For Altum lovers & especially Merrilyn (DL warning)

[fish crazed]

Hello friends, just like to share a few more updated pics of how my little beauties are going. Hope u'll enjoy them.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/066K4697.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/27.9.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/066K4695.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/066K4679.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/279.07b.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/tonyvo7877/066K4690.jpg
:D

Oh, these pics are also available as large metalic photographic prints if anyone's interested. Can be mounted and framed too. Please PM me if you are intersted.

Tony

[Robdog]

Great pics mate

[Merrilyn]

Tony they look amazing !!!!!!!!!!

Your photos just blow me away.

I see your fish have developed that dark shading behind the eye, just the same as mine. Must be something to do with the region they came from.

Mine are developing that same metallic sheen in front of the dorsal too. Aren't they just the most gorgeous fish you have ever seen.

You must be thrilled with them.

[scott bowler]

wow great pics Tony good work mate

[Merrilyn]

Tony have you still got all 5 of them?

[Merrilyn]

This is what I mean about the dark patch behind the eye. Photos of tank bred altums don't show that patch.

[samir]

http://finarama.com/tba/chronicles/chim/forn4a.jpg
here's a wild one that has no patch. is there a good book around ?

http://www.exoticfinds.net/
Exotic Finds is one of the few successful importers of the altum angel
from Colombia and Venezuela and the occasional true altum from Brazil.

which one is the occasional true altum ? :?

[fish crazed]

Merrilyn, I totally adored these beauties the 1st time I saw them at a lfs, and was wraped when Rav got them in.
I noticed what you mention in the tank bred altums photo, but in the video I did notice that there were some with the patch. The most dominant one that I have clearly show this dark marking a lot more than the others. Do you have any more photos of the other tank bred altums?

I still do have all 5, I wish there was some way to add more to my colony! :roll: :wink: :!:

[rtraher]

Hi all,

I noticed on mine that the dark patch comes and goes, it is noticeable most of the time but will almost vanish at times. It seems to be the faintest when they are sleeping and most prominent when they're sparing.

Cheers,
Russel

[JamezMan]

Is this only a rare occurence in atlums? Because I've read that female Silver Angelfish have the markings behind the eye which mine does.

Luke.

[Mattzilla]

WOW what amazing pictures!!!!

Well done they are just spectacular

matt

[Tariq]

Very Nice pics and fish!

[dntx5b9]

I always loved Altums. Do they get along with discus? I would love to put a few in my 90G tank. Any thoughts?

[nicholas76]

I always loved Altums. Do they get along with discus? I would love to put a few in my 90G tank. Any thoughts?

That would be a big no no!

[dntx5b9]

I always loved Altums. Do they get along with discus? I would love to put a few in my 90G tank. Any thoughts?

That would be a big no no!

:shock: :shock: :shock: Really? How come?

[nicholas76]

Its not to say it hasnt been done but generally not safe to mix these with other fish as they tend to die.

an officiol explanation I dont have,,, but i think its bacterial related. Merris has touched on this in her previous posts.

[dntx5b9]

So even if the altums are q'd and disease free, they shouldn't be mixed?

[taksan]

So even if the altums are q'd and disease free, they shouldn't be mixed?

They should not be mixed with other Cichlids at all and definitely not with other similar types such as Uaru's, Discus, Severums and of course never with Angelfish of any type.
But most importantly never ever EVER mix two batches of Altums or Altums from differing sources together ...not matter how long the quarantine period.

Mixing Altums with anything ever other Altums is practically certain death.

[dntx5b9]

So even if the altums are q'd and disease free, they shouldn't be mixed?

They should not be mixed with other Cichlids at all and definitely not with other similar types such as Uaru's, Discus, Severums and of course never with Angelfish of any type.
But most importantly never ever EVER mix two batches of Altums or Altums from differing sources together ...not matter how long the quarantine period.

Mixing Altums with anything ever other Altums is practically certain death.

Some explanation as to why would be appreciated.

[ILLUSN]

i dont think anyone has an explanation, its a repeated observation, by members of this forum and others all over the world.

These fish arn't easy to keep, there is only one sorce of tank bred altums in the world and that is from germany, no one else can breed them in quantities.

Every publication I've ever read on altums (even a small articale in nutrafin news for pet shops and fish newbies) says not to mix altums with any other cichlids.

[taksan]

Some explanation as to why would be appreciated.

Because if you do it ....they will DIE .....end of story.

[dntx5b9]

Some explanation as to why would be appreciated.

Because if you do it ....they will DIE .....end of story.

Ok, I just saw wild Altums in a tank with Discus. I am sure Merrilyn wouldn't do anything that will kill the fish. So, what is going on?

[Merrilyn]

Have to say it was a bit of an experiment putting altums in with discus.

Taksan and I have had a disasterous wipeout when we mixed 20 young wild altums with three altums caught the previous season. Lost all 23 fish! Lots of research revealed an article by Hiko Blair stating that fish from different regions cannot be mixed without disasterous results.

Altums are found in communities up and down the river, but there may be several miles separating each community. Whilst the altums may be immune to the diseases in their own community, they will not be immune to the diseases from another community. Mixing the two communities will cause a mass wipeout, as we indeed discovered.

He even went so far as to recommend that altums never be mixed with domestic angels or discus, for the same reason.

It had always been my dream to have a tank full of wild discus swimming with wild altums, as they do in the wild, so once everybody had been wormed, treated for gill flukes etc. and all appeared stable, I decided to risk 2 altums in with the discus. I think I was lucky. It worked.

Now if you ask would I do it again, the answer is a definate NO ! It's just too much of a risk with valuable and hard to find fish, but for me, it was a calculated risk. I've been keeping discus for thirty years, and the tank has a huge UV on it, and massive filtration. The pH is very low, 5.3 and the water extremely soft. Water changes are done twice a week.

So far, everything is fine. No losses in 6 months, but it's not an experiment I would recommend to any one else.

[dntx5b9]

Thanks for the explanation.

[Davo]

What about mixing standard angels with discus, can it be done?

Dave.

[nicholas76]

Yep can be done!

although angels are pretty full on and usually snap up food quicker than the discus well.