships. This might be the time to go and purchase a new pair.

The size of the adult will be up to around 45cm and weigh up to 3.5 pounds. The best temperatures to keep these fish in are between 22 and 26 °C. Their feeding is pretty general. They feed on almost anything a fish can feed on. It is however recommended that you feed them with protein foods.

They originate from river stems in South America. It is good to note that the fish should not be placed in communal tanks where the fish are all smaller that the Oscar. It is generally not aggressive but during breeding, the fish overly protects its young and could be hostile.In times of danger, the female Oscar cichlid will protect its young ones through mouth brooding.

you can generally tell the males due to the dark spots located towards the dorsal fin. The males also generally mature faster than females do. Within a year, the Oscar can reach its sexual maturity and continue with this for up to 10 years.

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