Brackish Central American Cichlids

[WinterAlloy]

Okay, I worked on my filters and powerheads. I fixed my biowheel filter. I really don't know what was wrong with it. I dismantled it and washed it with clean tap water (the bio wheel was already dead from drying so long). I reassembled it and it works. I took my Eheim Pro apart and again cleaned all filter pads, bio masses, and put new carbon in the sock. I also rerouted the intake and exhaust to cover more of a span across the tank. I could not get the Aquaclear70 powerhead to work. It continues to wedge itself in the motor cylinder and the impeller is broken. So i used a smaller pump for now. I also redirected the powerheads' flows to complement the canister filter's to create a larger current. It still isn't a good current. I will have to get the largest powerhead fixed or replaced. I need it to help with aeration as more dense water is harder to keep oxygenated.

I did forget to remove two plecos when getting ready to increase the SG. So they will have to go before any substantial increases. At the same time, I will be removing and selling one of the smaller male N. tetracanthus (2"-3"). I did add one C. urophthalmus this weekend too. I am noticing that the smaller N. tetracanthus has a really waspish temperament. I will remove some stock as time progresses. I hope to have 1:2 male to female in both cichlid species. But it will probably be more realistic to go 1:1.

My goal for this week is to hit denser water, but still remain in the range of "freshwater". I will raise to SG 1.002 by Sunday. To achieve this subtly, I will add 4 Teaspoons of marine salt per day for six days. This amount is based off Instant Ocean's directions of:

.5 cups/gallon = SG 1.023


Also, thanks for the info on the UV light. Unfortunately I had already removed and sold the other fish from their tanks and started shutting them down

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[WinterAlloy]

An edit to the above post:

I will add 4 teaspoons of marine salt per 10 gallons per day for six days.

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[WinterAlloy]

Here are some pics of the current setup!

 

[David R]

Interesting thread. I recall reading somewhere that Paul Loiselle had observed mayans defending fry from damsel fish on a reef about a mile offshore! Did a quick google and can't seem to find the article now, I really should start bookmarking these things...

 

[cichlidfish]

Interesting thread. I recall reading somewhere that Paul Loiselle had observed mayans defending fry from damsel fish on a reef about a mile offshore! Did a quick google and can't seem to find the article now, I really should start bookmarking these things...

I would love to read that. That would be amazing that Mayans not only tolorate salt/brackish water but breed in it too.
It seems the colors in Mayans changes and they are more colorful in brackish water (from what I've seen in Mexico).


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[cichlidfish]

Here are some pics of the current setup!

View attachment 934327View attachment 934328View attachment 934329View attachment 934330View attachment 934331

Is this brackish?


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[WinterAlloy]

I agree, that would be a good read. I also need to start bookmarking. I can't find a report I read on marine Cuban cichlids.

Imagine having an aquarium with cichlids, damsel fish, catfish, triggers and chromis. I want to replicate their natural habitat, but also try a different habitat than what your LFS says. I want the habitat Loiselle and Monks observed.

In the picture, you see my tank at a SG 1.002. That is still considered freshwater. Our tap water is very hard because it is spring fed from limestone caverns. Just this week, I have increased the water density to SG 1.005. It's a very gradual increase stop that I may identify any stressors.

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[duanes]

When I was on Isla de Mujeres I saw uropthalmus living in a mangrove area, of a protected bay, in sea grass, but not in the small reef where most people snorkel at the far end of the island (doesn't mean they weren't there, just that I didn't see them). I snorkeled the reef at least a dozen times.
It is my understanding that the marine uropthalmus is considered a sub-species that has become adapted to the saline environment over millenia, and may at some point be given species status, (xCichlasoma troscheli) and is a much more brightly colored morph, like the one in the photo above in the canal of Xcaret.
I have seen the normal colored urophthalmus snorkeling in the cenotes along the coast of the mainland between Puerto Aventuras and Tulum, these cenotes would be considered brackish (the water tasted to me to be maybe 3-5ppt), some of the cenotes being only a few hundred yards from the sea. These cenotes also contained Rocio octofasciata, mollies, gobys and catfish.


I have also kept the African cichlid Alcolapia alcalicus that comes from the salt Lake Natron, which has salinity higher than the sea, pH 9-10.5 and temps in the 90sF.

 

[cichlidfish]

When I was on Isla de Mujeres I saw uropthalmus living in a mangrove area, of a protected bay, in sea grass, but not in the small reef where most people snorkel at the far end of the island (doesn't mean they weren't there, just that I didn't see them). I snorkeled the reef at least a dozen times.
It is my understanding that the marine uropthalmus is considered a sub-species that has become adapted to the saline environment over millenia, and may at some point be given species status, (xCichlasoma troscheli) and is a much more brightly colored morph, like the one in the photo above in the canal of Xcaret.
I have seen the normal colored urophthalmus snorkeling in the cenotes along the coast of the mainland between Puerto Aventuras and Tulum, these cenotes would be considered brackish (the water tasted to me to be maybe 3-5ppt), some of the cenotes being only a few hundred yards from the sea. These cenotes also contained Rocio octofasciata, mollies, gobys and catfish.


I have also kept the African cichlid Alcolapia alcalicus that comes from the salt Lake Natron, which has salinity higher than the sea, pH 9-10.5 and temps in the 90sF.

Thanks for posting this. Have you seen t. meeki in any of these cenotes? I understand they can tolerate brackish conditions and are pretty much everywhere in that part of the Yucatan. I haven't seen any,
I did see in one brackish cenote a mayan fighting with some very bright blue salt water sp. I have seen snorkeling. I believe it was some type of wrasse, but it was hard to ID. There were no other fish in the area, so I am unsure why these two sp. were fighting. Do wrasse enter brackish water?
Also that is pretty interesting about the African sp.

 

[Modest_Man]

Interesting thread. I recall reading somewhere that Paul Loiselle had observed mayans defending fry from damsel fish on a reef about a mile offshore! Did a quick google and can't seem to find the article now, I really should start bookmarking these things...

Read the paper I linked to. It cites an occurrence that sounds very similar to that and gives two sources related to it.