Salvini cichlazoma at a young age seems a plain gray fish that does not attract attention. However, upon reaching adulthood, she becomes bright, beautiful and just catches her eye.
In nature
Salvini cichlazoma was first described back in 1862 by a zoologist of German origin Albert Gunther. These exotic fish live in the waters of Central America. They are met in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala. They were also imported into the United States and spread to the states of Texas and Florida.
Tsikhlazomas prefer rivers with a strong and medium course. They are predators and feed on small fish, invertebrates and insects. Unlike other cichlases, salvins do not hide at snags and stones, but actively hunt in open spaces.
Description
What does salvini cichlazoma look like? The photos show that this is a brightly colored medium-sized fish. A cichlazoma can grow to a considerable size - up to 22 cm, but usually in an aquarium it does not reach such a length and stops at a height of 15-18 cm. Like all relatives, salvini is territorial and aggressive. With good care, can live up to 13 years.
The body of Salvini is elongated, oval, and its muzzle is sharp. Young fish that have not reached puberty have a nondescript grayish-yellow color. Adult cichlazoma is brightly colored. The main color is yellow, but longitudinal black stripes go along the body. One continuous black stripe runs right along the center line of the body, the second is interrupted, breaking up into separate spots on the back and upper fin. Abdomen and anal fin red.
Content Features
For beginner aquarists, cichlazoma salvini will be difficult to maintain, even though it is not demanding on water parameters. To keep one pair of salvini, you need an aquarium of 200 liters. And if you plan to keep them in company with other types of fish, then the volume will have to be increased by 2 times. Also, cichlases have an explosive temperament, they become especially aggressive during spawning.
Feeding
In nature, cichlazoma salvini is a predator. Representatives of this species eat live food - fish, invertebrates, insects. With artificial content, salvini is classified as omnivorous, as they willingly eat all types of artificial, ice cream and live food.
The main food, as a rule, is a special food for cichlids. However, it is additionally necessary to give frozen or live food - bloodworms, coronet, tubule, artemia, earthworms and cricket larvae. You also need to indulge the fish with green food - spinach, lettuce, dandelion, cucumber, zucchini and other chopped vegetables. Some lovers feed their pets frozen seafood, live fish and shrimp.
Content
How to care for such a fish as salvini cichlazoma? The content of these beauties, although it is not particularly difficult, but not for beginners. The main problems are brought by the inactive nature of the fish.
Experts say that for a comfortable existence, one pair of cichlases will need a capacity of 200 liters or more. In a large aquarium you can keep several individuals, adding 30-40 liters of water for each. Any soil can be used, but it is better to take small pebbles or granite chips. To plant plants with powerful roots, you need a thick layer of soil from 8 cm.
At the bottom of the aquarium, shelters and grottoes made of stones and snags must be placed. These jewelry will become a refuge for a fish who wants to hide from the aggressor. Usually cichlids destroy plants, but salvins treat them more carefully.
Plants must have a powerful root system. For example, cryptocorins, echinodorus, pinnacle, wallisneria, elodea are suitable. Cichlids are not demanding on the composition of water. Temperature - 24-26 degrees, acidity - 7-8.5 pH, hardness - from 5 to 20 ° dH.
Salvini's cichlazoma does not like too bright lighting and prefers shelters that are protected from the intense light of the upper lamps. If you install too powerful lamps in the lid, then the fish will spend almost all the time in shelters and will not let them admire their bright color. A power of 0.3 watts of fluorescent lamps per liter of water will be sufficient.
Filtration and aeration are necessary, the water should be clean and saturated with oxygen. Every week you need to do a replacement of 20% of the water and siphon the soil.
Compatibility
Who gets along with salvini cichlazoma? The compatibility of this fish species is limited, as with other cichlids. Salvini is not very suitable for living in a common aquarium. Their neighbors can not be small fish - guppies, neons, rappings or shrimps. Cichlids are predators that will perceive all small animals exclusively as food.
Cichlids are also territorial, which means they choose their site and violently guard it from other fish. However, they will not be perceived as competitors of bag-branching catfish and cockroaches. It will be able to adjoin salvini to its relatives - cichlids of black-striped, managuan, meek.
You need to understand that the larger the fish, the more spacious the aquarium should be. This becomes especially important during spawning, when the couple is especially carefully guarding their plot. A large number of shelters, a swimming space and plentiful feeding will help reduce aggression.
Gender differences
The male salvini is much larger than the female. Its fins are long and pointed. The female is small, and on the bottom of the gill cover she has a small dark spot.
Breeding
How to spawn salvini cichlazoma? Reproduction begins when the fish reach the age of 10-12 months. Even in adolescence, constant pairs are formed. Spawning can occur both in the spawning and in the general aquarium, if one is of sufficient size.
During spawning, the couple becomes aggressive and at the same time shy. Excessive stress can lead to the death of offspring and parents. An aquarium of 100 liters is enough for spawning. At the bottom there should be many shelters, grottoes. Spawning stimulates the replacement of water and a temperature increase of 2-4 degrees.
On a smooth stone, the female marks 500 eggs, of which in 3 days larvae will appear. The fry are fed live dust, brine shrimp nauplii, chopped tubule. In a growing aquarium, the temperature should be exactly 26 degrees. Parents can be jailed. If spawning occurs in a common aquarium, then parents will look after the offspring.
Salvini cichlazoma is a beautiful fish with interesting behavior and bright color. She needs a spacious aquarium with lots of shelter and clean water. The motley cichlazoma looks especially good against the background of stone grottoes and green vegetation.