are there any salt tolerant dwarfs?

[cootwarm]

I have a pair of Black Lyre Tail Mollies & a pair of Silver Mollies that I bought to groom my Java Moss and Hornwort of excessive algae. They do a great job, but their health seems to go up and down. It's not that they get real sick, it's more like they have days when they aren't very active and they're fins are laid back. A couple days later they're active again with their fins held high. I figure that these ups and downs will eventually take a toll. I've read that they do best with a little salt which is not good for my apistos.

Anyhow, I was given a small tank that I that I plan to move the 4 mollies to. I figure that it would be better for them than the apisto tanks. When the Java Moss needs grooming, I'll move the plants to their tank for grooming instead of moving the mollies from apisto tank to apisto tank.

Now my question is this:
Are there any cichlids that would like a little salt in the water and would be comfortable in a small tank? I don't know how many gallons it is, but the dimensions are 13"H x 13"L x 7"W. So the footprint is a meger 13" x 7". If not this tank, how about a 10 gallon? (I suppose I could use the smaller tank to house some molly fry. It seems thay're always pregnant!)

I've always liked Kribs. Do they like molly type water? I don't think a 10 gallon would be too small for 4 mollies and a pair of Kribs.

Michael

 

[Randall]

Adding salt to water

Dear Cootworm,

Mollies generally don't make good tankmakes for soft water dwarf cichlids because they require harder and more alkaline water to thrive. I don't know very much about them, but one of the smaller Neolamprologus species might be a better choice, but certainly not in a tank measuring 13"x13"x7". The 10-gallon tank option might work, however.

You'll need to do a little homework concerning such a grouping to see if mollies and Neolamprologus sp. are compatible. I don't know if, in fact, they are.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Fogelhund]

In reality, a 10 gallon tank will be tight for 4 adult Mollies, let alone anything else. (At least in my opinion)

While there are many "salts" in Lake Tanganyika, it is in reference to minerals, and not "salt" in a manner of brackwish type water.
So, really Neolamp's would not really be appreciative of such water. If the tank was larger, then there are a few options.

 

[MikeR]

Cootwarm:

One cichlid that likes brackish water is the Orange Chromide, Etroplus canerensis. I haven't seen one in years (though that's not saying much...I've not seen decent cichlids of ANY kind around here for years), but I bred them without much difficulty. My mother even had some spawn in her community tank. The fry eat from the slime coating of the parents, much like discus.

FWIW,

Mike

 

[Randall]

Etroplus spp.

Dear MikeR,

Do you mean Etroplus maculatus? As far as I know, this species is the orange chromide of the aquarium hobby. E. canarensis is extremely rare and has a very limited distribution.

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[MikeR]

Randall:

Probably. I remember it as E. maculatus from many years ago, but just saw it on an on-line dealer list as E. canarensis. I figured that the species name had changed as so often happens with this hobby.

Mike

 

[cootwarm]

Thanks Guys,

They've caught my eye before. I never relized they nurse their young like discus. Howq big do they get? Where are they from in the wild?

I figure if they're not around much, I'd better start keeping an eye on AquaBid.

Michael

 

[MikeR]

Michael:

The ones I had, E. maculatus, got to about 3" TL. I believe they are from India.

Mike

 

[mtchye]

dwarfies

Hi guys,

Many of the dwarf neolamps as suggested would be OK in that tank with livebearers..

As for the NaCl vs other minerals debate.. in practice i reckon its just adequate ionic concentration of any of the minerals that keeps them comfortable and in the right osmotic balance

In practice many ppl just use limestone as a buffer in their tanks and the fish do fine, both livebearers and lake tanganyikan dwarfs.

I would suggest Neolamprologus multifasciatus in that sized tank, maybe a pair or trio. THese form a true colony unlike occelatus and others, and are relatively peaceful as long as other fish stay out oftheir shell patch... btw you must have sand and shells to observe their amazing colony breeding behaviour

Try it, you won't regret it..