# altolamprologus chat



## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Hello al!
I am going to be putting in some altos in my tank when its ready and I am very interested in the compressiceps variant. Particularly the yellow chaitika and muzi gold head. Their tankmates will be a colony of gibberosa and lepidiolamprologus nkambae. Would it be possible to have two differrent strains in the same tank and have them breed. (With their own strains eg muzi with muzi and chaitika with chaitika.).How can I best setup the tank for them?
Do they need shells to hide in or caves?
Can they be put in with plants or not? 
And lastly I would like to know what are your favourite comp/calvus strains?


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Oh and also what they eat, if an HOB filter and acouple internals would be fine and what substrate would be the best go use?
Happy fish keeping to you all!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You are going to get mixed opinions with experienced fishkeepers on both sides of the debate on whether they will crossbreed, I'm with the "don't mix" crowd...some mix and swear crossbreeding doesn't happen.

They are rockdwellers but will also use large shells for spawning. I have not found them to bother plants. I like the black calvus best.

They eat the same thing as all my other fish, New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula 1mm pellets. Sand is always a good choice for Rift Lake cichlids. What is the GPH turnover of your HOB and internal filters (do you mean sponge filters?) compared to the gallons of your tank? Shoot for 10X hourly turnover.


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Internal like the eheim internal (not sure on spelling) and maybe a sponge I'm not too sure yet, I was going for t about 10-15x turnover,will they eat sinking pellets as I will not feed frontosa floating pellets (reasons being that they can get float) and it will be interesting to see other peoples opinions of if they will crossbreed or not , I'm not sure at this point, I've heard that they are suseptible to "ich" true?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

They absolutely will crossbreed. Not really had ich issues with them though.


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

But then howecome some people claim that theirs don't ? Is it a always will or 50-50?


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## NYJetfan (Aug 19, 2014)

They WILL crossbreed if they have no other alternative, however, there are ways to mitigate the chances. For one, dont mix similarly colored altos, ie use White and Black or Gold Head and White, not Congo and Inkfin or Zambian. Secondly, have multiple females for the make of the same variant, that is, have trios or more for the Congos or Whites.


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

So I couldn't put yellow chaitika a with Muzi gold head? (Not sure if Muzi gold head is calvus or comp) if I could I should put trios of each variant (ratios of 1:2 m:fm)
What is the difference between comps and calvus , besides the forehead differrences ? There is none isn't there?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I am not convinced that the people who mix them are correct that it does not happen in their tanks. Therefore I would not take the risk and I would not buy altolamps from a tank that has more than one species.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I had a wild trio of Gold Head Comps and wild trio of Black Pectoral calvus. When one of the female calvus was ready to spawn, the more dominant Gold Head spawned with her. It really doesn't matter if there are options of their own, and FWIW this is far from an isolated story.


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Fogelhund so yous did crossbreed ? If so then trios don't help?


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

I agree with Fogelhund. There is no way that you can say for sure that two different variants of the same species will not crossbreed. Both fish share the same spawning method and have the same breeding signals to communicate to mates that they are ready.

Doesn't matter if they look different.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Jordan Botha said:


> Fogelhund so yous did crossbreed ? If so then trios don't help?


Yes, they crossbred... Trios won't help... You just have to keep the separate.


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

So I'm guessing that hybrid fry is unwanted?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Jordan Botha said:


> So I'm guessing that hybrid fry is unwanted?


Correct...


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

I could guess why, to keep strains/variants true and not muddled up?


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Are Muzi gold head comps best kept in groups (maybe 1m:2fm or maybe 1m:3fm)to have the best breeding results ? I heard that altos colour pops on black substrate but I am planning on using white sand in the tank , will they still have good coloration or not?


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## Jordan Botha (Feb 1, 2015)

Weird because I would buy a muzi gold head and yellow chaitika hybrid lol sounds like a good mix!!


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## football mom (Feb 19, 2006)

I had some young comps and calvus growing out together, and a male calvus spawned with one of the female comps. They will definitely cross-breed. I now only have Wild and F1 Chaitika compressiceps, and keep them in species-only tanks.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Jordan Botha said:


> Are Muzi gold head comps best kept in groups (maybe 1m:2fm or maybe 1m:3fm)to have the best breeding results ? I heard that altos colour pops on black substrate but I am planning on using white sand in the tank , will they still have good coloration or not?


Yes, best kept in groups... if multiple males, at least three... more females the better.


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