# My new Calvus - digging and stuff :)



## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Hi,

My new calvus are only 2 inches long, I have 3 of them. At the moment the 2 smaller ones seem to be digging seperate areas of the tank under rocks, and the other one seems to go back and forth 'checking on them'. This single fish never excavates, but seems to go from one 'pit' to the other.

What are they up to?

Its great to watch opcorn:


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Not sure, mine donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t dig. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d guess theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re trying to create some spots to hide in. If they seem stressed or jumpy, try adding a bit more rock work on each side of the tank. If not, just enjoy the show.


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

They arent jumpy when you approach the tank, they just keep excavating away 

It really is great to watch.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mine don't dig either. :-?


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

They are definitely shovelling the sand with their mouths, picking it up and carrying it out from under 2 rocks. 1 fish does each rock, while the biggest fish keeps going to each and checking what they are doing. Even going into the cave to have a look, but he never shifts any sand.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

some of mine dig some of the time if that makes any sense. It has appeared , to me, to be pretty idle behavior that happens near the core of a territory. By "core" I mean like a cave or spawning shell.

When I see mine "shoveling sand" it's usually because they are pursuing something. In the case of my tanks I have assassin snails that occasionally barge into territories. My Calvus, only sometimes will dig them up and escort them out of the area entirely.

One of the reason keeping tangs is so cool is because, for fish, they're geniuses! They're the closest thing to a learning fish I have seen. Calvus are, imo some of the smartest (Unless you trap them, then they seem pretty dumb.)

Predators, in general, are pretty adaptive when it comes to most things I think because meat comes with so many defenses and they must acclimate to catching, digging, fighting hiding etc.

For example I have a tank with a group of Zambian blacks. and they have access to spawning shells which they used when I first introduced the group years ago. However, about a year ago they found a couple of suitable caves which are more difficult for the other fish (Cyps and a pair of Eretmodus) to futz with. Ever since then the whole group of 1m/5fm, spawns in one of 3 caves in the back and ignores the shells unless I'm cleaning the tank.

My observation is that they will do what they must to build or even excavate a secure den. They're ambush predators by nature so their base of attack is instinctively important to them. wether it be sand or snail, they'll move it if they can. It's fun to watch anyway isn't it?


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Update , one of them is missing :-? . They have excavated under 2 rocks, and now 1 of the diggers is missing for the past 8 hours.

Should I move the rocks to look for it in case there is a problem? or leave it for a while?


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Most likely, it is just hiding - Calvus can be shy. I have one that I only see during feeding time. However, since you know they have been digging, I think IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d make sure it isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t pinned under one of the rocks just to be safe.

On a related note, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a good idea to make sure that the rocks are firmly sitting on the bottom glass and not on the substrate. That way the fish canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t cause the rocks to shift or fall over with their digging.


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

I just stripped the rocks out, and shook them all around, and checked in the filter housing . . no sign of him anywhere.  :x

Last time I seen him was about 11am this morning, (its 21.42 now)

Surely they couldnt have eaten him by now . . :?

He's just . . . gone


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Weren't they all around the same size? I don't think they could have eaten him.

Is there a lid on the tank? He may have jumped out - look around on the floor.

Also, from the picture of your tank, the rocks appear to have some holes in them that a fish might be able to fit into. Make sure there are no fish in the holes before pulling the rocks out of the water Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the same goes for shells. I almost lost a couple of fish by being careless with pulling shells from the tank.

What type of filter do you have? Is it possible he made it into the filter?


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

It has a fairly tight lid, and no sign of him around the floor.

I turned and shook the 3 rocks a fair bit in the tank, expecting him to pop out, but he didnt. When I took them out I put them in a basin, and shone a flashlight into all the holes, and couldnt see him in any of them.

I pulled the 2 juwel filter baskets out of the filter, and I cant see him in it.

Really, he can only be in one of the rocks, so im watching closely, and I might turn them again. Im paranoid of upsetting the others too much. :?


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## jzdanows (Jun 20, 2010)

mine were shy at first but they came around. they dont dig either, must be a security thing, try more shelters.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Hopefully he just has a really good hiding spot and he turns up when he gets hungry.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

My altos always dig. Try stirring the substrate to turn up a body.


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## #1 Cichlids (Jul 7, 2010)

it could be possible the other one ate himhttp://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/i ... _frown.gif


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

It's true I have found a "missing fish" in the sand before, dead. I have also found them in rocks that I swore up and down were empty. I have killed a few doing a big cleaning and removing rock for cleaning/rearanging not realizing they're in the rock in a space I thought impossible to hide in.

no amount of shaking the rock will get a Calvus to release his grip on a hiding spot. They would rather die than dislodge themselves. They have great camo and ability to grip when lodged in something. 8 hours is not enough to say anything. If you don't see them for a few days maybe some curiosity is warranted but even then, 9 times out of ten, it was a missing female and she's spawning somewhere hidden.

Don't see them for a few eeks straight, probably dead

Just remember, us picking up a rock with a calvus in it and trying to shale them out is exactly what an otter would do and they're well adapted to deal with that exact situation, it's a fight we can't win without harming them in some way. Finding a disappearing calvus is usually a waiting game. Good luck! :thumb:


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

my calvus was constant digger. 
he would make a pit with the sand and everytime i mess it up, hes back at it again.
it was kind of funny.

also comps/calvus are excellent at playing hide and seek.
i wouldnt be surprise if it turns out in a couple of days.

