Altolamprologus compressiceps / calvus
- Thread starter HarleyK
- Start date
I bet the corys would be, very few fish mess with them, Not having kept the A. compressiceps I don't know if they could resist the fins of the pantadons.
I've kept calvus for years! even grew me up a pair from babies (took 4 damn years though). They grow REALLY SLOW. They're awesome fish and one of the few that most fish don't really get picked on and they don't really pick on anything. Except if you have more than a pair of the same kind. then they can fight. I'm sure you wouldn't have any problems with them and cory's. Pantadon's however don't I don't know what those are so I can't help you there.
ogre929,
That's great info. Pantodon are these guys, Engl.: African Butterflyfish, mine are currently 3'' (ca. 8 cm).
I have a sword tail problem in my tank, they're taking over. I thought a couple of Altolamprologus could take care of that in a manner safe to my other fish (Blue gourami, Corydoras, Ancistrus, Pantodon). Here my questions:
- what did you feed yours with? (crickets, fish, pellets, flakes...?)
- what was the smallest species you kept them with, in case you had them in a community tank?
- did you have any catfish/suckers with them?
- I read that plants are safe with them. Did you keep them in a planted tank?
Thanks a bunch,
HarleyK
That's great info. Pantodon are these guys, Engl.: African Butterflyfish, mine are currently 3'' (ca. 8 cm).
I have a sword tail problem in my tank, they're taking over. I thought a couple of Altolamprologus could take care of that in a manner safe to my other fish (Blue gourami, Corydoras, Ancistrus, Pantodon). Here my questions:
- what did you feed yours with? (crickets, fish, pellets, flakes...?)
- what was the smallest species you kept them with, in case you had them in a community tank?
- did you have any catfish/suckers with them?
- I read that plants are safe with them. Did you keep them in a planted tank?
Thanks a bunch,
HarleyK
Oh ok. hmmm, that i'm not sure. They never bothered my brichardi, but they've got more attitude than butterfly fish. But they never nipped their fins. I had a guppy tank that I got for my little brothers years ago, and they started breeding like no other. The only time the calvus went after the baby guppies i tried to feed them was the first time. After that the guppies lived there till I took them out. But that was my experience. other peoples may vary.
As far as food goes, I pretty much fed them some frozen brine shrimp and spirulina flakes. They did just fine on them for years and years.
The smallest species of fish i kept them with minus the guppies they never ate, was Lamprologus caudopunctatus when the black calvus were adults. I did as a matter of fact kept some plecos with them and there was no problem with them either.
And I always keep plants with my fish. I like the way they look and usually I keep java because it's pretty tough and it'll attach its roots to anything. And never had a problem with the calvus bothering them either. Calvus are actually my favorite fish of all time. Good luck with them. And I'm sure if your swordtails are breeding the calvus might go after some babies. Adults, thats a different story.
As far as food goes, I pretty much fed them some frozen brine shrimp and spirulina flakes. They did just fine on them for years and years.
The smallest species of fish i kept them with minus the guppies they never ate, was Lamprologus caudopunctatus when the black calvus were adults. I did as a matter of fact kept some plecos with them and there was no problem with them either.
And I always keep plants with my fish. I like the way they look and usually I keep java because it's pretty tough and it'll attach its roots to anything. And never had a problem with the calvus bothering them either. Calvus are actually my favorite fish of all time. Good luck with them. And I'm sure if your swordtails are breeding the calvus might go after some babies. Adults, thats a different story.
compressiceps are awesome fish I own one myself I also own 3 Calvus, I would agree with what orge said on the calvus and as for the compressiceps they get meaner as they grow and I am sure he'd go for the fins. They like higher pH which would be normal for any African, I would suggest a meaty diet as mine is doing better on that, and for the majority that has been what I was told to feed it as well as what I have personally found online, although some people argue that a spirulina diet is better so I am not 100%, but I personally switch it up from time to time and feed him both, he seems to enjoy that alot, and I am having no problems. Temp in the mid-upper 70's is prob. good and he will probably eat any fish that he can fit into his mouth, I ve also been warned that they do not mix well with calvus at all, this is what I ve been told by people with more experience keeping them, I put mine in with the calvus and he chased them alot, then I took him out b/c I didnt want him nipping at them b/c they are alot smaller. Anywho I hope that helps you out some!
Howdy,
I have no clue which variation they are, maybe someone on this forum can tell me
. To be honest, these are my first cichlids in years. The only cichlids I had before that was a pair of ramirezi in the late '80s... I for sure was not a cichlid guy, but I think I just converted 
They are about 3.5'' and are doing great. They love the freeze-dried shrimp that my Pantodon drop.
I read that sexing them is hard to impossible, besides "bigger fins" etc. That's always very speculative. Anyone with experience here?
When I bought these guys, they had been sitting in the LFS for more than a year, I was told. Originally, they were kept in a 125 gal with other cichliuds, but then they moved some altums in there and split the leftover cichlids up. These were the two leftover compressiceps, and since they have been living together for that long, I didn't really worry too much about possible aggression in my tank. They get along well with each other, although I saw the darker one follow the lighter colored one and slowly bumping in its side. The lighter fish then showed the side, and drifted a bit to finally hang out almost horizontally, reminding me of spawning positions I observed on Macropodus opercularis (my avatar). Just an observation, probably cichlids have other ways to communicate than gouramis.
Anyhow, I love them and thank all of you for your inputs before I purchased. So far, they haven't even looked at the Pantodon strangely. I hope it stays that way.
HarleyK
I have no clue which variation they are, maybe someone on this forum can tell me
. To be honest, these are my first cichlids in years. The only cichlids I had before that was a pair of ramirezi in the late '80s... I for sure was not a cichlid guy, but I think I just converted They are about 3.5'' and are doing great. They love the freeze-dried shrimp that my Pantodon drop.
I read that sexing them is hard to impossible, besides "bigger fins" etc. That's always very speculative. Anyone with experience here?
When I bought these guys, they had been sitting in the LFS for more than a year, I was told. Originally, they were kept in a 125 gal with other cichliuds, but then they moved some altums in there and split the leftover cichlids up. These were the two leftover compressiceps, and since they have been living together for that long, I didn't really worry too much about possible aggression in my tank. They get along well with each other, although I saw the darker one follow the lighter colored one and slowly bumping in its side. The lighter fish then showed the side, and drifted a bit to finally hang out almost horizontally, reminding me of spawning positions I observed on Macropodus opercularis (my avatar). Just an observation, probably cichlids have other ways to communicate than gouramis.
Anyhow, I love them and thank all of you for your inputs before I purchased. So far, they haven't even looked at the Pantodon strangely. I hope it stays that way.
HarleyK
Looks like a Neolamprologus Compressiceps ne ways Its a beautiful fish, you got really lucky that they get along =) from what I hear they are pretty mean to one another as they grow! Ne ways thats a really nice pic up!