Orange Chromides (Etroplus maculatus)
I have read that this fish likes to have salt in its water. Would it do just fine without it?
I have read that this fish likes to have salt in its water. Would it do just fine without it?
Orange Chromides
- Thread starter RyJ
- Start date
Please don't take this the wrong way, but why is there this ongoing assumption that brackish fish don't need to be kept in brackish conditions? There have been tons of threads asking the same kind of thing and I don't get it. To me, it's like asking if humans can do without calcium. Of course we can for a short time, but it's going to cause long term health issues and shorten lives. Same for fish.
Can anyone explain this to me? I'd like to understand the reason so many people think this kind of thing will work out to the benefit of the fish.
Can anyone explain this to me? I'd like to understand the reason so many people think this kind of thing will work out to the benefit of the fish.
You go girl!!! Tolerating an unnatural water condition is just that. Living in conditions different than nature intended it to will compromise it's immune system & shorten the lives of fish that can sometimes live over 20 years.
OrionGirl,
Either they love the way the fish looks, etc. But they aren't willing to deal with the salinity and added difficulty in maintaining their pets right, and think that they'll be fine, just as colorful, etc. in Freshwater (of course they won't be) also, some brackish water fish can tollerate Freshwater or brackishwater as juveniles, but later on need BW or even Marine water as adults. This tends to support people's assumption that the fish don't really need brackish water. An example being young green spotted puffers swimming around just fine in freshwater at your LFS. Or it's just ignorance, as pet stores sell fish, for example the 'Freshwater Moray Eel' and the people buy the eel assuming it is freshwater, completely unaware it needs Brackish Water. Not to mention if they told the customer it needed brackish water they might not have a sale...............................Also way to many LFS don't even know what Brackish water IS!
It's largely ignorance, but if it isn't it's just plain sad, if you get a brackishwater fish, you shouldn't just dump it in your Freshwater tank and expect it to thrive like too many hobbists do................
RyJ your orange chromide might survive in a Freshwater tank for a short time, but It won't be nearly as colorful, it will constantly be sickly (puting ALL your fish at risk) and won't reach it's full size or behaive normally. Basically if you put the Brackishwater fish in Freshwater, you do away with all the reasons you bought it like coloration and behaivor, not to mention a sickly fish is something NO ONE wants!
I certainly hope you don't do that.....................................
Either they love the way the fish looks, etc. But they aren't willing to deal with the salinity and added difficulty in maintaining their pets right, and think that they'll be fine, just as colorful, etc. in Freshwater (of course they won't be) also, some brackish water fish can tollerate Freshwater or brackishwater as juveniles, but later on need BW or even Marine water as adults. This tends to support people's assumption that the fish don't really need brackish water. An example being young green spotted puffers swimming around just fine in freshwater at your LFS. Or it's just ignorance, as pet stores sell fish, for example the 'Freshwater Moray Eel' and the people buy the eel assuming it is freshwater, completely unaware it needs Brackish Water. Not to mention if they told the customer it needed brackish water they might not have a sale...............................Also way to many LFS don't even know what Brackish water IS!
It's largely ignorance, but if it isn't it's just plain sad, if you get a brackishwater fish, you shouldn't just dump it in your Freshwater tank and expect it to thrive like too many hobbists do................
RyJ your orange chromide might survive in a Freshwater tank for a short time, but It won't be nearly as colorful, it will constantly be sickly (puting ALL your fish at risk) and won't reach it's full size or behaive normally. Basically if you put the Brackishwater fish in Freshwater, you do away with all the reasons you bought it like coloration and behaivor, not to mention a sickly fish is something NO ONE wants!
I certainly hope you don't do that.....................................
I agree on some of your reasoning, but a lot of threads I've seen, the person knew the fish was brackish, and just decided it was a preference the fish had...Similar to the way I might like egg salad and someone else hates it.
Doesn't logic fit into the equation anywhere?
Doesn't logic fit into the equation anywhere?
Right again Oriongirl!
(Now I'm NOT flaming you RyJ, so please don't mistake what I am trying to say!)
If you look at RyJ's original message it says:
A big part of the problem (I tryed to get it across earlier) is that Brackishwater fish can tollerate huge differences in salinity (it is a trait they need to survive in their habitats) so many Brackishwater fish can Survive in Freshwater indefinetly. The problem is that word 'like' as you said, It makes it sound as if the fish will be hunky dory in an Freshwater tank, and after a while, won't even miss the salt. For almost ALL Brackishwater species this couldn't be farther from the truth, the truth is that the vast majority of Brackishwater fish Need salt to do well, (if they can even survive in freshwater for more than a couple weeks!) Salt really isn't an option for an overwhelming majority of Brackishwater fish, it's a neccesity!
And it's time the mindset about Brackishwater fish change!
(again NO offense to you RyJ, this is just a big problem that WAY to many people know about, yet don't do a thing about, I'm glad you asked us about whether or not Orange Chromides need salt, and please don't let my posts hinder you from asking any other questions, the problem isn't you, It's everyone who doesn't ask, or knows yet doesn't provide for their fish, so once again sorry you got caught in the crossfire, and I hope you enjoy your hobby!
)
(Now I'm NOT flaming you RyJ, so please don't mistake what I am trying to say!)
If you look at RyJ's original message it says:
A big part of the problem (I tryed to get it across earlier) is that Brackishwater fish can tollerate huge differences in salinity (it is a trait they need to survive in their habitats) so many Brackishwater fish can Survive in Freshwater indefinetly. The problem is that word 'like' as you said, It makes it sound as if the fish will be hunky dory in an Freshwater tank, and after a while, won't even miss the salt. For almost ALL Brackishwater species this couldn't be farther from the truth, the truth is that the vast majority of Brackishwater fish Need salt to do well, (if they can even survive in freshwater for more than a couple weeks!) Salt really isn't an option for an overwhelming majority of Brackishwater fish, it's a neccesity!
And it's time the mindset about Brackishwater fish change!
(again NO offense to you RyJ, this is just a big problem that WAY to many people know about, yet don't do a thing about, I'm glad you asked us about whether or not Orange Chromides need salt, and please don't let my posts hinder you from asking any other questions, the problem isn't you, It's everyone who doesn't ask, or knows yet doesn't provide for their fish, so once again sorry you got caught in the crossfire, and I hope you enjoy your hobby!
)