My Convicts
- Thread starter Big Vine
- Start date
Uh oh! I see what you mean about the fins...they are quite similar.
How about the shape of the 'forehead' though? Yours seems to have a more gradual 'slope' to its forehead, as does my female, but doesn't my 'male' have a more abrupt-sloping forehead? (hope this makes sense) Would any of that make a difference, or are the presence of spots...even if there are as few as 1 spot...indicate 100% female?
What do I do now?
BV
How about the shape of the 'forehead' though? Yours seems to have a more gradual 'slope' to its forehead, as does my female, but doesn't my 'male' have a more abrupt-sloping forehead? (hope this makes sense) Would any of that make a difference, or are the presence of spots...even if there are as few as 1 spot...indicate 100% female?
What do I do now?
BV
Hmm...What I would do is keep both for a while, see if they pair, and also check for any more orange spots on the 'male'. When i first got my male, it looked like he might have a few orange spots, but as it turned out, he was a male. Just keep an eye out for orange spots.
More pics please too They look like beauts!
More pics please too
They look like beauts! 
Okay, thanks Katie...I'll do as you suggested.
I'll post some more pics too.
By the way, is there anything about their behavior that might give you an indication of whether or not the 'male' is actually a male and not a female? Obviously breeding would be one sign, as would eggs and then free-swimming fry...clearly that's a little ways off though. Or is it...?
I noticed them sort of 'bump' heads together very briefly, and then the female would swim away. The 'male' would pursue her most of the time, but then just sort of veer away and leave her be. Sometimes she would follow 'him' after this series of events (i.e. she isn't in a corner hiding for her dear life or anything).
After a little while, the 'male' got a little more persistent, but I wouldn't call any of what I saw "aggression," per se.
Does this give any indications one way or another?
I had the light out for a couple hours after bringing them home, then shut it off again right after taking pics...just in case they're a little frazzled from the trip back from the LFS. I think they're fine though.
BV
I'll post some more pics too.
By the way, is there anything about their behavior that might give you an indication of whether or not the 'male' is actually a male and not a female? Obviously breeding would be one sign, as would eggs and then free-swimming fry...clearly that's a little ways off though. Or is it...?
I noticed them sort of 'bump' heads together very briefly, and then the female would swim away. The 'male' would pursue her most of the time, but then just sort of veer away and leave her be. Sometimes she would follow 'him' after this series of events (i.e. she isn't in a corner hiding for her dear life or anything).
After a little while, the 'male' got a little more persistent, but I wouldn't call any of what I saw "aggression," per se.
Does this give any indications one way or another?
I had the light out for a couple hours after bringing them home, then shut it off again right after taking pics...just in case they're a little frazzled from the trip back from the LFS. I think they're fine though.
BV
This stinks...
I think 'he' is really a 'she' after all.
How do I avoid this problem in the future---get one with with absolutely no orange/pink spots or orange/pink hue whatsoever?
I probably should've just gotten 4-6 of them and waited for a pair to form, as SinisterKisses suggested.
They had some albino ones at the LFS...how do you sex those?
(the pair could still breed, right?) Maybe I'll take out the smaller, less-colorful one and exchange her for an albino male...if I can actually sex one properly.
Maybe it's best to just buy 4 more, for a total of 6, and let them do their thing until a distinct pair has formed.
Taken with the flash on this time.
BV
I think 'he' is really a 'she' after all.
How do I avoid this problem in the future---get one with with absolutely no orange/pink spots or orange/pink hue whatsoever?
I probably should've just gotten 4-6 of them and waited for a pair to form, as SinisterKisses suggested.
They had some albino ones at the LFS...how do you sex those?
(the pair could still breed, right?) Maybe I'll take out the smaller, less-colorful one and exchange her for an albino male...if I can actually sex one properly.
Maybe it's best to just buy 4 more, for a total of 6, and let them do their thing until a distinct pair has formed.
Taken with the flash on this time.
BV
personally i wouldnt get more than one pair and place them in there. itll be overcrowded n about 2 weeks if you have a pair anyways.
and actually...my male had pinkish red flecks on his sides when he was bred.
and the finnage did look different on mine, definately. my males was more pointed.
bad picture, as usual. but you can see a bit of red on my male in the front and how red my female is. this is after thier 3rd spawn. he was maybe 2.5"
my female. notice the shape of her fins and her roundness.
really thinking about getting convicts again...gah.
and actually...my male had pinkish red flecks on his sides when he was bred.
and the finnage did look different on mine, definately. my males was more pointed.
bad picture, as usual. but you can see a bit of red on my male in the front and how red my female is. this is after thier 3rd spawn. he was maybe 2.5"
my female. notice the shape of her fins and her roundness.
really thinking about getting convicts again...gah.
Yes, BV, you sex the pink cons the same way as zebra cons. And Fuzz, I wasn't suggesting he keep more than one pair in the tank...I suggested he get a group, and let THEM decide who wants to breed, then remove everyone else. Things go better when you allow pairs to form themselves rather than forcing them together.
Here's another one of my 'essays,' as Helena would call it.
Definitely worth reading though...I think I've set things up for success (as far as getting a pair goes) this time.
This is really getting crazy!
According to what you guys have been saying (and I do very much appreciate the input ), some males apparently have some 'female coloration' on their bellies, and some females apparently have 'male finnage,' and some males are plumper like females.
