asian cichlid

[chbak014]

what fish is this? i know its a chromide, but im getting mixed up because this web site is calling it an orange chromide. i've seen pictures of other oranges chromides and they don't look the picture of this one.

http://www.keellsaquariums.com/keellsaqua/jpg/brackish/Orange%20Chromide.jpg

is it a green chromide? silver? or orange?
thanks
-charley

[jonah]

I think that picture is a wild specimen or at least one with the wild coloration. Mine are more like a light orange with red speckles. My understanding is that the ones commonly seen in the hobby are bred for the orange color, sort of like red zebras. I wish I could have gotten the kind in your link, but I do like the ones I have. They'll stare at me through the front glass in a little pack until I get my camera out, then they haul butt for the back of the tank.

[chbak014]

hey whats up. i guess the ones i have are wild ones then. i have a pair. the two never seem to part. they are always with each other. i've had them for like a month now. they are doing excellent. but not my gold severum. he died yesterday. i hear that sexing these guys are really hard. you know how big these guys get?

[jonah]

3 inches. The Krib has a comment about white edging on the caudal fins of females. It may or may not be true. I can see the edging on some of my fish.

The wild coloration doesn't necessarily mean they're wild fish. It just means that the coloration hasn't been bred out of them. They're still cool little fish. Make sure you use some marine salt with them. They're extremely mellow fish compared to the average cichlids. Mine wouldn't last 10 seconds with anything but my Apistogrammas in the same tank.

[chbak014]

what does salt do to the water chemistry? cuz im about to plant some plants in my tank. live ones. i already have a diy CO2 system and getting a 55w light for my 20 gallon this week.

[jonah]

In nature, chromides live where the rivers meet the sea, so the water is half way between marine and fresh. I'm not certain how pure freshwater for longterm use will affect them. They can certainly live in it, but everything I've ever read on them said to keep them in brackish. I think salt would be rough on most plants. I have a piece of java fern and some hornwort in with my chromides and they seem to be doing okay, but those are pretty hardy plants. The fish pick a little at the hornwort though.

[farmerj]

My solitary chromide has torn out the plants I put in. I have seen that they like planted tanks, but whatever I put in he digs uo.