Altolamprologus compressiceps needing a small tank to grow?

[Omrit]

I have two "Altolamprologus compressiceps Kagunga ''Red Fin'' " coming in the mail tomorrow. For how many people seem to be keeping Altolamprologus the amount of info on them is really not that great. They are going to be pretty small around 1.25 inches according to the site I got them from(Dave's Fish), and I wanted some confirmation on a few things. Never kept any kind of Altolamp before.


First I read on another forum that it is best to grow them in a small tank because they are bad at finding food when they are small. Is this true? My options for tanks are the 75 gallon which is going to be their tank long term, and a 20 gallon with four knight gobies(same parameters as the 75). Feeding time in the 75 is not exactly a frenzy currently, the fish in charge are my adult Julidochromis marlieri which are pretty slow even at feeding time with the rest of the fish being small/timid as well. Should I bother with the 20 at first or just add them to the 75?


I am not intending to breed them I just want them to do well. Some posts say they are fragile especially when small, while others say they are unfussy without needing much special treatment so I really am not sure.

 

[Milingu]

No matter how you keep them they will always grow painfully slow. So even keeping them in a growout tank might become a long term project. Mine were always greedy and ate a lot as long as they had proper hiding spaces to retreat and where able to defend small territories as they slowly matured. When they can't find and defend a hiding place they get stressed pretty easy and might stop growing completely. At such a small size they can not compete with other Lamprologini for hiding places which makes it important to provide a lot of them
They can be quite fussy with new unknown food too. Knowing what they ate at their previous owner or the lfs can be quite helpful.


I have no pictures of compressiceps but of 1 year old calvus approx 2,5" size.

 

[Omrit]

No matter how you keep them they will always grow painfully slow. So even keeping them in a growout tank might become a long term project. Mine were always greedy and ate a lot as long as they had proper hiding spaces to retreat and where able to defend small territories as they slowly matured. When they can't find and defend a hiding place they get stressed pretty easy and might stop growing completely. At such a small size they can not compete with other Lamprologini for hiding places which makes it important to provide a lot of them
They can be quite fussy with new unknown food too. Knowing what they ate at their previous owner or the lfs can be quite helpful.


I have no pictures of compressiceps but of 1 year old calvus approx 2,5" size.

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Thank you for the info. Maybe I will try them in the 20 gallon first to make sure they are eating the food I offer them at the very least. At what size do they become territorial?

 

[Milingu]

Hard to say because sometimes they start defending their own square inch at a size of 1" but being territorial in the sense of sexual maturity starts around 2" thought they still need some more growing before they spawn.

 

[Omrit]

Well I got the two in. Both were alive however one has been acting reserved with the other being out and about. I think they both ate last night, however this morning the shy one was dead. The other one looks great, and is prowling around the tank hunting taste testing stuff.


They do jump much to my surprise. When I was unbagging them one kept leaping out of the water which surprised me given their shape.


I do really like these guys now that I have them. Might pick up more later actually depending on how this one does. Will upload pics of him tonight.