Calvus Juvies

[Styx]

These are one of the very few cichlids I like and I finally got some. I found a local breeder who was very nice and knowledgable. I have seven juvies in all, and they will be divided up into bigger tanks by color as they grow. I have at least two white, and two black plus one extra of one of those colors. I can't tell right now; they're 1/4 of an inch long. So, pretty bitty. And I have two goldheads!! If I can fit one more 20 gallon into the basement I'll go get some more goldheads.

Anyway, I spoke to the breeder and I'm feeding them three times a day on frozen food, tonight I'll crush up some pellets and see if they like that, she said they should.

This is the bigger goldhead.

 

[mamafish68]

I've always fed my calvus & comp fry Daphnia then moved up to crushed flake.

YOU MUST be very careful with your water changes, one slight mistake, too cold, too low ph, not enough dechlorinator will cause the known death spin so watch out & take care with the water changes!

I'm sure you've been told how slooooowwwww they groooooowwwww, so you have tons of time to save for any tanks you plan on

 

[Styx]

I have Daphnia! The breeder told me I might not want to give them any live food because they might not want to eat anything else after that! They didn't go for the pellets either. One of the black or white ones rushed up, grabbed one, spit it out and that was the end of that. They did like the flakes though, but I've only got Tetra Min. Yuck. Gonna pick them up some Hikari. ;3

Oh, now I'm nervous. I've got to change their water soon! Although, in all reason, I should be fine if I just care for them as if they were my betta fry.

Oh yeah. ^^ And he'll have more goldheads, so I shouldn't feel all rushed.

 

[mamafish68]

sorry, mine is freeze dried daphnia, also teaches them to come up to top for food but I noticed when i sprinkle into the filter flow, they learn to chase it as if learning/awakening their hunting skills. I know I know, a little too observant? lolol But comps/calvus are my FAVS!!!

I have blacks, whites, gold heads & red fins just wait till you see them hover and their tail ends go up and down up and down while the head stays perfectly still & in one place. awesome hunting technique

 

[Styx]

I do that but they seem to give up easily. They chase and then give up if they don't catch it on their first try. I'll try the freeze dried daphnia.

Very cool! Do you have photos of your red fins??

 

[mamafish68]

the redfins are more illusive but i'll try, their still smallish, about an 1 1/2 if that and going on 3 yrs old!! pokey growers but worth it 100%

 

[Styx]

My goldheads still aren't eating well. I'm a bit concerned. They eat, but not well. Like I said, they chase the food, but then give up if they don't get it really fast. The others all ate great today, dove after the food, two slammed into each other going after the same flake. X3 But I don't know what the goldheads want from me!

WOW! Three years huh? I don't mind. I want to have them a LONG time. Very long time. ^^ Mine are bitty little things so I know what you mean by skiddish, they see me and rush off. lol

 

[mamafish68]

got any black or dark gray decorations? too stark of an enviornment can be a cause too, they dont feel very secure, much like a target. as for the gold heads, when i'd have one or more not eating so well i'd make sure they got one or two shrimp pellets, say from Wardely that way it would sink, loosen up and anyone needing food still got a chance for it.

 

[Styx]

Their slate is dark grey. They come out a LOT more with just a little slate. I wonder if I can get more...

I haven't had them that long, so maybe they're just settling still?

Oh, does Hikari make shrimp pellets? And sometimes feeding bettas live blackworms is bad for them, is it the same way for them? I wouldn't mind spending money on blackworms, they're cheap.

LOL, feeding them tonight I sort of dropped the lid and it smacked against the top of the tank, all the calvus go "WHOOSH" and drop flat to the sand, not moving. Sort of failed on that feeding!

 

[mamafish68]

I wouldnt over kill on the protein, you dont want one to bloat out, not usual but it can still happen.

done a w/c yet? w/c=water change

 

[Styx]

Okay. Do they need vegetable matter? If so, what do they like?

It's getting done today and now I'm all freaked out about it. ^^; I had to move some stuff away from the tank and lay down towels.

 

[mamafish68]

spiraluna flake is fine



just take your time, dont rush the dump in process. ie; dont dump in the new water in a rush, do more of a trickle effect, some may say its over kill but do you want to KILL your babies?? heck no!



you'll be fine

 

[Styx]

I did the WC.

It was traumatizing for all of us.

I couldn’t find two of the fish, so I lifted a shell structure and found one hiding there, but I couldn’t find the other. So I dove in and ripped apart their home, freaking out. I thought I had sucked up the little fish in the siphon tube and dumped it down the drain (without seeing it even though I’d pulled some plants I’d sucked up from the bucket), thus murdering my poor baby fish. So I tore everything apart frantically, didn’t find it, thought I’d killed a fish.

I left them alone finally, as they huddled in a corner and then came back about ten or twenty minutes later and found all seven fish were safe and sound.

Thankfully, no one is dead and they’re all okay. @_@

 

[mamafish68]

Roflmaoo

how funny! all I can say is i've been there!!!!

A few times infact, thats why I now siphon into a bucket when my fry/juvies are in smaller tanks

Glad things went well after all the drama!

 

[Styx]

Oh, I did siphon into a white bucket, but since they're so little I was thinking I'd just somehow not seen it.

I bought them live brines and frozen baby brines. They're not too wild about the live brines.