Which cons do I keep? (pics)

[straitjacket]

The Mexican tetra (or banded tetra), Astyanax fasciatus
Astyanax fasciatus - Species Summary

It can be found sympatrically with C. nigrofasciatus at some localities.

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks, straitjacket...bears a strong resemblance to Buenos Aires tetras, IMO.

Well if you suspect courting, I'd give them a few more days and see what happens. Keep us updated!

I'll give them some time together and see what happens...I just put them both in the 55 gallon tank.

To further complicate (or perhaps simplify?) matters, I picked up 7 more young cons today. All of them were pretty good-looking, so I just said what the heck and nabbed em' up. They are in my 20 gallon long right now. Obviously I won't be keeping all of them for the long-haul.

BUT, what I am wondering is...
Assuming the original 'pair' in the 55 gal. turns out to be a true pair, would it be overboard to add a second pair (i.e. once pairs form in the 20 gal.) to their tank? I rescaped it a bit so that it has more caves...maybe a pic would help (see below).

What do you think---55 gal. suitable for 2 pairs of cons? 3 pairs of cons?

Probably in the end I'll just stick with one pair though, so perhaps the point is moot. Then again, hanging on to 2 or 3 pairs would give me an optimal chance to see which one of them I like the most so that I can hang onto whichever pair that happens to be and get rid of the rest...

Decisions, decisions...
[/BV rambling]
BV

 

[Amaster131]

I think you could get away with 2 pairs, but 3 pairs would be a little overboard though. I hope your convicts are a true pair!

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks, man.
I'm really interested in seeing your cons as soon as you get some more pics up!

BV

 

[Amaster131]

I will soon, I lost my camera phone and will have another tom., so the pics should be up tom. night some time.

 

[Big Vine]

I'll keep an eye out for em' and I'll stop pestering you for now, lol.

Just some more thoughts I'd like to bounce off you folks...
I was planning on adding some java fern along the pieces of driftwood that you see under each of the filter outflows (look right below the bubbles...the wood on the right side is hard to see).

These would help to even further delineate certain hiding spots alongside each end of the tank.
Realistically, I envision 4 potential breeding sites in which full-sized adult convicts would have adequate space to spawn (not necessarily all at the same time, of course). One at each end of the tank in and amongst the driftwood, and two under the large rock caves in the middle of the tank (both of which are sealed off from one another in the middle).

Looking at things long-term though, I'll likely just stick to one pair.
IF the two convicts I really like (the one in question in the pics above, and the one I'm about to show you in the following pics---see below) happen to pair, I'll definitely hang onto both of those---for a potential total of 2 pairs.

Here's one of the convicts I picked up today...I'm about 99% sure it's a male.

BV

 

[straitjacket]

Cute violet eyes!

I like the java fern idea. It would certainly add to the aesthetics.

Looking good BV! *thumbsups

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks, straitjacket.
It feels weird though...having things all in "limbo" and not knowing which cons to keep. I have 2 picked out as keepers so far---the one I just posted (male) and the one I posted earlier (who I think is a male, but not positive).

There's several nice females as well, so maybe I'll just add them along with the new male into the 55 gal. tank with the original 2 I put in there.

I can't wait until the cons sort themselves out into pairs, I find keepers, and then can get on with nurturing them into creatures that will rival the likes of "Brutus"! (if that's even possible, of course)

Java fern will be on its way in the next few days...once I get my butt out and find some that isn't all black and dying, lol.

BV

 

[straitjacket]

It feels weird though...having things all in "limbo" and not knowing which cons to keep.

Hah! I can relate. It'll come together soon enough though.

I'm personally leaning toward male for the first barred "male" but time will tell for sure. Considering they're in good hands and plenty of TLC to come it's more than possible to end up with a nice beastly con. When you take good care of all the other variables all it takes is time. *thumbsups

Some good Java fern. Now that'll be fun! I had a heck of a time finding any good amount of healthy java fern around here. A lot of it is grown emersed and after all the time it's spent submersed in the dealers tanks the old leaves have begun or are in advanced stages of deterioration.
We finally ended up with plenty of healthy java ferns buying emersed grown plants and putting them in tanks with good light and Co2 to let them put out plantlets. We bought 4 or 5 emersed plants and ended up with more plants than we knew what to do with. lol

 

[Big Vine]

A lot of it is grown emersed and after all the time it's spent submersed in the dealers tanks the old leaves have begun or are in advanced stages of deterioration.

Aha...so that's why that happens so much?!?
All this time I just figured it was because of the crappy care it was given in the stores, but your explanation makes perfect sense!

Thanks for the optimism re: my convicts.
I'm already enjoying how personable they are...esp. compared to the salvini.

By the way, if it weren't for the fact that I had stuck a whole bunch of driftwood in there with the intent of going CA, I would have tried my hand at a Tang setup...you really inspired me with your calvus and comps.

