Chichlids in BW?

[lferg]

I thought I read some where that most chichlids would actually like mild BW... Can't find anything on it though... Am I out in left field here?

[toddnbecka]

There are only 2 species of cichlids that naturally live in brackish water, orange and green chromides. Incidentally, green is the natural color morph, oranges were produced from them. Most cichlids will tolerate some salt, but that doesn't mean they prefer it.

[Coler]

I think there's a few more http://fishbase.fishinfo.cn/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=349 but they are certainly in the minority.

ps edit : please can we call them cichlids. I don't know why but chiclids really annoys me :D

[Artemis JT]

There's really not very many. Black belts, mayans, and chromides are all I think of off the top of my head that naturally live in brakish water. Cons and JDs can live in brakish water, though they normally don't naturally.




ps edit : please can we call them cichlids. I don't know why but chiclids really annoys me :D
lol! I hear people calling them chickleds all the time. At the store, on forums, etc. I think it's fun to say.
chickleds....chickleds....:silly:

[Lupin]

There are only 2 species of cichlids that naturally live in brackish water, orange and green chromides. Incidentally, green is the natural color morph, oranges were produced from them. Most cichlids will tolerate some salt, but that doesn't mean they prefer it.
:iagree:

[tonytheboss1]

ps edit : please can we call them cichlids. I don't know why but chiclids really annoys me

Makes you wanna :wall: :duh: !! :grinyes::grinyes:


There's really not very many. Black belts, mayans, and chromides are all I think of off the top of my head that naturally live in brakish water. Cons and JDs can live in brakish water, though they normally don't naturally.


:iagree:

[jjbtexas]

it definately depends, my brichardi enjoy BW but I wouldn't put my labs in it

[Coler]

Why do you keep the brichardi in brackish ?

[BigFishKeeper]

I've kept red devils and oscars in BW. I did it because there tank broke and that was the only tank I had at the time.

[Lupin]

it definately depends, my brichardi enjoy BW but I wouldn't put my labs in it
What did you use, marine salt, "aquarium" salt or mineral salts?


Why do you keep the brichardi in brackish ?
I'd like to know the answer as well.

[Rbishop]

rbishop is typing a huge PM to coler..can anyone guess what all the words are going to be...?

[tezr]

http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/aquaria/brackfaqpages/Common_fish/(3f)cichlids(fam.html



As a group, the Cichlidae are characterised by a relatively high tolerance for salt. Most hardy cichlids, such as acara and kribs, will adapt to the low levels of salt (SG 1.003-1.005) required for things like mollies and knight gobies. The ones that will not adapt to such low-salinity brackish water conditions are chiefly those species either adapted to soft and acidic environments (such as angelfish) or the Great Lakes of the African Rift Valley (such as mbuna). Continual exposure to brackish water places a strain on the osmoregulatory systems of these specialist fish, and has been associated by some aquarists with problems such as Malawi Bloat.
No cichlid is exclusively marine, but several species are found exclusively or primarily in brackish water environments, particularly mangrove swamps, coastal lagoons, and estuaries. These tend to be highly adaptable fish and are not fussy about the precise conditions. Sarotherodon melanotheron, for example, is almost always found in brackish water in the wild, but does perfectly well in a freshwater aquarium. The chromides, Etroplus maculatus and E. suratensis, are exceptional in not doing well in freshwater aquaria and must be kept in brackish water.
Not all cichlids make good community fish, and reference to an aquarium book for details of size, diet, and social behaviour is recommended. On the other hand, their bright colours and intelligence does make them worthy additions to the brackish water aquarium.
Green chromides (Etroplus suratensis), tilapias such as Sarotherodon melanotheron, and the more placid Central Americans like Cichlasoma urophthalmus make the best bets when stocking large community tanks alongside shark catfish, monos, scats, etc. Orange chromides (Etroplus maculatus) and kribs (Pelvicachromis spp.) generally work well in medium-sized communities with things like glassfish, mollies, knight gobies, and other non-aggressive but not too shy tankmates.
The following is a partial list of cichlids known to enter brackish water in the wild. Not all species are widely traded.
Levant, South Asia and Madagascar

