# scats



## deogan (Oct 10, 2007)

I have a chichlid tank which also has a pair of scats. I am told by my lfs that scats need high salt in the tank. somewhere around 1-2 grams per litre. Is it true? and if I add that much salt what will happen to my water quality and my other fish that include oscar, green terror, parrot, fire mouth, severum, walking cats and highfin cats (leopard cats).


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2007)

I'm not sure about the water quality, but they are right, scats do need salt. I also know thet they get pretty big. as do the oscar, green terror, cats, and the severum. what size tank are they all in?


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2007)

the rest of your fish will not handle that salt level. Scats prefer a good brakish to full sw tank. they also get quite large.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

yep... research your fish before adding them. Scats need a lot of salt... too much for all your other fish. I'd get a 55g min 75g opt for the scats


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## deogan (Oct 10, 2007)

I have a tank of 5*1.5*2. But I do not want to loose my scats. what is the other option so that I can keep them in my existing tank with all other fish.


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

Does it seem like there is another option from what has been said??? Well ok, there is. Keep them in there, let them suffer and eventually die.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

your "other option" would be to take them back to the fish store.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Just get another tank.


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## deogan (Oct 10, 2007)

My LFS tells me that you can get Scats to adapt to less salt. It tells me that when they get new scats, they add about 2 to 3 grams salt per litre. But eventually over the few months they reduce it to 0.5 grams or even less. Scats adapt and survive. Is it possible?


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

Yes... like we've been saying. And obviously you've got them adapted to no salt. But they are NOT fw fish. They may live years in 100% fw, but it's not likely. They are brackish water fish, so for them to be healthy, they need brackish water.


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## Danh (Feb 19, 2007)

If you put your oscar in sw, it will live.... for a little bit. It'll probably even swim around for a minute. But he's going to suffer and he's going to die. Now that's an extreme. FULL fw to FULL sw. Brackish water fish are a little more tolerant, but not interchangeable like this.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

as juviniles, yes.
As adults - probably not.

My local zoo keeps a polar bear - we're pretty far from the Arctic Circle.
Does it survive the hot summers in less than ideal conditions ? Yes.
Is it a healthy environment for the bear ? NO.
Would they have a polar bear if the town that funded the zoo hadn't insisted on it ? Heck NO.

Your LFS wants to sell you stuff. I suspect they sold you those scats. Not many LFS will say "no, don't give us money".
Even the best stores will usually say "I don't recommend you do this, but if you insist, I recommend you buy a second tank later for these fish".
How likely is it that they will now say "oh, we shouldn't have sold you those fish, the people online care more about your fish than we do" ?

(of course, on a really busy Saturday, I often don't have time to ask customers much more than "how big is your tank ? How long has it been setup?" - never mind finding out if they understand what a brackish fish is and what they need as adults.
Sometimes you just have to hope people know what they are buying - just like the guy at the deli counter doesn't stop and check to see if my heart can handle the salami, bologna, bacon, and pastrami I'm buying.)


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Most cichlids will tolerate some salt as long as the increase is gradual. I don't know about cats. Your tank is 125 gallons which is good size, though I don't know if its sufficient for all those cichlids at full size. Go get another tank just for the scats.


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## redpaulhus (Jan 18, 2005)

Some good reading (Neale Monks):
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scatsmonosart.htm

According to Neale:


> As a general rule, scats and monos should not be kept in freshwater aquaria for long periods, and certainly not the species normally only found in brackish or marine conditions, such as _Monodactylus kottelati_. A few species, such as _Monodactylus argenteus_, have been kept in freshwater tanks for many years, but generally monos and scats are healthier when kept in brackish or marine aquaria.


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## deogan (Oct 10, 2007)

That is a load of info. I really thank all you guys from the bottom of my heart. I am returning my scats  on a hope that they will be better off in some other SW tank .


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