Orange Chromide

[chromide]

I have 2 orange chromides, two cherry barbs, a "dragon fish" and a bottom mouth catfish, and the chromides are breeding. Im not sure what to do to ensure that everything will run smoothley. I have only had the an aquarium for a few short weeks and still new to the hobby. Any info. will help. thank you

 

[nmonks]

I'm a bit confused here, so let me clear a couple of things up. Firstly, orange chromides (Etroplus maculatus) are normally kept in slightly brackish water. While they naturally occur in both fresh and brackish water habitats, most aquarists find they don't do well in freshwater over the long term. I'd also want you to check out what this "dragon fish" might be. Is it Gobioides broussonnetii by any chance? That is very definitely a brackish water fish, and never lives long in plain freshwater.

Both these species could be kept successfully at SG 1.005 (about 9 grammes marine salt mix per litre of water). Gobioides broussonnetii is a difficult fish to keep, and many people fail to keep it alive for any length of time. To recap, bear in mind it needs a sand -- never gravel -- substrate that allows it to sift out the sort of foods it eats, primarily wet-frozen bloodworms, brine shrimps and other small invertebrates. Augment its diet with algae wafers and live brine shrimp. Given it can get very large, up to 50 cm long, make sure the tank is big enough, upwards of 200 litres.

Obviously, brackish water fish can't be kept with freshwater fish like bars or suckermouth catfish, so you may have to separate out these species into their own aquaria. It is absolutely crucial you review the needs of fish prior to buying them.

Cheers, Neale

I have 2 orange chromides, two cherry barbs, a "dragon fish" and a bottom mouth catfish, and the chromides are breeding. Im not sure what to do to ensure that everything will run smoothley. I have only had the an aquarium for a few short weeks and still new to the hobby. Any info. will help. thank you

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, just to second this, before I saw Neale's comment I was going to say yikes, brackish water fish!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[chromide]

the water is brackish... the dragon fish is a goby its long and skinny, i feed him brine shrimp and shrimp pellets. i have gravel in the tank and he seems to do fine i have had him for about 3 weeks he was the first fish i bought. i am moving the catfish and barbs to another tank soon. the people at my local pet store told me these fish can be kept together. (i guess they were wrong!) ok...... what should i do about the chromides spawning? just let nature take its course? i know the fry are sensative to water changes and can eat brine shrimp.

 

[nmonks]

the water is brackish...

How brackish? Aim for 1.005, which is 9 grammes (about 1.5 level teaspoons) marine salt mix per litre (about 5.5 level teaspoons per US gallon). Most inexperienced aquarists have no idea how much marine salt mix -- not tonic/aquarium salt -- you need for a successful brackish water aquarium. Peruse my brackish water FAQ for more, or better yet, buy or borrow my book!

the dragon fish is a goby its long and skinny, i feed him brine shrimp and shrimp pellets.

Gobioides easily starve to death. Be very careful you feed him adequately. Most aquarists aren't skilled enough to keep them alive for long. Although far from delicate, they are definitely special needs fish, so you need to plan around them.

i have gravel in the tank and he seems to do fine i have had him for about 3 weeks he was the first fish i bought.

He needs sand. End of story. Gravel will eventually damage his skin, making him vulnerable to secondary infections. Smooth silica sand is cheap and works fine.

i am moving the catfish and barbs to another tank soon. the people at my local pet store told me these fish can be kept together.

Good. If the water is brackish enough for the goby and the chromides to be healthy long term, the barbs and catfish would be dead.

(i guess they were wrong!) ok......

Indeed. Read before buying. Read before buying. Read before buying.

what should i do about the chromides spawning? just let nature take its course? i know the fry are sensative to water changes and can eat brine shrimp.

Depends on whether you want lots of fry or just a few. By all means let nature takes its course, and you'll likely end up with a few fish at the end. But if you're planning to sell hundreds of them on to a pet store, you'll probably want to pull the eggs immediately after spawning and rear them yourself. Since the chromides will spawn every month or so, there's no reason to worry about what they're doing this time around. Take your time, and make plans at your own pace.

Cheers, Neale

 

[chromide]

will i need to have a special filter to have sand? thank you for the information you have been very helpful. i have orderd your book!

 

[waterdrop]

No

 

[nmonks]

will i need to have a special filter to have sand?

No; the only thing to be careful of is that the filter inlet is high enough above the sand that a burrowing fish doesn't throw sand into the inlet. Three or four inches should do the trick. Otherwise, if you can't do that, place a pile of rocks around the filter inlet so that there isn't too much sand immediately underneath it. Most people find the switch to sand easy and advantageous. Sand doesn't get as dirty as gravel because fish waste and uneaten food sits on top of it, so while it looks dirtier sometimes, all that really means is your filter doesn't "suck" hard enough at the bottom of the tank. A turkey baster is a very useful tool for spot cleaning sand. See a mess? Grab the baster, siphon out the waste, and off you go. Easy.

thank you for the information you have been very helpful. i have orderd your book!

Hope you enjoy! There's a whole chapter on orange chromides, bizarrely enough.

Cheers, Neale

 

[chromide]

sounds like the book for me. ok sand sounds like a good idea. thank you.