Fishes from the genus Salminus are popularly known as Dorado or Dourado. These Fishes have been a fancy for those who care for monster Fishes for many years.
These are predatory freshwater Fishes from the family bryconidae, of which they are the only members of the subfamily salmininae. They are native to large tropical and subtropical rivers in South America and undertake migrations during the rainy season to spawn. They are oftentimes referred to as South American Salmon because of their similar appearance, although they are not at all related.
They are very popular, especially in homes and public aquariums.
5 TYPES OF DORADO
Currently, there are five recognized Salminus species:
OUTLIER
Among the five Dorado species, the most popular is the Salminus brasiliensis or the Golden Dorado, because they are very attractive and colorful. They are shimmering gold Fishes with red and black tails.
They have a pugnacious demeanor, which makes them appealing to those who have monster Fishes.
WHITE, NOT GOLD
The four other species are rarely available. However, you might occasionally find the Salminus hilarii in our country.
Commonly called White Dorado, S. hilarii is a predatory Fish found in South American river basins like the Upper Paraná, São Francisco, Orinoco, Tocantins, and Amazon River basins.
They are also commonly known as the “Tabarana” among the tribes and local people from its natural distribution range, and is known for migrating during the reproductive season, coinciding with warmer waters and rainy periods.
S. hilarii was first described by renowned French zoologist Achille Valenciennes in 1850. They have a silver body with some scales having a faint dark center. These dots appear to form some faint horizontal stripes in some specimens.
Compared to other species in the genus, the S. hilarii has a more pointed snout. They have a dark streak behind the eye and across their operculum. All fins are similarly colored as the body except for the caudal fin or tail, which supports a dark-brown to black transverse band on the posterior portion of the caudal peduncle, extending to the distal margin of median caudal-fin rays. This dark band terminates to a pointed fin extension, a key distinct feature that differentiates S. hilarii from S. affinis, the latter of which does not have this fin extension. Rose pink to red markings are found above and below this dark band on the tail.
Lastly, S. hilarii has a fleshy, silvery white adipose fin.
The S. hilarii is one of the smaller species in the genus. The maximum size is around 50 centimeters (20 inches) in standard length, with a maximum published weight of 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds). Hence, their size is more ideal for an average Filipino caring for Fishes, especially when compared to all the other Dorado species.
THE “GOOD” DORADO
While Golden Dorados are impressive because of their beauty and reputation, taking care of them is not without challenges. For one, they are very aggressive – you can say they have anger management issues.
They are not just aggressive, but relentless as well. Hence, they will harass other Fishes in the tank, non-stop.
Afterward, they will keep their place on top of the hierarchy by bullying the others. Oftentimes, they are the troublemaker in the community tank. Sometimes, when you think you have achieved a peaceful community of monster Fishes by having the right mix in one tank, the Golden Dorado snaps and picks on everyone.
The good thing is, S. hilarii is not that aggressive. They are much more peaceful in nature. However, they are by no means a weakling; they are still built tough, but with proper manners.
They are Fishes you can introduce to a well-thought-of community tank more successfully compared to the Golden Dorado. Even if they hardly start a fight, they can stand their ground in a tank with very aggressive Fishes.
Another challenge in caring for the Golden Dorado is their huge size. In the wild, they grow over a meter and over 30 kilograms! You will need a huge tank for a Fish who’s that big and aggressive, especially as they swim all the time!
A Fish that size is also equipped with a massive appetite. The Golden Dorado is a voracious eater and will not hesitate to eat a tankmate. Prepare to provide a big budget for their food.
With the modest-sized S. hilarii, a tank as small as 75 gallons is enough, and supporting equipment like pumps, filters, and lighting will also be scaled smaller. Feeding, maintenance, and upkeep will be a lot more modest as well.
In general, they would be much more suited for the home aquarium than the Golden Dorado, who is better off in a public aquarium.
The White Dorado is about 50 centimeters in length and 1.4 kilograms in weight, while the Golden Dorado can grow up to 100 centimeters and over 30 kilograms!
TANK AND MAINTENANCE
Like most Characins, the S. hilarii is an active swimmer and will require a spacious tank. A single S. hilarii will require a minimum tank size of 75 gallons.
If you wish to keep a small school of S. hilarii, then a tank over 200 gallons will be more appropriate.
In their natural ecosystem, S. hilarii inhabits flowing river systems. It would be to their advantage if the tank has an efficient filtration, with adequate capacity, and a pump with good flow rate so that a steady stream of current is achieved. They like swimming against the current – you will discover that they will be spending most of their time in that spot.
The tank would benefit from regular, periodic maintenance to keep the water in optimum conditions. Since S. hilarii are voracious eaters, your tank water can easily deteriorate in quality if not given proper attention. A weekly water change of 40% should keep ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in safe range.
The filter itself should benefit from quarterly cleaning. Clean the filter materials in one chamber or section at a time only. Do not completely clean the whole filter system to avoid destroying your healthy colony of beneficial bacteria in filter materials.
Your tank should likewise be outfitted with a strong and heavy cover, because S. hilarii are very good jumpers. If you use glass covers, I recommend using a cover with a minimum thickness of ¼ inch so that it’s sturdy and heavy enough to endure an adult Fish’s powerful jump.
Any thinner and the glass cover will shatter into pieces when one attempts to jump.
WATER CONDITIONS
Water from the Amazon River is generally described as acidic and soft. Thus, S. hilarii should be kept in water that is slightly acidic with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.5. They also prefer with few minerals so that the water hardness falls within the range of 2-15° dH. As for the temperature, 22-28°C should be ideal.
These water parameters are easily achievable under Philippine conditions with water from our tap. When caring for Fishes from South America, Filipinos soak dried leaves of the Talisay or Indian Almond Tree (Terminalia catappa).
Their leaves excrete tannins that make the water slightly acidic to the preference of these Fishes.
WHAT TO FEED
Like all Fishes in the genus, S. hilarii is piscivorous, meaning they primarily eat Fish, preferably live ones. They may be offered live Guppies, Mollies, or feeder Goldfishes when they are still small. They too will readily consume insects and their larvae. While young, their diet may be supplemented with meal Worms, Super Worms, Crickets, and frozen Blood Worms.
As they grow bigger, they may be weaned away from live Fishes and offered fresh ones from the market. They may be given small Tawilis, Dilis, or other Fishes from the local wet market. If the Fish you offer is large, you can just cut them up into smaller pieces.
Other seafood like Shrimp, Mussels, and Squid may also be offered. They are not picky eaters.
WANT A BIG FISH? TAKE NOTE
Monster Fishes like Red Tail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus), Tiger Shovelnose Catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum), Giant Snakehead (Channa micropeltes), Paroon Shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei), and the humongous Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) are always offered for sale in our local shops. These are usually sold small, cute, and inexpensive. Many end up buying these juveniles, not knowing that they will grow into huge monsters.
These Fishes I just mentioned grow at least one meter in length, with the Arapaima reaching three meters! The average Filipino will probably not have a tank big enough after a year of caring for them.
With information widely available through social media, you should easily find the ideal monster Fish for you. But if you want a recommendation from me, the S. hilarii is a certified monster Fish… in a smaller package. They can stay in an adequately-sized tank forever.
Beautiful, bold, interesting, impressive, rare, and not too big – the S. hilarii should be the perfect choice.
