i brought a new frontosa home today and the guy at the store said to add a little sea salt as a disease preventative and also as a substitute for stress coat. is it safe to add sea salt to a freshwater tank and also how much should i add?
frontosa
- Thread starter one_800_abcdefg
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While there are those who recommend adding sea salt to fresh water tanks as a preventative measure, I am not one of them. You would be better off, in my opinion, treating the water of the tank to match the waters of Lake Tanganyika, assuming the tankmates can tolerate those conditions.
i agree with harry wholeheartedly. moreover, this is a fish that takes a commitment on your part. frontosa are maternal mouth brooders and do best in groups of 6-8 females and only ONE male ... and that in itself dictates a tank of at least 120 gallons. less than that number and you can expect alot of fighting, torn fins and scales, disease and ultimately death of some of them.
when juveniles, you 'can' keep them with other cichlids such as those from Malawi .. but when they reach sexual maturity at about 3 years, you had better remove ALL other fish from their tank.
remember ... be a responsible hobbyist and don't cross breed the various forms from different collection sites. i.e, don't mix 6 stripe with 7 stripe etc.
when juveniles, you 'can' keep them with other cichlids such as those from Malawi .. but when they reach sexual maturity at about 3 years, you had better remove ALL other fish from their tank.
remember ... be a responsible hobbyist and don't cross breed the various forms from different collection sites. i.e, don't mix 6 stripe with 7 stripe etc.
I would add the stress coat and not the salt, my brother recently brought two little frontosas and they're doing fine in his tank (Lake Tanganyaki setup).
I've heard 5yrs to muturity and they grow to something like 16".
I've heard 5yrs to muturity and they grow to something like 16".
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
Frontosa do like some salt in their water and IMO marine salts are OK.
PS--They do grow big and need a big tank... see this
http://www.cyphos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7782&highlight=foot+tank
PS--They do grow big and need a big tank... see this
http://www.cyphos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7782&highlight=foot+tank
Here is my "Mpimbwe" Cypho tank:
To mix my Tang water I use epsom salts, a little sea salt, and some baking soda. I have breeder calvus and brichardi, and my tetracanthus and fronts are doing very well and growing fast with this mix. A good test kit is a must, especially GH, KH, and Ph. You should also have a holding tank to mix and keep change water.
To mix my Tang water I use epsom salts, a little sea salt, and some baking soda. I have breeder calvus and brichardi, and my tetracanthus and fronts are doing very well and growing fast with this mix. A good test kit is a must, especially GH, KH, and Ph. You should also have a holding tank to mix and keep change water.
