Vinny

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#1
Feb 7, 2006
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#1
I thought it fitting to name this little 2.5" salvini male 'Vinny,' lol.

Sorry about the shadow.
The black on his body should become darker and more pronounced as he gets more comfortable and realizes he is king of the tank.


Hehe...look who's coming to investigate...


Tiger barbs don't beat around the bush---they just swim right into the cave with him.
Pretty brave, if you ask me, considering that they'll be lunch for Vinny at some point. :eek:


They just don't seem to understand what all of Vinny's gill-flaring and head-shaking at them will turn into one day. Just keep hanging out in that cave, little tiger barb...enjoy it while you can.


I'm glad I got him when I did, because I also happened upon a 4-5" thick-bodied salvini that someone had left with a bunch of other fish at the Petland the same day I bought Vinny. It was an awesome sight to behold! They had it in a tank with flowerhorns, some battle-scarred convicts, and a JD. :eek: Unfortunately it had eye cloudiness (is 'clout' the right term for that?) so I didn't even consider buying it.

BV
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#3
Feb 7, 2006
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#3
Thanks Matt, I figured naming him and leaving him in the tank without any other cichlids (meaning without any complications) would make the whole salvini experience more enjoyable this time 'round. He's my little 'wet pet,' lol. Not quite as cute or personable as most folks' wet pets, but then again, you haven't seen this guy eat yet!

Should be interesting to see what sorts of critters I'm feeding him by the time he's 6-8" long. :eek:

BV
 

FreshwaterJeff

FreshwaterJeff

Superstar Fish
#4
Mar 28, 2006
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Chicago, IL
#4
Dude, you're hilarious. Another salvini?

The scarred angel isn't in there anymore, right? :eek:

This time, though, I think you've got the right set up - just one in a 55, not trying to pair up, no other cichlids to instigate...
 

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Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#5
Feb 7, 2006
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#5
Precisely, Jeff.
So it took a few tries...all I can say is...'meh', lol. This whole aggressive CA business is kinda tricky when dealing with only a 55 gal. tank, that's for sure!

By the way, the 2nd pic I posted of Vinny is the best representation of how he looks in person.
(figured I oughta point that out---the camera sometimes has a hard time capturing it with my crappy lighting)

BV
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#9
Feb 7, 2006
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#9
Thanks, guys!
I think that's a great nickname for him, Denny. We'll have to see if he lives up to it.

I'll update my avatar pic of Vinny from time to time as he grows up.

BV
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#11
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
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#11
Thanks, Tom.
My avatar pic is a typical representation of what he's doing a lot of the time...lurking in the shadows just as any predator would...waiting to strike at the right moment! *GOLDFISH*

Incidentally, I found a dead tiger barb today, but I do not suspect 'foul play'---I'm sure it was the one I saw hanging around the surface with rapid gill movement the last day or two...found him stuck to the filter intake; mostly still intact. Oh well, I've still got 15 of them! :eek:

BV
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#16
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
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#16
Katie217 said:
Looks like his colours have changed quite a bit eh?
Click to expand...
Hehe...well, yes---and it's probably mainly due to the fact that he's had several weeks to get settled in and reap the benefits of the many fine foods *coughtigerbarbscough* he's been getting...

Then again, there could be another explanation...
You see...I put a girlfriend in there for him before I left on my trip a few weeks ago. :eek:


I know, I know...I wasn't going to mess with pairing sals, but my thought was this---worst that could happen is Vinny ends up killing her, in which case I just hang onto him as a 'wet pet' of sorts.

Anyway, right now their relationship is like that of Pepe-le-Pew and that traumatized black cat (with the white paint-stripe on her back) from Looney-Tunes. She's still in decent shape despite all the chasing, so maybe she'll cut Vinny a break and give in to his advances at some point. :cool:


Sorry about the reflection and general blurriness in this one.


BV
 

Big Vine

Big Vine

Elite Fish
#18
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
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#18
Lol...there's about a dozen left out of the original 16 I started with, and I know for a fact that one or two were about to kick the bucket anyway (i.e. regardless of whether or not the sals played any role in it).

BTW, I hijacked one of missdixie's threads here in the cichlid section, and basically I'm convincing myself to replace the sals with a solo oscar. Salvini just aren't really a personable fish. Sure, they provide entertainment via live-feedings, etc., but from what I understand the oscars can be pretty good at catching and eating virtually anything small enough to fit in their mouths, and they're a heck of a lot more interactive...

There's a nice 'baby' tiger oscar I came across this morning, which I'm thinking of getting. I really like the reds though too, so I might get one of those, even though the ones I saw were slightly larger.

Don't worry---I'll report back later on today with some pics of the new guy/gal. Salvinis just weren't meant to be for me for the time being. ;)

BV
 

Katie217

Katie217

Superstar Fish
#20
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
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Florida
#20
OMG LOL BV!
Well I'm all for the oscar idea, I never really liked sals THAT much! :) But you know I got mad love for Oscars :D
I might try ONE more time with Oscars...Wish me luck
 

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