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	Is this Compatible?
PJ Big Fish Posts: 492 Kudos: 427 Votes: 326 Registered: 19-Aug-2004	Hey everyone, I want to know if Shellies can be kept with Altolamprologus calvus and if they can what type of shellies. Just curious as i'm planning a african cichlid tank and trystianity kinda talked me into thinking about a Tang setup. The tank size is 125g so there well be plenty of hiding spots. Thanks in advance
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
Dave. Banned Posts: 823 Kudos: 265 Votes: 11 Registered: 03-Jun-2002	Altolamprologus Calvus are highly predatory, and once they're full grown they would most likely eat your shellies. You would be able to keep them with shell dwellers for a few years though, as they take quite a long time to grow. There are a few species of shell dweller that get too large for them to eat, but since you're in Australia aswell, I won't bother mentioning them because they are pretty much impossible to find..
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
SuperMummy! Mega Fish Posts: 1207 Kudos: 915 Votes: 30 Registered: 03-Jan-2003	I'll have to disagree with Dave here - I kept a 5" Calvus with multies, he also shared with a female Brevis - they stay small at around 3.5cm - and he made no attempt to prey upon them. Their fry, however, were a different matter!
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
Dave. Banned Posts: 823 Kudos: 265 Votes: 11 Registered: 03-Jun-2002	You were lucky then.. I temporarily kept a group of brevis with a calvus just over 4" and he ate all of my females.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
Gourami Mega Fish Posts: 1205 Kudos: 477 Votes: 1 Registered: 23-Apr-2002	The best rule of thumb, i think, is "if it can fit into another fishes mouth, its gonna be lunch." It is pretty much there natural instinct to eat other, smaller, fish. Its there way of life. If its small enough to eat it is there food. Thats basically there only way of thinking.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
SuperMummy! Mega Fish Posts: 1207 Kudos: 915 Votes: 30 Registered: 03-Jan-2003	Well there you go, maybe i was lucky, maybe you were unlucky. Just goes to show that there can be no hard and set rules sometimes Edit: I currently have a 4" Calvus with my Brevis, she would be hard pressed to bother to eat the female! It would take two bites for sure. Not one gulp, as is their eating style. But, as you have shown, there are always exceptions Last edited by Malaikah at 01-Dec-2004 06:56
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
SuperMummy! Mega Fish Posts: 1207 Kudos: 915 Votes: 30 Registered: 03-Jan-2003	So PJ, to answer your original question, I would say that if the Calvus were bought on the smaller size, and they weren't wild caught, your shellies would be safe.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
PJ Big Fish Posts: 492 Kudos: 427 Votes: 326 Registered: 19-Aug-2004	Alright thanks everybody for the replies. that was only an idea, I'm planning to difiantly keep Calvus, but I don't really know what to keep with them. Any other fish you suggest that can fit in with Calvus
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
SuperMummy! Mega Fish Posts: 1207 Kudos: 915 Votes: 30 Registered: 03-Jan-2003	In a 125g you could keep some Frontosa! But if they don't float your boat, you could have a lovely school of Cyprichromis, and with a nice rock wall you could have a good assortment of rockdwellers. There are some sand dwellers too who could occupy the substrate if you didn't go with shellies, but it all depends on availability in your area and your budget..
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
PJ Big Fish Posts: 492 Kudos: 427 Votes: 326 Registered: 19-Aug-2004	I love Frontosas but they'll take up alot of the room, as they grow big and need to be kept in groups of 5+. I don't really have much options down here, even the Calvus are very rare where i am. Luckily my friend knows a breeder. I look into the fish you suggested, but chances are they'll be hard to find.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
Dave. Banned Posts: 823 Kudos: 265 Votes: 11 Registered: 03-Jun-2002	Are you in Sydney?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25
PJ Big Fish Posts: 492 Kudos: 427 Votes: 326 Registered: 19-Aug-2004	no, i'm live in Canberra Dave.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:25


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