Convicts

[Chet]

Please post your recommendations and experiences regarding the keeping and breeding of convicts. Parameters such as recommended tank size, water temp, feeding, decorations, substrate, filtration, and tank mates. I recently bought a few convicts that I hope to breed for feeders, and I think this is a common topic for others researching American cichlids.

[Rudy]

Breeding convicts i probably one of the easiest things you could do in my experience. The trick is to get a compatible pair. The best way to do this is to get 5 or 6 small ones and let them pair up. Haviong said that if you have two or three your chances of getting a breeding pair is still really good. Difference between the male and female is elongated pointed fins for the male and a larger nuchal hump. i think the only sure fire way is to vent them.

Decorate the tank with designated breeding areas, slate, rocks and pots. They will dig up plants so don't worry about them. Remember to only keep the pair if it is a small tank. 10-20 gallon. If it is larger 3 feet and you decide to have more pairs, make sure the areas are distinctly seperate. If you have more than the pair in the tank and it does not have enough room they will kill anything and everything in the tank. Convicts are extremely aggressive and will have no problem killing fish 2-3 times their size. The will do it fast and furious. Convicts form nuclear bonds so the male and the female will protect their brood at any cost.

As for water conditions. Make sure it is wet. That is about the only requirement. Having said that if you are having trouble getting the pair to breed do a 20 % water change when you notice pre breeeding activity.

They will pretty much raise their fry for 2-3 weeks. After that cannibalism will begin so pull them out.

Have fun! :D

[Beaker]

Well Chet, my Convicts just had babies! I basically did what Rudy just described. The female convict will also have orange on her belly, that's how I could tell on mine. You can definately tell when they pair up too, I started with 6 small ones and I got a pair in about a 10-12 days. They totally hang out together and tag teamed the rest of the group. Once they dug a pit next to the flower pot I had in there they would attack anything that came near their spot. The female mostly stayed by the pit and the male would fight off the others. I removed the other 4 and the pair had eggs stuck on the outside of the pot in about another week. They took about 3 days to hatch and the female took all off the fry that were hatching and spit them inside the pot. It's been 2 days and I'm guessing they will be free swimming pretty soon. As far as the set up I used med sized gravel, one plastic plant, one pot, one small rock thing, sponge filter, 10g tank. I did water changes once a week, kept PH nuetral, and fed blood worms at night and this special egg layer flake food in the morning. Hope this helps Chet, anything I forgot let me know!

[Beaker]

Here is a pic of Bonnie & Clyde with fry.

[img:334b057f27]http://ourworld.cs.com/Azkornbread/Bonnie+Clyde+Fry.jpg[/img:334b057f27]

[DR.J]

hi i am new to the forum. my friend has six convicts in a five gallon. two are mine the others are his. we just got them there not even over an inch and i see orange on one convict could this be the sign of him getting ready to have babys?

[Karl]

i have convicts now and have kept them in the past. and you dont need a big tank at all. a 20 gallon i would use to breed them a 10 is fine also. and they are so easy to breed all u need is a male and a female. have a flat rock or flower pot for the eggs to go in and a few plant and things for decoration.