Brand Newbie, Questions

[Shadowgrass]

I just Purchased 2 Calvuses, They are cuurently in a 10g (I know it is too small but I will upgrade soon), they are both under 1". I know sexing is difficult, but if anyone knows how at this size, pls help. Also, they have set up their territory aroung a pice of driftwood, they go through the tunnel, swim over top of it, and occasionally explore the rest of the tank. I wish to put in some dither fish, i am wondering what I should get, they will probably remain in the tank after Calvuses get moved to keep it going, the tank will be quarantine tank eventually. Also, i read about fishless cycling, great idea, but I am impulsive shopper and bought fish ) . I have been testing the water everyday since I got them (5days now) and I get 0 for ammonia, and less than 0.1 for Nitrite. Is this because I got lucky, or because they have not done their business enough to spike the results. I also added certain chemicals (came with tank) to assist with the cycling. I am currently feeding them Nutrifin Flake food, but am going to pick up brine shrimp or bloodworm. Which would you recommend, and when can they begin eating live food? Also, colour enhancing pellets, good or bad? Sorry for so many questions.

 

[impur]

Scientific name: Altolamprologus calvus

Size: Up to 6" (15cm), female smaller - 4" (10cm).

Origin: Lake Tanganyika, E.Africa

Tank setup: Piles of rocks, with sand or fine gravel substrate. Shells can also be added.

Compatibility: Not for the community tank, keep with similar sized Tanganyikan cichlids, which are not overly aggressive, such as Julidochromis or shell dwellers.

Temperature: 24-27oC (75-81oF)

Water chemistry: Hard and alkaline: pH 7.8-9.0, GH 12-20, KH 14-20

Feeding: Will take most aquarium foods, but frozen or live foods are preferred, such as bloodworm.

Sexing: Males are usually significantly larger in established pairs. Mature males will also appear deeper bodied with more elongated finnage. These differences are not apparent in juveniles.

Breeding: Substrate spawner, the female will usually select a cave with a very narrow entrance, which the male cannot enter. The male will guard the surrounding territory. The female will guard the eggs and fry until they are free swimming.

Comments: A. calvus is a slow-growing cichlid, but becomes a truly stunning fish and a superb addition to a Tanganyikan setup. There are a number of colour variants, such as the 'white' calvus and the stunning 'black' form. Altolamprologus may eat very small fishes and fry, but are not generally a danger to adult Tanganyikan cichlids. They should not be kept with boisterous fishes such as Tropheus and the Malawi mbuna.


You should take them back to the LFS until your tank is cycled and you are familiar with how to buffer the water to achieve the correct pH for these fish. You will experience an ammonia and nitrite spike soon and the fish will most likely die.

 

[Shadowgrass]

I have read all of that stuff from many different web sites, I am not necessarily looking for that info, merely advice, experiences any any other previlant info any1 can provide. I am friends with people who work in a pet store, however it is not where I am from, they have succesfully had tanks going for quite a while (75g many different fish and alterations). I am not all that worried (yet....and hopefully will not need to be). Any further posts will be greatly appreciated.
Thanx

 

[impur]

Do you know how to successfully buffer your water to the corect pH and carbonate hardness? If not, please do not keep the fish until you can.

Also, i read about fishless cycling, great idea, but I am impulsive shopper and bought fish .

Do you not believe me when I tell you that your water WILL have an ammonia AND nitrite spike? These fish are for people who know what they are doing. I wish you all the luck, but I feel bad for the fish being in that tiny tank with water conditions they are not used to living in, and on top of that they must endure life threatening ammonia levels as well as nitrite levels.

 

[tstenback]

You have asked for advice and received very solid responses back from a veteran aquarist.

I have read all of that stuff from many different web sites, I am not necessarily looking for that info, merely advice, experiences any any other previlant info any1 can provide. I am friends with people who work in a pet store, however it is not where I am from, they have succesfully had tanks going for quite a while (75g many different fish and alterations). I am not all that worried (yet....and hopefully will not need to be). Any further posts will be greatly appreciated.
Thanx

impur has provided you with advice, gained from experience, that most certainly is pertinent and it seems from your comments that you will ignore it. The environment that these fish will have to start living in over the month of the cycle will be very stressful to them. Stress in fish causes disease and in an ammonia and nitrite filled environment this could easily end in the death of the very fish you would like to breed. impur has the interest of your fish at heart and has offered you the same advice any of us would offer. It is up to you what you do but if you ask for advice you should not ignore it when give. Ask why if you are unsure of why the advice was offered or if you have heard something different, but never ignore it.

 

[Shadowgrass]

I do believe what you have said, I was rather posting the reply regarding the description copied from a website that I have visited and read. I am going to purchase some more supplies today. You seem to believe that I am not listening, however quite the opposite. I value your feedback, and am checking this forum daily to see what else has been written. I do realize that I do not have the best set up for these fish (tank size and being un-cycled) but as I mentionned, I am buying a new larger tank before it is needed for them, and this is only temporary. I have heard that this species is quite hardy and would most likely make it through the cycling process. I will stop using the cycling stuff as mentionned. I do realize now that it is useless, from advice given. My last post was not to show that I was ignoring your post, rather to make my situation more clear to you so you may give me advice based on my specific situation. I am sorry if it seems as though I am not listening, but I am and am going to my LFS today and will discuss with them the possibilities (i.e. returning them). If you do not suggest this fish for cycling, can you give me a species that may work better, or will fishless cycling still work after fish have been present?

Do you know how to successfully buffer your water to the corect pH and carbonate hardness?

How do you do this, you did not tell me how.

 

[Shadowgrass]

Just got back from different LFS, much better to deal with, bought siphon/gravel cleaner, heater, bloodworm(they love it) and a chemical they recommended called "African Cichlid Conditioner". It stabilizes the hardness, as well as adding calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. They guy at LFS told me that the water 'round here has a pH of around 8 also. Feedback on purchases?

 

[tstenback]

Sorry if i jumped to a wrong conclusion. Sometimes words without the sound tend to be misunderstood. Glad you got better advice from the second LFS. So far sounds good to me but i have not used that specific product perhaps others will have further advice in that area. Also in answer to your question about bufferring here is a link that will help explain what you are trying to do and what the "African Cichlid Conditioner" is doing. It is a complicated thing that has to be done right if your tank is to be a stable environment for those great fish.
In response to the other question i would highly recommend a fishless cycle if you can transplant the fish or give them to the LFS to hold until you are ready. If not then you are stuck with the fish and cycling and adjusting KH and PH while the fish are in there and that will be a trick to do successfully. Keep very patient and read lots before making this journey. Good Luck. and once again sorry for snapping

 

[Shadowgrass]

No prob. I know I was misunderstood in my reply, was a little vague. I read that link, the water up here is fairly hard, the product I purchases stabilizes it. Luckily for me, the tap water up here has the correct pH for my fish, meaning a lot less trouble for me. I will keep reading about the chemical side of fish keeping and hopefully set up and learn so that I may do this for a long time.
Thank again.

P.S. GO FLAMES GO!!!

 

[tstenback]

P.S. GO FLAMES GO!!!

Yeh! great for Canada if they win but .......i'm a Bruin Fan

 

[Shadowgrass]

Born in Calgary, Raised in Toronto ) and Ottawa , now live in Montreal. Ottawa and Calgary are my teams, hate the Leafs!

 

[Shadowgrass]

Oh yeah, about the fish, they are out more now (Temp was low now heater has it up) They are much darker than when they initially moved in, seem to interact well, have territory, and one is digging in the cave. I will keep posting progress.
Thanks for all your help! Greatly appreciated!