Pty. grandideri- Brackish?

[Sharpfish]

Does Pty. grandideri require brackish water? I have had my group for 2 years and have never added salt. Is that a problem? My group seems healthy, and never had any illnesses. Is it required for a successful spawn? Can I use iodized table salt or should it be Sea salt, if so at what salinity?

[ciclasoman]

Hello:
Pty grandieri do not require the addition of salt to induce spawning, best I know is to do a water change whenever a pair looks like they may separate from a group. Keep water warm around 80-82 degrees and provide flat rocks placed horizontally. The parents may eat the eggs or fry so I usually remove the eggs and raise the fry with artemia nauply. In nature the fish are found in a variety of environments so they are not particularly picky but good housekeeping will ensure a healthy and long life. These fish are very stuning once mature and they get fairly large and really impressive looking as their fins continúe growing.
Regards

[Sharpfish]

Thank you. I am glad it was you that answered. My grandidieri are from your stock. If that is the way you did it then I must replicate it. I will make a few subtle change in their set up and they should be ready to go. Thanks again

[sidguppy]

I keep mine fresh as well

they grow and spawn at a regular date, but the eggs get eaten by other fish.


IF you want to keep them brackish -wich is perfectly possible- use seasalt, the kind for marine tanks.
and don't overdo it; it's a brackish, but not a marine fish.

salt with extra added iodine isn't good for fish. it's harmless to use in saltbath cures for ich and the like, but for permanent use, best use the stuff the reefkeepers use.

a brackish tank with grandidieri might be very nice to look at; you could combine it with Etroplus suratensis, Scats and Hexanematichthys seemanni ("Arius jordani", Silver Shark catfish).