Interested In Orange Chromides

[Super Dude]

what is the lowest salinity i can safely keep them at?

what size group should i keep them in?

 

[nmonks]

what is the lowest salinity i can safely keep them at?

Technically they're freshwater fish; it's just that they don't do well under freshwater conditions in aquaria. SG 1.002-1.003 should be ample. Hard, alkaline water is essential though.

what size group should i keep them in?

They are territorial and moderately aggressive, so treat as you would any other cichlid of comparable size. A pair will usually occupy a 20-30 gallon tank without harassing midwater fish too much.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Super Dude]

Retarded noob question:

What does 1.002 SG mean? I do know about ppm and ppt, though.

So they need really mild brakishness? would zebra danios live in those conditions? I might get a new tank, so they either go in with the chromides or stay in their old tank.

Thanks.

 

[nmonks]

What does 1.002 SG mean? I do know about ppm and ppt, though.

"SG" is specific gravity, the density of water. Pure water at 25 C has a specific gravity of 1, while seawater at 25 C has a specific gravity of 1.025. Measuring salinity (grammes per litre) directly is difficult, so people measure this specific gravity characteristic instead, using a hydrometer. At 25 C, 5 grammes of marine salt mix per litre of water should produce a specific gravity of SG 1.002. Note that temperature is a variable, so if your water is warmer or cooler than 25 C, the specific gravity will be different for this particular salinity. Hence, tools like my Brack Calc that allow the user to adjust temperature and specific gravity to get a particular salinity. Technically, you're after a salinity of 5-10 g/l when keeping orange chromides; it just happens that at 25 C this is 1.002 to 1.005, and that's easier to measure.

would zebra danios live in those conditions?

No.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Super Dude]

Ok thanks.

And I'm not gonna poke at the danio thing. You seemed pretty stern. lol

What other tankmates could I get that resemble the danio's characteristics that could survive in brakishness?

Also something that will eat algae.

 

[K-Holed]

Before recomending a brackish fish, we'd need to know the dimentions of your aquarium. If it's 70 gallons I might recomend a group of archer fish, id it's 10 gallons I might go for bumble bee gobies.

 

[Super Dude]

well, it's still in the planning phase. i'll seeif i can snag a 40 or so gallon tank from a closing store.

i would like an algae consuming fish/inverts, and a small school of tetra-resembling small, fast fish. (i would like the chromides to be the focus fish)

if their aren't any species that fit my ideal criteria, then i might just stay pure FW and go with keyhole cichlids.

idk. lol.

edit: i just read up on keyholes, and i think they are a better choice for me. thanks for all the help anyways.