# Brackish



## CichlidGold1 (Sep 19, 2006)

Hey,
I've seen a tank of cichlids from a guy and they were in brackish water. Is that right?? I thought they all were fresh water fish?? Who's wrong here?


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## Phantom_Cichlid (Jul 3, 2006)

the guy is wrong cichlids are freshwater not brackish


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

I read somewhere that some venture to the mouths of lakes, rivers where a higher salinity is present for food, but I'm not sure how reliable that it is. and I know that if they did, they dont stay there. fish can adapt, but colours, personality and overall well being is definitely comprimised when forcing a square block into a round hole, so to speak........


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Most cichlids live in fresh water in the wild, but they can and do adapt to brackish and even saltwater conditions. The are considered secondary freshwater fish and are more closely related to damsel fishes than to most other freshwater fishes. Look at a map of any continent where cichlids live and you will find similar cichlids in neighboring rivers along the coast, even where the rivers have drainage areas that never overlap. Before "cichlid salts" were commonly available, African (lake) cichlid keepers found adding NaCl to the water was preferable to keeping them in straight tap water. Even "blackwater" cichlids like angelfish tolerate salt much better than other fish from their natural habiitat such as tetras. There really isn't any reason to add salt to cichlid tanks today, since you can reproduce the water chemistry of the fishes origin with commonly availible products and the amount of sodium is even the rift lakes is relatively low. But if you need brackish conditions for a tankmate or to treat disease, most cichlids won't be harmed if the change is gradual.


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## CichlidGold1 (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks Everyone,
Should I get on his case to make the water fresh? Or are these fish fine the way they are?? How would he change it back without hurting the fish???


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

I would tell him to change it to fresh. Just have him do waterchanges every week with freshwater.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I agree, gradually go back. The fish will reproduce better in the proper water conditions.


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