Alto Comps

[mcmemily]

Hey does anyone have any advice on keeping compressiceps? I currently am cycling my 30g tank and am getting ready to get some comps and maybe a calvus. (they will eventually go into my 75g.) I'm going to get them really small and I know they are slow growers, but I'm not sure how many I should get and what kind of ratio of male to female.
I don't plan on breeding. Also, what kind of bottom feeder would go good in there to?
Any recommendations on kinds/colors of comps? I want to have a variety but its kind of hard to tell by pictures there true colors.
Anyway...can anyone help?

 

[rottbo]

just get the common old comps it will take them a year or so but they will color up nicely and go for a pleco or smaller cat like some species of syndontis cat

 

[mcmemily]

What about sexes? How many do you think?

 

[rottbo]

no more than one male in my experience but they are had to sex when young so it will be trial and error to get the right ones

 

[rottbo]

and i have never had a problem with more than one female with males my friend has some right now and the big male is the boss of the tank but he only claims the surface of the tank not the middle or bottom so all the other cichlids are fine as long as they dont venture into his area

 

[Honda12]

You could probably do about 10 or 12 in a 75gl. If you are getting them all at a small size it will be way to hard to sex them. If they grow up together though they should all be fine. Just make sure there are plenty of hiding spot for all of them.

As far as a bottom feeder goes synodontis petricola or synodontis mulitipunctatus is a good choice. They are both endemic to the same lake as comps and calvus.

 

[rottbo]

i do not agree about the growing up together thing the first two i had i got small and they both ended up being males but by the time they were 3" one was beating the other up bad

 

[Honda12]

It works if you have a big group. I had 10 in a 55. I got 5 gold face, 2 fire fins, 2 black calvus and 1 white calvus all at the same time. They grew up together and I had now problems with fighting. If you have a lot any agressine will be spread out and you probably wont even notice unless you look for it.

If you have two I can see it not working. One will get bigger and beat the smaller one up. So I agree to some degree. If you get a small number it won't work. But if you have a big group it will, or at least it did in my personal experience.

 

[rottbo]

cool i have never bought a large goup maybe i should try it out i would like to ahve a group of calvus some day

 

[mcmemily]

Thanks. Thats pretty much what I was thinking. I'm excited! But my tank isnt' ready yet. It's been about two weeks and the ph is about 8.2 and the temp is 80. But the nitrates are skyrocketing, and I know they are super sensitive. Any other suggestions?