# Altolamprologus compressiceps (Black Congo White Pearl)



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Hey guys,

My calvus have become the Rodney Dangerfield of my 55 due to the Muzi. I have been trying to take a few pics of them lately. The light colored boulders help contrast the calvus. I've got six of them in the 55 (2m/4f). Hope to get some breeding action someday. Here are the pics...


----------



## Steve.W. (Apr 16, 2010)

I am so surprised that there are no replies Razzo, your fish are absolutely top drawer. Stunning examples mate.


----------



## Rotorhead (Mar 12, 2010)

Your fish look great! Any updates on them? Any breeding action yet?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks guys 

Here's a couple more pics of the adults. They have gone crazy breeding like rabbits the last month. I had three girls produce fry  I was not prepared as most of my fish junk is in POD storage waiting for our new house to get done being built. So, with a lack of experience and gear, I crammed all the fry into a 10 gallon tank. One girl produced 150+ fry  I've had some lossed as I cut my teeth learning how to care for them.

I just transfered them into a 55 gallon fry tank this afternoon. I am sure there will be losses. For lack of a better method, I just vacuumed up most of them into a bucket and dumped them in the main tank. Netting them was not working out.

In any event, I probably have about 200 fry????

Here's the adults with a few fry pics below that 

Take Care, Russ


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

No problems with the two species crossing I hope?

Interested because I have just set up a tank with a similar mix.

One WC pair of inkfin calvus and 7 young TB goldhead comps and 3 pulcher in my case.

I did not intend to mix em but the new WC calvus just sulked untill given something (the young comps and pulcher) to take thier minds of being in a new tank.

All the best James


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have read that comps and calvus crossbreed.


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Yes, I have been watching for that. So far, so good. The gold head couple seem to be paired and show no interest in the calvus (for good or bad). I have also been worried about the male comp killing the calvus and so far, he has showed no aggression. He even seems to be ignoring them. The calvus all like the shells and the comps not so much. The comps show no interest in the shells.

I do like the mix though.

Thanks,
Russ


----------



## Steve.W. (Apr 16, 2010)

Some more great pictures Russ, good luck with the remaining fry mate. James stick my name down for some of those redfin fry when you get some please mate.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Steve.W. said:


> Some more great pictures Russ, good luck with the remaining fry mate. James stick my name down for some of those redfin fry when you get some please mate.


Red fin or fire fin comps? I wish,   dunno if anyone can get those in the UK. Sure I would be interested if anyone could or has em. :wink:

All the best James


----------



## Steve.W. (Apr 16, 2010)

24Tropheus said:


> Steve.W. said:
> 
> 
> > Some more great pictures Russ, good luck with the remaining fry mate. James stick my name down for some of those redfin fry when you get some please mate.
> ...


  Oops, my bad, I dunno what made me type redfin, I meant inkfin James sorry mate.


----------



## ericjrodri (Dec 26, 2012)

how about an update after a few years


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

ericjrodri said:


> how about an update after a few years


I no longer own these - I traded them as part of a deal to get my wild caught C. gibberosa Mikula. These calvus produced a lot of beautiful fry for me over the years and I sold/shipped hundreds of them to fellow fish friends (many on this forum).

I kept a few for myself to grow out to go into a large tang community tank sometime in 2014. One of the grow out calvus is "LOADED" with yellow: on the face, up into the dorsal fin bleeding down the flanks. So looking forward to this one growing out.

Here's a few favorite pics that were not in this post....

Start with pics of the wild parents:











Some various F1 fry/juvie pics...


----------



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Do you recommend these BCWP over black substrate? I currently have the group you sold me in a 125 with comps as well all growing out (save for those few early die offs due to aggression) but I guess it's not a long term solution?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

bwestgsx06 said:


> Do you recommend these BCWP over black substrate? I currently have the group you sold me in a 125 with comps as well all growing out (save for those few early die offs due to aggression) but I guess it's not a long term solution?


Sure, you can try black if you like


----------



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

What about housing them with comps? Not long term?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

bwestgsx06 said:


> What about housing them with comps? Not long term?


Comps and calves can work really well with each other. The key is to have multiples of each species. When you do, they will completely ignore each other,... Even when spawning.


----------



## Tex Chappy (Dec 25, 2013)

Razzo said:


> bwestgsx06 said:
> 
> 
> > What about housing them with comps? Not long term?
> ...


How much does a large tank have to do with that being successful?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Tex Chappy said:


> Razzo said:
> 
> 
> > bwestgsx06 said:
> ...


Depends on your definition of large tank. I've done fine with them in a 55.


----------



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

I still have those 10 muzi gold heads and 3 bcwp i got from you in my 125, but I should probably turn down the flow on my fx5 because they mostly stay on the sides of the tank. I also don't know what my mixes are as far as m/f go


----------



## ericjrodri (Dec 26, 2012)

Hey Ross, When you were breeding Calvus, did you have multiple pairs in one tank? If so, how big was it and what other fish did you also have? anything other than altos?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

ericjrodri said:


> Hey Russ, When you were breeding Calvus, did you have multiple pairs in one tank? If so, how big was it and what other fish did you also have? anything other than altos?


I had two males and four females (all wild). The alpha male harem spawned with all four females.

My wild Muzi gold head comp group had 3m/2f and I had two pairs in that tank.

I used 55-gallon tanks for my alto breeding tanks.

Cheers,
Russ


----------



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Did you mix species in the 55?


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

bwestgsx06 said:



> Did you mix species in the 55?


Yes, I have mixed calvus and comps many times. I currently have a 72 and a 55 that are mixed.


----------



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

with breeding adults? That gives me hope that my 72bow may be big enough!


----------



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

bwestgsx06 said:


> with breeding adults? That gives me hope that my 72bow may be big enough!


Both species eventually got their own 55 gallon tank; however, when I had them combined in a 55 there was some spawning. I was very interested to see what would happen. I was surprised that the two species completely and utterly ignored each other,... Even at spawning time.

This is the basis of my opinion that, as long as you have several of each species, they will ignore the other. I have seen that played out in multiple tanks of mine.

Beware, the moment you only have one male comp with several calvus, you are in trouble. The comp will start killing the calvus.


----------

