# Altolamprologus compressicep



## sujeev87 (Oct 17, 2010)

Could anyone tell me if this gold head compressicep is a male or female? How do you tell the difference between male and female gold head (Altolamprologus) compressiceps? Thanks.


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## DireWolf (Jul 27, 2011)

In my brief experience it is very hard to differentiate male and females as they are monomorphic. If you buy breeding pairs you are good to go. Males grow faster and will remain larger. If you buy a bunch from the same spawn, as they grow the males will be the larger ones over time. To pair up the one you have could be tricky.

How large is it, and do you know how old it is?


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## sujeev87 (Oct 17, 2010)

It about 1.5 inches and I`m not sure how old it is.


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## DireWolf (Jul 27, 2011)

It just won't be easy to figure it out. here is a good article. It talks about venting, but you don't have 2 or more to compare.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/altolamprologus.php

Altough costly, you may have to buy a few mature ones of them, see if a couple pair up and then sell the others.

They can cost between $40-$80 each depending on where you go. I am heading to Finatics today. He is getting a boatload of tanganyika fish in late August and Mike is very reasonable.

I will post my pair soon.


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## sujeev87 (Oct 17, 2010)

thanks so much for your help!


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## sujeev87 (Oct 17, 2010)

Is $40 for 4 gold head compressiceps about 1.5 inches a really good deal?


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## DireWolf (Jul 27, 2011)

Yes, Big Als sell them for $16 each plus tax and they are maybe an inch long. But you must remember that Calvus and Comps grow very slowly and take at least 1.5 to 2 years to reach sexual maturity. If about the same size as yours then you should come out with a pair down the road.


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