Pat's Altums

[Second Hand Pat]

Darn I'm a bad influence

[spiffyfish]

I received 6 from john on Tuesday, yours are tiny Pat. They look good though, mine have been eating frozen bloodworms so far but haven't taken to anything else.

[KV_Discus]

Nice group. Also got myself 20 from John as well. All are doing well under 5.0ph and 86f temp. All the one I bought from John last year are still alive and growing.

Good luck with your group.

[Second Hand Pat]

I received 6 from john on Tuesday, yours are tiny Pat. They look good though, mine have been eating frozen bloodworms so far but haven't taken to anything else.

Thanks Chris, I gave these guys some bloodworms and while they seemed interested they did not eat any that I could tell.

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice group. Also got myself 20 from John as well. All are doing well under 5.0ph and 86f temp. All the one I bought from John last year are still alive and growing.

Good luck with your group.

Thanks KV, I may need the luck.

[Second Hand Pat]

So no losses with the group but I am concerned about their eating. I am offering frozen BBS and some seem to be picking at it. I also cut a cube of FDBWs into a very thin slice and stick it to the tank wall. Some are picking at this also. I will offer bloodworms a little before the WC but my impression with bloodworms is they may be too big for the fish. The bloodworms offered are the smaller ones BTW. Anyway hoping the next batch of live BBS is successful.

[plecocicho]

Pat did you consider microworms or so-called banana worms. Both are small, somewhere near the sizeof bbs and great fry food, you could also try feeding them baby whiteworms.

[Second Hand Pat]

Ferdo, I would need to source some micro worms. I do have whiteworms however.

[Second Hand Pat]

A quick video to see how they are doing. They do use the sponge for structure some if the time. A couple of them did eat some of the whiteworms so I am actually feeling a bit better after observing them for a bit.

[Second Hand Pat]

In case anyone was offended by the dirty tank here are the altums after a tank clean and 60% WC.

[moto250mx]

Looking Good

Jason

[sridharp77]

Pat, I am no expert but my two cents. Does your Altums clamp its fins very often. If they do then you need to be more careful.

I had got mine at the same size last year from a source in Japan. You can see the video in the below link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwM03Lopcxk

Sridhar

[DISCUS STU]

Good luck! It's nice to see and get real Altums from a trusted source. Too many people are selling Altum types and are really selling something else, like the so called Peruvian Altum (really a Scalare) and Altum hybrids which are nice but not true Altums. I bought five of the last type and while they look great grown up, they are not true. They look very much like the real thing when young, double barring, inverted upper mouth which gradually disappeared as they got older. The same shop sold me true Altums a few months later. But I was stuck with the first group. I'm hearing good things and the next time I will try John. Glad to have this forum.

[DISCUS STU]

You can crush up the bloodworms with a knife or a razor. It works. Also little pieces of bh. Sometimes I'll throw a piece into the blender with some water but need to watch the WC schedule more. Frozen baby brine or artemia work too.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Sridhar,

Yes, I am aware that these guys may have a protozoan infection. I am checking with some folks who are more altum savvy then myself on courses of action.

Yours are gorgeous but at least in the video much larger then mine.

Pat