Here's what I did---maybe a tad overboard for a 10 gallon tank, but whatever...I'll do lots of water-changes until a pair forms---I bought 7 more convicts (I meant to get 6, but who cares at this point).
IF you think this is way too many (even temporarily) and a 'recipe for disaster,' let me know and I'll change strategies completely by returning these guys and getting an albino pair---ones that I am 'assured' are a true pair...just AS LONG AS I can be sure to get darker cons as a result of breeding them (I second-guessed my decision on passing these guys up the entire way home )
First pic shows them lined up in 3 'columns'---from top to bottom...
1st column = female, male, male
2nd column = male, female
3rd column = female, male
YOU guys be the judge...check it out and let me know if I'm right this time!
Second pic shows the larger of the two females I bought yesterday swimming in front of the 7 new convicts (for size comparison purposes).
Lol...exactly!
I'll feed the convict fry and platy fry to my angels...unwanted adults (mostly platies) go to the crays. Of course I will keep a brood here and there from time to time, depending upon tank space---maybe I'll happen to raise some beauties to replace the parents with...
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! (not yelling---just grateful to get this whole mess sorted out and get some more feedback )
BV
Definitely worth reading though...I think I've set things up for success (as far as getting a pair goes) this time.
This is really getting crazy!
According to what you guys have been saying (and I do very much appreciate the input
), some males apparently have some 'female coloration' on their bellies, and some females apparently have 'male finnage,' and some males are plumper like females. Here's what I did---maybe a tad overboard for a 10 gallon tank, but whatever...I'll do lots of water-changes until a pair forms---I bought 7 more convicts (I meant to get 6, but who cares at this point).
IF you think this is way too many (even temporarily) and a 'recipe for disaster,' let me know and I'll change strategies completely by returning these guys and getting an albino pair---ones that I am 'assured' are a true pair...just AS LONG AS I can be sure to get darker cons as a result of breeding them (I second-guessed my decision on passing these guys up the entire way home
)First pic shows them lined up in 3 'columns'---from top to bottom...
1st column = female, male, male
2nd column = male, female
3rd column = female, male
YOU guys be the judge...check it out and let me know if I'm right this time!
Second pic shows the larger of the two females I bought yesterday swimming in front of the 7 new convicts (for size comparison purposes).
Lol...exactly!
I'll feed the convict fry and platy fry to my angels...unwanted adults (mostly platies) go to the crays. Of course I will keep a brood here and there from time to time, depending upon tank space---maybe I'll happen to raise some beauties to replace the parents with...
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! (not yelling---just grateful to get this whole mess sorted out and get some more feedback
)BV
Yup, we're in agreement.
So you think having 9 of them in the tank at once is okay, or should I return them and just get the albino pair? (they're still floating in the bag in case I need to take em' back, lol)
Mainly I want darker cons...I don't care if they come from albinos later on down the road, so maybe getting the albinos (which I'm told are a true pair) would be simpler?
If I keep em', is there some sure-fire signs that will reveal which ones have paired-up? How long would that typically take?
BV
So you think having 9 of them in the tank at once is okay, or should I return them and just get the albino pair? (they're still floating in the bag in case I need to take em' back, lol)
Mainly I want darker cons...I don't care if they come from albinos later on down the road, so maybe getting the albinos (which I'm told are a true pair) would be simpler?
If I keep em', is there some sure-fire signs that will reveal which ones have paired-up? How long would that typically take?
BV
Big Vine said:
Here's another one of my 'essays,' as Helena would call it.
Well you definatly have males and females
About the pairing:---- When i had my 3 rams together i found out that they had paired because they had layed eggs, were hanging around eachother alot and chasing the remaining female away.
IMO i think you should take back some of them, a 10g is too small for 9 cons even if its temp (imo), you dont need 9 to get 1 breeding pair and they might get stressed if they cant hold a territory becuase there are too many fish.
wow BV your really getting into breeding arent ya? LOL first the kribs and crays and now your doing cons and you have 6 angels for pairing too
Goold luck tho
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The behavior that your rams exhibited after they had paired-up is pretty much what happened with my kribs (although I only had 2 at the time, which kinda limited things, lol). They started hanging out together a LOT...scavenging together, 'wiggling' at each other, following each other, etc.
As much I hate to admit it, I'm in agreement with you about there being too many convicts...
I'm really wanting the darker convicts (i.e. like the ones I bought today), but I'm thinking about returning them and just getting the albino pair---which the LFS lady said was a true pair.
After all, I'm told that they'll produce mostly 'normal-looking' (i.e. and not albino) offspring anyway---I could always raise some of their broods and keep some darker ones...
Should I go for it?
Hehe...yeah, not to mention the platies too! lol
BV
As much I hate to admit it, I'm in agreement with you about there being too many convicts...
I'm really wanting the darker convicts (i.e. like the ones I bought today), but I'm thinking about returning them and just getting the albino pair---which the LFS lady said was a true pair.
After all, I'm told that they'll produce mostly 'normal-looking' (i.e. and not albino) offspring anyway---I could always raise some of their broods and keep some darker ones...
Should I go for it?
Helena21 said:
wow BV your really getting into breeding arent ya? LOL first the kribs and crays and now your doing cons and you have 6 angels for pairing too
BV