Alto. Calvus Tank

[MattyV55]

I am thinking of a starting a single species tank in a 29, with my goal being to breed some black Calvus. I am new to these fish so wondering if anyone has some experience with them? To try and form a pair how many should I start with and what size? Also hear they are very shy and I am not a huge dither fish fan. Do they become less shy over time? I've read all the stuff online, looking more to hear about personal experience
Matt

 

[Razzo]

Hey Matt,

They are tres cool! They will harem spawn too. Gotta be careful with the number of males. Usually, it's either one or three plus (not two). I've shared some of my personal experiences in this article: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/altolamp_fry_pt1.php

Btw: you could do some cyps as an awesome dither

You can condition them to be less shy.

Good luck!

Russ

 

[MattyV55]

Hey Matt,

They are tres cool! They will harem spawn too. Gotta be careful with the number of males. Usually, it's either one or three plus (not two). I've shared some of my personal experiences in this article: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/altolamp_fry_pt1.php

Btw: you could do some cyps as an awesome dither

You can condition them to be less shy.

Good luck!

Russ

Thanks for the good advice, cyps look pretty cool. Would one female and male Calvus work?

 

[DJRansome]

I like start with six and remove extras to get a pair. Once they are paired up a 29G could work, but they are rambunctious when courting so you may need a bigger tank for the pairing process.

One of each works if you are able to buy an adult pair that has already produced fry together.

 

[MattyV55]

I like start with six and remove extras to get a pair. Once they are paired up a 29G could work, but they are rambunctious when courting so you may need a bigger tank for the pairing process.

One of each works if you are able to buy an adult pair that has already produced fry together.

What other dither fish would be appropriate for a Tanganyikan biotope?

 

[DJRansome]

They are not true dithers...just additional tank mates to make the calvus feel safe in a large group. What size tank are you talking about...the 29G? Maybe shellies or caudopunctatus.