Growth rates of Alto Comps/Calvus ?

[Daniel]

As a lot of people who are keeing these are aware, they are one of the slowest growers around ! Perhaps people would like to share the level of success they are having with growing out these guys. Of course a whole lot of parameters would come into ie, tank size, stock level, filtration, temperature etc.

I am growing out some Alto Comps around 3cm in a lightly stocked tank and I have found that I am getting around a measly one milimetre per week growth rate. ie, 0.5cm every 5 weeks. How does this rate with other people ?

[Huyey]

Hey Daniel,

My alto calvus and compressiceps that I bought at 3-4cm are growing at a similar rate. I have been feeding them high protein foods too (e.g. brine shrimp). Have been doing my regular water changes too. They are so slow growing! But I am being patient cos they are such nice fish to keep.

Cheers,

Huy

[Ben]

I find keeping the tank temperature around 27 degrees, weekly water changes and feeding a diet of 50% brine shrimp and 50% Colour and Growth OSI food works well on any cichlid/fish. Except trophues. :lol:

[mulva]

Ive heard from almost everyone (including myself) very, very slow. Someone did say once they had some very small ones in a huge tank, and they grew much faster then normal.

dunno how true that is though. People like to exagerate on the internet :lol:

[Peter_Gun_Riff]

i wonder why they are such solw growers anyone know?

[Richard]

Yeah.. they are slow growers i guess like all Tangs..

cheers

Richard

[Chester]

I have calvus and gombes. They both grow really slowly.

But Frontosas grow quite fast.

So you can't say all tangs grow slow.

Regards,

[elise007]

I have both some calvus and gold comps and keep them in tanks that are linked to a central filter system. Although i had mine for the first 6 months in a standard 30" tank they grew significantly faster than the same siblings at the place i had bought them from. Similar stocking levels and similar water changes etc. Only difference that was significant was my tank was part of a 2,000 odd litre system.

Mine are about 17 months max and the biggest males would be 5-6 cm and are breeding in the calvus.

hth.

[Michael]

I have also heard it is really good if ya put a few guppys in there....so when the guppys breed the alto will eat the guppy fry :D

[Richard]

But what if the guppies carry worms or eat them if the calvus are small?

Bye bye Altos!

cheers

Richard

[Daniel]

So is anyone getting > 1mm per week growth rate for calvus/comps?

Surely someone must be doing better than this ?

[Richard]

Hey dan,

I bought mine about 1 and a half months ago and so far they have grown about 1cm. They are now mostly 3cm. They are all housed in a 2fter with a sponge filter and water changes every week.

ill try to keep track how much they grow a week.

cheers

Richard