# Shy calvus



## mx22 (Jul 13, 2009)

Hi guys,

I've just got 2 calvus and they both are rather shy - one is hiding deep inside of the rock cave and another one found a small space between gravel and lower portion of the rock and hides there. Is there anything I should do to make them feel more at home and make them to come out? Also, how should I feed them - I dont want to pollute the tank with uneaten food...

Thank You!


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## Timbothediver (Jul 11, 2009)

Hi, I had the same problem with my 2 W/C Calvus. I bought 6 Cyp Leptosoma, and within a few hours the Calvus were out from their hiding places. Sure, they were still nervous, but the Leptosoma act as dither fish and the Calvus soon start to relax.
Dont worry about feeding them, they will soon feed once they relax. Sometimes it takes up to 2 weeks before they will feed.


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

timbo gave great advice! You just need other more active, unaggressive fish to bring them out. I dither mine at the moment with Enants but you've got to have a pretty big tank for enants to have floor space around rock piles. You can also dither with more calvus! In my 100 gal Congo tank I have 2 males and 9 females and they're all out all the time with the exception of the females that are breeding. The males come out to keep control of their females and stop them from wandering to over to the other males rock pile and the females buzz around the rock work avoiding, or embracing the males.

I admit, unless you're an absolute Alto freak like me it's much cheaper to dither with something like cyprichromis or rainbow fish. Some folks use danios. I have used Black mollies before and they too work great. Mollies only cost like $1 ea and I found about 10 that were pure black so they matched my setup nicely+I find the marble powdery ones to be ugly.

They'll eat when they're ready, don't feed at all for about 3 days and try again, trying only once a day until they take to it. They're pretty resistant to food changes. Welcome to the wonderful world of Calvus!


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Good advice overall, but I'm not convince that you *need* dithers if you don't want them. Calvus are terrible during their acclimation period, I had one that I didn't think made it but caught a glimpse of her 3 weeks after I put her in the tank! :roll:

Feed very sparingly, keep the lights off, and they'll settle in. :thumb:


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## mx22 (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks a lot guys. I do not really want to introduce any new fish - I have some smaller shell dwellers coming next week or so and that pretty much all I can put in the tank.

Looks like calvus are actually coming out, even when lights are on. It's just as soon as they see some movement outside of the tank they both scarmble into hiding places...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The shellies will make the calvus come out more. Don't worry about hiding and/or not eating for a week.

Are you going to quarantine the shellies in another tank for 3 weeks (recommended)? Or just add they to the calvus and take your chances?


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## mx22 (Jul 13, 2009)

I'll most likely will have to take the chances... Small glass tanks are fairly cheap though, so it is a posibillity, depends on what my wife has to say about me getting yet another tank lol


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## BioG (Oct 12, 2008)

True, dithering isn't needed. If you stay still they'll come out. If you dither they'll be out more but sometimes I really like to look at a seemingly empty tank only to realize it's full of Calvus eyes staring in the rocks!

I suggest 20-25 more tanks! Begin with a nice pair of 300 gallons, we'll help you with the stock lists. Then a dozen or so fry tanks. you'll need for or five 55 gals for whatever...


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