Matter of fact, that's the major problem here...
I see other people's setups and different fish, and I just want all of them. But with limited tanks/tank space, I've gotta convince myself to make up my mind on one choice---convicts in this case. (thanks again, SK and 'Brutus'!).

BV

 

[VirgoWolf]

LOL I can definitly relate to the whole 'in limbo' comment... all my tanks are like that right now... Hoping once we get moved downstairs it'll be a lot better.

You really find nice cons... I never see cons that nice around here. I am getting some cons here soon though, you have me getting even more excited.

I like the idea of Java Fern too, some green will make some nice contrast.

Good luck! I hope you get a couple nice pairs!

 

[Big Vine]

Thanks, Virgo...good luck to you as well as far as getting your tanks out of 'limbo' goes.

I'll hang onto whichever pair the most recent male happens to be a part of.

I've also gotten feedback from an experienced CA guy over on the cichlid-forum with regards to potential tankmates, and he suggested that a larger female salvini or JD should work.

So now I'm kinda regretting getting rid of my sals...
Maybe the LFS will still have them, and I can nab up the female.

I'm just not sure whether or not the convict pair needs to be fully-established prior to adding another tankmate or if I should add it now. I'm thinking the sooner, the better...before they really start growing.

Anyone dare to attempt responding to what feels like my 999th query in this thread?
BV

 

[VirgoWolf]

LOL I don't see it being much of an issue... I'd give it a try, but I think it depends on the size of the sal/dempsey too. I wouldn't go adding a huge one now and have the cons stressed, but I think adding a smaller one now woulden't be a bad idea... gives her time to find a territory before the cons think they own the whole tank.

I'm interested in what everyone says about this one too... I kinda want to get big Blue a nice dempsey girl and not sure where I would put her...

 

[Big Vine]

The guy over at c-f replied back and suggested a female sal like my old one (which I still might be able to get back from the LFS), which is a bit larger than the cons at the moment. She was about 3 inches, and the largest male con is about 2 inches at the moment.

A larger one, he figured, might prevent the cons from spawning...but only in the short-term, which is fine by me. Eventually the convict pair would be able to more than hold their own against the sal, yet the salvini would also be able to hold her own. A much smaller sal may get beat up a bit much if I were to get one as the cons decided to spawn.

Another guy over on c-f just mentioned that he had a 7-8 inch GT in with a breeding pair of convicts, and they basically split the 55 gal. down the middle.

Many things are workable if we just try them out!
I'm so anxious to get a salvini in there that I'm almost tempted to say the heck with the one I left at the LFS (which is closed Mondays ) and pick up a brand-spankin' new 2-incher from Petland. They've got some really nice ones there!

Crap, I dunno.
BV

 

[VirgoWolf]

I'd just wait and think on it for a while... are you sure you want to go with the Sal? You sound like you're considering other options, so I would think about it for a while before rushing out to get either sal.

 

[Big Vine]

I want a convict pair along with whatever other CA cichlid(s) can be expected to have a reasonably-decent chance of co-habitating with them long-term.

I was advised that a salvini or JD female would likely be my best bet, so I've decided on the salvini.

Now it's just a question of which one to get...the larger female I originally had, or a slightly smaller/younger one. I'm inclined to get a younger one and 'start fresh,' so to speak.

I've asked over on c-f about putting a male salvini in there instead of a female. Have yet to hear back, but I think I know what the answer would be. Still, I think it's a valid question for in the long-run...
5" female salvini vs. a 6" male convict and 5" female convict seems a little lop-sided to me.

BV

 

[IDunnoWhy]

WOW, reading through this whole thread makes my head spin

Now I'm confused....Keep one pair of Cons (the current 55g guys) with a female Sal? and return the newly acquired cons?.......or wait and see if the cons in the 20L pair then move one of those pair into the 55g, for a total of 2 con pairs w/ a female Sal?.......Then return the un-paired cons?.....Or keep the one Con in the 55g that your certain is female, then try to find her a "man" from the newly acquired set of cons? LOL

Denny<-------------Has headache now *twirlysmi

 

[Big Vine]

LMAO...I can't blame you for all the confusion.

-keep one pair of convicts (out of the 4 that are in there right now) in the 55 gal.
-add female salvini to the 55 gal.
-return all 20 gal. cons (once I'm sure of a pair in the 55 gal.)

Total in 55 gal. will be: convict pair, female salvini, tetras (for as long as they live)

I'm off to get a new salvini...the ones at Petland looked better than my old female anyway, if I recall correctly.

BV

 

[Amaster131]

You gave me a headache just reading that. Now I'm confused too! I'll have pics tonight of my cons BV.

 

[VirgoWolf]

wait... what about the pleco?