20 replies to this topic

[Denny]

does anyone know if a school of 4 or 5 mono argents could go in a large tank with one saratoga? thanks

[Redevilz]

How large is the tank?

[Denny]

well im about to move into a new built house and setting up either 6x2 or 7 or 8 x 2 not sure yet. i want to make a native tank with one sara as the main and a school of mono argent with a couple of salmon tails but not sure if that would all work out?

[Mattymak]

If they can't fit in his mouth I'd say it's ok!

[Jules]

Seen it before, each fish varies. Id go a leichardi over jardini, seems more placid with tank mates (from experience), just a tad more skittish. All trial and error.

[Denny]

how do the jards and leich's differ?

[malawiman85]

Jardini heavier way more solid and usually intolerant of other species once they get some size to them. I reckon they are a better looking fish generally.

Jules nailed it. It might work or it wont and you will have a bunch of dead monos and a beat up salmontail. The big Aussie preds should really be kept solitary they are big and god awful mean... I love 'em!

[malawiman85]

The other thing, mono's are brackish they start off going well in fw then really should be kept in brackish water... togas can be kept a little brackish but do you want to maintain a big brackish tank?

[Mattymak]

Mangrove jack's are the same MM

[malawiman85]

Yeah I know but I wouldnt bother trying to keep a jack or a toga, particularly a jardini with another fish of monetary or sentimental value. Barra arent pretty like toga's but are great "community" fish, well for a huge predator anyway.

[Mattymak]

I didn't mean keeping it with others, I meant the brackish water

 

Yeah barra are quite chilled for a pred!

[malawiman85]

To start with I found barra kind of boring but I reckon they are excellent, great fun at feeding time and great tank mates for less aggressive grunters, archers, mono's and scats.

[Mattymak]

Yeah me too they just sit there head down floating haha

[Denny]

is it hard to maintain a brackish tank? what are the issues? im guessing not as much drama as a full salt water? 

[Jules]

I have never heard of saratogas being brackish. As for the monos, I have also seen them in full freshwater (as goes for scats and archers which should be brackish). they can all survive in freshwater, I have done it before and seen it many of times.

The only hard practice of brackish is maintain the Specific gravity or salinity (around 1.012-1.016 id say - using a hydrometer). you cant just top up with freshwater or waterchange with fresh water etc etc, youd have to prepare the water separate prior to waterchanges etc. 

Not worth the hassle when both species of fish you have suggested can happily live in freshwater for there aquaria lifespan.

[Denny]

really dont want to have to deal with salt so are you saying mono's can live healthy and happy in straight fresh even when mature (i e not die sooner than they might)

[malawiman85]

I don't know of monos that have lived long, healthy lives in fresh water though to be honest, I don't know more than a few people that have kept Monos long term. Most anecdotal evidence around suggests they should definitely be kept brackish as they mature.

Their aquaria lifespan is as short as it is because they dont get kept the way they should. In my experience Archers and Scats are definitely fine in Fresh Water though. 

 

Here is a PCS thread RE: Saratoga in Brackish Water - http://www.perthcichlid.com.au/forum/index.php?showtopic=13898 

 

Here is a post from another forum: the saratoga was in brackish water when the fs got him aclimated it, these archers are pretty big and have been in fresh water all their live, so that shouldnt be an issue

 

Its definitely not common to see them in brackish water but they do get kept brackish to accommodate Archers, Scats and Mono's. I wouldn't bother with a brackish tank at all... Too hard. The only reason I mention brackish is for the long term wellbeing of the mono's. A whole bunch of them would be pretty expensive to start with and impossible to replace as adults. You would need to grab juvies and start again to replace them.

[litigator666]

why not do a colony of jardinis?

 

i'm trialling a small colony of saratoga.  here's the poor man's arowana with a regular jardini.  they are on a community tank and dont bother each other much.  hunting for a liechardti as the third fish now.  

 

Sad to say, the normal jardini got caught in between my ray tank divider and it was too late for me to see.  I now only have the poor man's arowana.

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Edited by litigator666, 04 September 2014 - 07:57 PM.

[malawiman85]

Jeez, good luck with that. Keep us posted. Sounds great as long as you dont lose 1 or more.

[Jules]

Seen it done before, I tried once with 3 jars as juvies, didn't work though.

looking good though litigator