I will have to agree w/ BioG. dont worry about it for now.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Calvus are notorious for hiding. You may be suprised a couple days from now, when all of the sudden, you see three fish again. Happened to me lots when acclimateing new fish to a tank. Eventually, it will get hungry enough to come eat. And, they can fit in some tight spaces...


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice, still no sign, but heres a pic of the 2 that are left, and a pic of all 3 when I had all 3 - I assume these are all white calvus?



















And its the little dude out on the right in this pic that has gone awol . . .


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

My altos don't dig.

Altos can be very good escape artists finding even the smallest openings in your lid. I have had jumpers before.

Give them some shells and they may not dig. They will retreat to their favorite shell when stressed.

Pardon the brown algae (I grew it out so my new zebra nerite snails would have a lot of work to do when I got them). Brown algae is no longer a problem.










Good luck.


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## smidey (Mar 15, 2007)

sounds like management & the workers to me :lol:


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Razzo said:


>


Razzo it looks like your fish are in confession. "Forgive me Father for I have sinned...." :lol:


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

jrf said:


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


LOL - with 400 fry in 3 months,... I know what their sin was :lol:


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

:lol: :lol: =D>


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Did he turn up yet?


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## MikeyG (Sep 24, 2009)

I have 7 young yellow calvus, 1.5" or so...I thought I lost one once, and it turned out that it comandeered a small shell in the occie shell bed. I would have thought it was too small for it to fit, but ****** if he/she didn't squeeze in there somehow. Hid for the day, then the next day, out swimming with the others as usual. From my limited experience, it doesn't take much to freak these fish out, especially when they are young. Sometimes they startle with absolutely zero provocation, with me several feet from the tank. An occie will dart into a shell for some reason, the others follow suit, and the calvus freak out for a second or two.


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## Saracichlid (Jul 15, 2010)

Thanks you for your picture, kinda funny indeed 
I had an alto, and several shells but he prefered by far hidding in rock caves surprisingly :?


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## GotCichlids? (May 21, 2010)

Just posting so I can follow and find out if the lil guy shows back up keep me posted please


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## AlphaWild (Apr 9, 2009)

I'm curiously awaiting news as well. Thought I'd also put in my 2 cents of experience, as my calvus group is the same size as the original poster's. I too have a digger and an inspector, and the inspectior is indeed the largest in the group. And sadly, I've learned the importance of a TRULY tight fitting lid, as these guys not only jump, but seem to be able to aim for small airborne openings! I noticed no one has yet weighed in on the question about what color variety was in the pictures. I'm rather new to these guys, and was surprised to see how "light" my Inkfins were when they arrived. Am I correct in assuming that juvie color is not a reliable I.D. feature?


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## snova031 (Apr 2, 2009)

I had a trio of white calvus too, and thought that I had lost one since I hadn't seen him in over a month...figured he'd died and the catfish ate him.

However, last night I was doing a nice cleaning and pulled a bunch of my rocks out, and found my missing calvus wrapped around a crevice in one of the rocks.

Did some shaking and he popped out. Since then he's been out in the open with the other calvus.


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Still no sign of him :-?

But . . one of the last 2 has gone now. So now I only have 1 left 

Its killing me. This time im not gonna disturb anything, just wait and see what happens.

Again, no body around the tank, no body in the tank. There is a big cave dug in under 1 of the rocks, but the remaining calvus is not guarding it, and the Julies are even allowed into it.

Im stumped.


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Here is a pic of the pair and the cave they dug in the background of the first 2 pics[/img]. .


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

The holes in those rocks look suspect to me. It would be a bit of a freak occurence but one that could repeat itself nonetheless.

I have seen Calvus, especially young ones, suffocate in an anoxic environment in minutes. So, possibly the "cave" which is dug out is inviting enough for them to wander into but then there are one of those holes like the holes in the pics above, inside the dug out cave. The nose up into it to inspect only to realize it receives no water flow and is therefore exhausted of oxygen. within seconds, a juvenile calvus could be gasping and weakened to the point where he is trapped in an otherwise navigable hole in a rock.

We need to be careful with the rocks we're choosing. Don't get me wrong I use lace rock too because it's what's available in basalt where I am. But when choosing pieces remember that they're a laterally compressed fish for a reason. That reason is to cope with lateral crevices, not round holes. Tanganyikan rock formations pose very few cylinder like holes as the rock they're native to has more of a boulder like appearance which, when piled atop one another, tends to creat angular crevices and holes. crevices and holes which are ideal for Altolamprologus.

All that speculation aside, I'd say if you're tank is somehow swallowing your fish, and it happens to all of us, then something's gotta give. I would take the tank apart and, as gently as possible, hammer those rocks apart. Chances are you won't find anything even if my above scenario came to fruition. However, you might find something alive! This also happens to all of us. I would switch the rock out and, if it continues, post every detail and we will get to the bottom of it I'm sure.


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## Kersh (Jun 30, 2010)

Whilst cleaning out the tank I heard a splash in the Juwel filter canister and I found both of the missing Calvus!! They are still very small, but alive and doing ok now that they are back in the main tank.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

Wow. I wonder what they found to eat in there. Glad to hear this had a happy ending.


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## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

Great!!! Glad to hear that!

Manoah


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