Pterophyllum altum

Last Saturday, I added three more seemingly healthy juveniles to the 4 surviving ones. In less than 2 days, all three were dead. I have been reassessing the situation because the mortality rate reached as high as 3 out of 4. Comparing this to last year's import and other's experiences, the mortality rate is almost the same. But, reading through the different fora (mortality rates range from 1 out of 5 to about a third of a batch survival) made me realize that I maybe facing another problem related with the way I select which juvenile to bring home.

Whenever I choose a fish, I always try to choose the healthiest ones. For the juvenile altums, meanwhile, my primary consideration was physical (to choose the tallest ones in terms of the fin length and more prominent bars) for the next stage of my altum experiment. Additionally, I was more keen on the coloration (reddish tinge fins) than the behavioral display. Even while picking on my first batch this year, I noticed that quite a few were easily caught. The second time I went to pick up the 3, I even hesitated to pick another because it was easily netted. Thus, to begin with, I may have been choosing the slowest swimmers and darker ones as I wanted the juvenile altums with the most prominent barring - which can also be construed as picking on the weakest of the lot.

As I researched into juvenile altums, more specifically about selection, I read last night that healthy juveniles are paler than those who remain darker and slower, partly as a behavioral response. That might just be the answer to what has been a bit disappointing week. The frustration is slowly building up but the hobby of keeping altums remain challenging. Will keep you abreast everything.