convict aggression

[BigDaddy420]

if u read my other post, my convists finally laid eggs and now that they have hatched the male and female fight constantly over the fry. if i remove the fry, will the male and female go back to normal behaviour? i was thinking of picking up a small 2.5 or 5 gallon for the fry being as how im only going to house them to be big enough to feed to my oscar, i was hoping moving them out would inspire the pair to get back to breeding and quit trying to kill one another, they're lips are white now instead of silver. and breeding has made the female convict so beautiful, she has a dark blue and shiny underbelly and a very dark greenish blue in her fins. i recommend a pair of these to anyone that just wants to see some interesting breeding behaviour.

one more thing. i know breeding pairs of convicts can have almost no other fish in the tank with them, but what about snails? would they kill a a pretty big snail?

 

[prettypleco]

I don't have convicts though my mom has a tank full. She says they have eaten every type of snail she has put in there including an apple snail. My guess based on this would be yes.

 

[Pure]

I would imagine even a large snail would be harassed to death. Yes removing the fry should calm them down. It still may take a few days for the 2 to become lovers again. But should be back at it in no time.

 

[BigDaddy420]

i keep getting conflicting reports everywhere i ready, but i usually trust the opinions of my friends here at MFT. im starting to have an algae problem in my convict tank and i was hoping hey wouldnt bother a snail

 

[Pure]

My severums did killed a apple snail the size of a baseball, tis why I think that. I may get flamed, but hey it's just a snail. Give it a shot n see what happens.

 

[BigDaddy420]

hmm, where is cichlid-man when u need him??
*looks up in the air* nothing flying there. i think i may try it, the pple snail survive 3 days out of water, im sure he can make it a few days in a convict tank..lol

 

[Firebug]

When I kept convicts, they would fight over the fry too. As long as they aren't causing any physical problems (open wounds), I would leave the fry in there with them because the parents give them spit baths to clean any debris that may get on them (they quit this after the fry get big enough).

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Yes, if you move the fry chances are they will get back to business soon enough. At their peak, i had my pair spawing every 2 weeks...in a 10gal tank i might add (some people consider them worthless, let alone for keeping cichlids). They spawned the day before i got rid of them too.

The only reports of convicts and a few other cichlids touching snails were on this board...ever. So i couldn't help on that. I would say snails are fine and that cichlids don't eat them, but i can't argue with someone that has seen it happen.

As for the algae, what kind? And how big is this tank? I know when i kept and bred convicts i left the tank alone and didn't do major cleaning when they had eggs. I didn't want to disrupt them. Possibly some the same in your situation? Maybe a water change or two will help, chances are there is to many nutrients in the water feeding the algae. I do know convicts are messy fish though.

 

[BigDaddy420]

ty cichlidman, i knew if i waited long enough youd come to the rescue. my convicts are also in a 10 gallon tank, (i followed your footsteps..lol) the light in it is a rig job i did with an old hood and a 60 watt home bulb, i dont know what kind of algae it is, its just starting to grow on one of the rocks supporting my cave. i did stick the snail in there this morning becuase im getting tired of taking him out of the breeding net in my 29, i figure if they eat him, he'll have learned his lesson. im going to buy a 5 gallon to throw the convict fry in today, set it under the 55 with a small heater if i can find one cheap enough. and no i havent change water in the 10, it evaporates fairly quickly in that tank, probably from the 60w light bulb, and i dont wanna suck up the fry, there are just way to many of them. i tried to sit down and count them and just gave myself a headache, i made it to 45 the third or fourth time and i wasnt halfway done. they havent done any real damage to themselves from fighting yet, the females lip is tore up a little but not to bad, im sure it will heal in time, still cant believe the colors that came out of her when her eggs hatched, just amazing.

 

[rayzz69]

just woundering

I was woundering I have two convicts and was woundering what would go best with them. I really like them they move a lot. But I want to add more fish and don't know which fish to add. The person who gave them to me had a jack dempsey with them. Any Ideals would be great. And sorry for jumping on somones post. thanks in advance.*SUNSMILE*

 

[JimMelAddie]

I think maybe my pair is just special. They just produced a nother batch of fry last week & I think they are doing it to feed the "teenagers" from the last batch. They produce eggs atleast every two weeks! Mine never seriously fight. They "kiss" & nudge but that's about it. They also recently have been letting the other tank mates come & hang out in their territory even while breeding & eggs are present. Well, they let just about anyone except for "K" my Red Zebra. He's my hyper-dominant male of the tank. Here's my setup: 40G: Cichlid Planted: Red Zebra , Red Jewel, Blue Malawi, M. estherae OB, M. Auratus, 2 Krib, 2 Convicts (Breeding like rabbits!), Firemouth, Jack Dempsey, Siamese Algae Eater

As far as thet snail goes, I have not a clue!

 

[JimMelAddie]

rayzz69, I would not recommend mixing C. Americans with African like I did. I have just gotten lucky that now they all get along!

 

[BigDaddy420]

if u want a breeding pair, i wouldnt put ANYTHING at all in with them. i see how they act torward each other and have heard horror stories of them killing fish 2 or 3 times their size during breed. my friend had a breeding pair in with his 9-10 inch oscar and the little convicts killed him after they spawned.i put the snail in there, like i said, if they eat him, it serves him right for getting in my breeder net every night in the other tank, so far the adults havent bothered him, the fry have swarmed him but i think they were checking him out.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

What size tank ray? There are a few choices, Jack Dempsys could be one, provided you have the tank space.

 

[Rokl33t]

correct me if im wrong, but could of sworn convicts are south american, and so are jack dempsys?

 

[Orion]

actually Rol33t, they are both Central American.

Personaly I wouldn't worry an awful lot about minor lip injuries with the pair. Some injury is normal with these cichlids. Now if it does get to the point of open wounds or serious lip problems due to fighting, then I would most deffintaly take action.

Is there a reason for the 60w light? Sounds to me that would be a good helper in keeping the algae going.

I would also opt for a 10 gallon for a grow out tank instead of a 5 gallon. More Water=More forgivness when it comes to waste build up. You can go longer without worring about changing the water in a 10 and still keep the fry healthy than in a 5.

 

[BigDaddy420]

eventually id like to get a 20 for the convicts and use their 10 for the fry, but the 5.5 was on sale fairly cheap i thought for like 8 or 9$, and i didnt wanna spring a 20 gallon on the wife until i at least get the bookcase built for the 10 gallon. i have ideas to build the tanks into different parts of the house, i have the tanks just havent got caught up on the building end yet. haha.

 

[rayzz69]

What size tank ray? There are a few choices, Jack Dempsys could be one, provided you have the tank space.

I have a 40 gallon hexagon tank but I also have a 55 gallon so size didn't really matter. just wanted to know the best mates for them. thanks