Dead Salvini

[charliebankston]

Just curious on some feedback. 90 gallon, well cycled, been up and running for 8 months. 8" Gold Saum, 4" convict, 6" common Pleco poop machine, and formally a 5" Salvini. Fed that night, Sal was good, hiding in his log until I walked away then ate (like usual). Next morning I noticed a dead fish smell in my fish room, opened a window a little, thought that was odd cuz my tanks are all clean. That afternoon, I noticed the smell was still there, then I saw the Sal partially under driftwood dead. Body was white. Smell was very bad, like fish laying out in the sun for a day or 2. No damage to Sal except the pleco had eaten his eyes, prob post mortem. Cleaned, treated tank. Ev1 else acting normal for last week. Not sure why the Sal suddenly died, I've had him for about 5 months and he seemed fine...??

[V227]

Maybe a late night fight between the GT & the Salvini.
A few years ago, my best male GT, a ten inch aquarium monster, suddenly & unexpectedly murdered his long time tankmate, a male, ten inch, Jack Dempsey. This occurred in my presence & happened so quickly that I couldn't retrieve an XL net fast enough to save the JD.
On the other hand, sometimes fish just die with no outward symptoms of disease.

[charliebankston]

Yeah, I was thinking the Gt was at fault too. They never seemed to have issues before, but I know from keeping alot of cichlids that situations change rapidly. The Gt is a bully, I originally had him in a 7' 215g with other big fish (2 oscars, black belt, blood parrot, and some smaller mean ones) and he claimed the whole 7 feet. Had ev1 shoved against the glass at one end. So I gave him his own tank. I put that convict and sal in there but they had their own caves he couldn't fit into. I'm thinking he just caught the Sal in the open, or maybe the Sal, being pretty aggressive in his own right, tried to be tough

[charliebankston]

It was really the smell that confused me. Of course I've had fish die, but none smelled that bad and that rapidly. It was def odd

[Brookster123]

All it takes is one good charge or enough of a startle the fish hits the glass/ object hard enough. Sorry about you fish.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by Brookster123

All it takes is one good charge or enough of a startle the fish hits the glass/ object hard enough. Sorry about you fish.

Thanks! He was a very skittish kinda boring fish, lol. But the colors on the salvini are so pretty. I think I'll get another one day and put him solo in a 55g I have. That gt/saum i have is huge. It's not so much his length, but he's prob seriously 2-2.5" wide. The only fish I have that could prob hold their own against him are my red devil and my red tiger mota. But I'd never cohabitat them because someone or both would die. Those 2 others are in 75's by themselves. I tried a large male convict in the 75 with the mota once. For 1 day. Then took his slightly tattered butt out, before he was just dead, lol

[V227]

I've kept Salvinis as well. Beautiful cichlids, but I'd have to say an adult male Rivulatus is a real trophy to keep.

[charliebankston]

Yeah, he's a favorite among visitors. I got him from a fish store cuz he was being rehomed. Guess he was either too big or too aggressive.

[charliebankston]

You can somewhat see his size, that's a full grown male convict in the log under him

[charliebankston]

Thanks for your helpful feedback guys, I appreciate it!

[Brookster123]

What a fine specimen!!! I feel your pain, losing a big sa/ca is kind of like losing a mammalian pet (not really though, I'd cut off a toe if I could have my dog for twice as long). Something about growing them out and the "bond" that forms between the giver of food and fresh rains and the fish. I think the next logical step for both of us is getting baby Oscar's at the same time and see who can get them to swim through hoops for donuts first!!!

[charliebankston]

Haha! Those oscars are clowns!