Etroplus maculatus (not less than SG 1.005, and up to SG 1.010)
Etroplus suratensis (not less than SG 1.005, and up to SG 1.010)
Iranocichla spp. (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Paretroplus damii (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Ptychochromis oligacanthus (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Africa

Hemichromis bimaculatus (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Hemichromis letourneuxi (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Oreochromis aureus (at least SG 1.010)
Oreochromis mossambicus (up to full-strength seawater)
Oreochromis niloticus (at least SG 1.010
Pelviachromis pulcher (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Pelviachromis ocellatus (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Sarotherodon galilaeus (at least SG 1.010)
Sarotherodon melanotheron (up to full-strength seawater)
Tilapia guineensis (up to full-strength seawater)
Tilapia rendalli (at least SG 1.010)
Tilapia zillii (up to full-strength seawater)
Tylochromis jentinki (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
South and Central America

Amphilophus hogaboomorum (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Cichla ocellaris (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Cichlasoma beani (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Cichlasoma urophthalmus (up to full-strength seawater)
Geophagus brasiliensis (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Herichthys carpintis (at least SG 1.010)
Herichthys pantostictus (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Herichthys pearsei (at least SG 1.010)
Heros severus (lowsalinity, <SG 1.005)
Nandopsis haitiensis (up to full-strength seawater)
Nandopsis tetracanthus (up to full-strength seawater)
Parachromis friedrichsthalii (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Parachromis motaguensis (low salinity, <SG 1.005)
Vieja maculicauda (at least SG 1.010)
Vieja synspila (low salinity, <SG 1.005)

[tezr]

There are only 2 species of cichlids that naturally live in brackish water, orange and green chromides. Incidentally, green is the natural color morph, oranges were produced from them. Most cichlids will tolerate some salt, but that doesn't mean they prefer it.
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=8703
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?id=4681

They are different species not just differing in color but also in size and feeding habits. Orange Chromides will clean Green Chromides in the wild.

[Coler]

rbishop is typing a huge PM to coler..can anyone guess what all the words are going to be...?

He was not joking boys and girls. Uncle rb sure has been acting strangely recently. Maybe its time he went to play on the farm with old Gus the sheep dog.

[Jayhawk]

There is no reason to keep brichardi in BW - Lake Tanganyika isn't brackish...

Eric

[x0x0x0]

This hasn't been mentioned yet but Ptychochromis Grandidieri can be found in brackish area waters (aside from Ptychochromis oligacanthus) Actually there are some Paretroplus species that can be found in close proximity to brackish water as well. Orange chromides that have been bred in aquarium trade can also live in freshwater aside from brackish since most have over the generations been acclimated to freshwater.

[nchoe123]

one of my LFS* annoys me by keeping their limited stock of cichlids marked as "brackish". ugh.

it's otherwise a good store, excellent even.

luckily my other LFS* has an absolutely tremendous cichlid selection.

* tropic isle in framingham
* uncle ned's fish factory in millis
(i'm in the boston area)

[jpappy789]

Older post but...the problem lies in that the rift lakes are so heavily concentrated in salts and minerals that people assume that low-end salinity is the same thing...

[aquarob]

There's really not very many. Black belts, mayans, and chromides are all I think of off the top of my head that naturally live in brakish water. Cons and JDs can live in brakish water, though they normally don't naturally.



lol! I hear people calling them chickleds all the time. At the store, on forums, etc. I think it's fun to say.
chickleds....chickleds....:silly:

Pronounced "sick-lid" is it not? At least that is what I always thought.

[Lupin]

It has always been 'sick-lid' to me.

[jpappy789]

Well it is spelled cichlid...not chiclid...so the "ch" sound would technically be incorrect.