Brought Large Severum Home ...pic

[cheesy feet]

Those are very small cuts.

Add a small dose of salt. (1 tsp. per gallon if you don't have any scaleless fish or inverts)

Usually scaleless fish or inverts are badly affected by it but others are too, why not use a medication (IE melafix which the OP had) which is actually proven to help heal, and if anything reduce stress, over salt which if anything stresses the fish and only makes it heal slightly.
It's annoying when people reccomend salt for almost everything, even though they don't have any proof of what it does, or even a good idea of what it does...

 

[Tobigara]

i just saw that you asked how to tell the difference between male and female severums. sorry i missed that

you never said if it's a green or gold sev but the clues are the same. Females have virtually no markings on their face while males' faces are covered with worm-like marks. if it's a green then the marks will be a darker green and a gold will have orange marks. post a pic and someone should be able to tell you.

 

[cheesy feet]

Males should also have longer dorsal and anal fins with pointed ends

 

[Faythee]

Yes...I believe he is a male. Very pointy long fins and markings on the face. The store said he is a Red Severum. I just had to have him as I haven't seen another like him. He is now coming out to eat and will eat anything. I think the crazy Tinfoil Barbs were scaring him a bit at first. His name is Bubba

Problem I am having now is my tank looks pretty bare unless Bubba is out front. My Opaline Gourami hangs out up top (has become shy since adding Bubba) and my 3 Tinfoil Barbs like to play in the back under the plants. Any ideas of what would be safe to add ?

Thanks


PS-I'm a girl...LOL

 

[cheesy feet]

Yup, he's a rotkeil severum, AKA Red headed severum Tank mates can include firemouth, blue acara, uara, festivum etc.All generally mildy aggressive.
What size is your tank?

 

[Faythee]

I have a red head...Cool !

75 gallon tank:
1 severum
3 tinfoil barbs
1 opaline gourami
1 polka dot pictus

Gourami is a tad aggresive. Considered adding 2 female gouramis for him but am afraid of what may happen. I had a Firemouth that was chasing everything in the tank including the catfish and had to return him to LFS. Was considering a shoal of Congo Tetras but stores in my area do not have them. I like the Acara, but can't find them either. Have seen Festivums, yes, but aren't they the same temperment as the Firemouth ?

 

[cheesy feet]

I have a red head...Cool !

75 gallon tank:
1 severum
3 tinfoil barbs
1 opaline gourami
1 polka dot pictus

Gourami is a tad aggresive. Considered adding 2 female gouramis for him but am afraid of what may happen. I had a Firemouth that was chasing everything in the tank including the catfish and had to return him to LFS. Was considering a shoal of Congo Tetras but stores in my area do not have them. I like the Acara, but can't find them either. Have seen Festivums, yes, but aren't they the same temperment as the Firemouth ?

Nope, festivums are usually more docile. A couple should be fine or 1 and another cichlid (chocolate cichlid?), or even a small shoal of larger rainbows of a medium sized shoal of dwarf neon rainbow's.
EDIT FOR SP's

 

[Faythee]

I looked up the Festivums and Rainbow fish. Awesome....Thank you ! Will see what I can find.

I think I may move the Gourami to the 30 Gal. I am setting up as he seems a tad unhappy since Bubba arrived.

Noticed 2 white spots on the Severum tonite
Posted about it here:
http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...use-For-Worry-/

 

[Tobigara]

If it were my tank...i would return the tinfoils and move the gourami. then add a festivum and at least one sajica. Most likely 2 males. then maybe a small school of giant danios. this is just me tho

 

[Faythee]

Thank you. Yes I know the Tinfoils are a bit of a problem as they will get big. Plus they eat faster than the others. However my husband likes them the best and named them Larry, Moe, & Curly. He got attached after saving one that had it's head stuck in a hole in a log...LOL...they aren't very smart. Later on they will need to be re-homed. I need to show him the full grown ones I seen at the LFS the other day, tank twice my size !

The 2 white spots on the Severum were gone this morning...maybe it WAS sand. Will keep a close eye on him. He is getting quite spunky, trying to uproot plants and doing acrobats to get anywhere in the tank he wants to !