My Convicts
- Thread starter Big Vine
- Start date
That's what I've done, Helena, which is what makes this so frustrating.
The only ones I've ever seen that I'm sure are most definitely males are the few larger ones that I posted pics of from yesterday (the ones that SinisterKisses circled in blue).
Maybe I should pick up one of them, even though they're so much bigger, and then let him have his pick of the 3 females currently in the tank?
BV
The only ones I've ever seen that I'm sure are most definitely males are the few larger ones that I posted pics of from yesterday (the ones that SinisterKisses circled in blue).
Maybe I should pick up one of them, even though they're so much bigger, and then let him have his pick of the 3 females currently in the tank?
BV
Lol okay, everyone just settle down for a minute!
BV, I'd have to recommend you stay away from that store for a day or two...or longer
I can't even keep track anymore...tell me exactly what you have in this tank at the moment?
You need to give them a chance to settle in and get comfy. You're not going to get anywhere by constantly adding fish, returning fish, changing around fish, on a daily basis. For one thing, they won't show their true colours until they've had about a week to get comfy in their new home and change to their normal colours, instead of the stress colours you're seeing now. They are much easier to sex when they're showing normal colours, trust me
Honestly, leave 'em alone for a few days, lol. I know you're excited and want to get a pair, but its not something you can force upon them in a day or two. There are PLENTY of places for fish to hide and retreat if they're getting picked on, so unless you see them doing some serious damage to each other, just let them be and sort things out on their own, and THEN bring the other fish back to the store.
BV, I'd have to recommend you stay away from that store for a day or two...or longer
I can't even keep track anymore...tell me exactly what you have in this tank at the moment?You need to give them a chance to settle in and get comfy. You're not going to get anywhere by constantly adding fish, returning fish, changing around fish, on a daily basis. For one thing, they won't show their true colours until they've had about a week to get comfy in their new home and change to their normal colours, instead of the stress colours you're seeing now. They are much easier to sex when they're showing normal colours, trust me
Honestly, leave 'em alone for a few days, lol. I know you're excited and want to get a pair, but its not something you can force upon them in a day or two. There are PLENTY of places for fish to hide and retreat if they're getting picked on, so unless you see them doing some serious damage to each other, just let them be and sort things out on their own, and THEN bring the other fish back to the store.
Okay, I'll settle down and wait a week before changing anything.
I did rearrange the decor slightly (between batches of fish), but like you said, I think there'll still be plenty of hidey-holes...especially for 3 smaller cons.
Here's what is in there right now:
The very first con I bought...thinking it was a male, but apparently is a female. (she's in the middle in terms of size)
The only one that I personally am 100% convinced is female. (she's the largest)
The one I got today, thinking it was a male. (it's the smallest)
BV
I did rearrange the decor slightly (between batches of fish), but like you said, I think there'll still be plenty of hidey-holes...especially for 3 smaller cons.
Here's what is in there right now:
The very first con I bought...thinking it was a male, but apparently is a female. (she's in the middle in terms of size)
The only one that I personally am 100% convinced is female. (she's the largest)
The one I got today, thinking it was a male. (it's the smallest)
BV
Lol so you ditched the pinks already? Too bad, they were my favorite so far
Okay, leave it as is. The first two are absolutely females. The third one you picked up today...well, at first glimpse I'd say male, but as you said, I can make out some orange on the belly. It may just be selective sight, lol, who knows. Give them a few days at least and let the newbie get settled, and then see what colours come out. Also, if the newbie is the smallest of the bunch, it may be that it isn't large enough to be showing female colouration yet, depending on its size. It looks pretty small in comparison to the gravel pebbles...what is it, about an inch or so?
Okay, leave it as is. The first two are absolutely females. The third one you picked up today...well, at first glimpse I'd say male, but as you said, I can make out some orange on the belly. It may just be selective sight, lol, who knows. Give them a few days at least and let the newbie get settled, and then see what colours come out. Also, if the newbie is the smallest of the bunch, it may be that it isn't large enough to be showing female colouration yet, depending on its size. It looks pretty small in comparison to the gravel pebbles...what is it, about an inch or so?
Pinks were cool but I was only gonna keep em' if they were a pair.
The little fella who might be a female is maybe 1.25" (excluding the tail). The largest female is maybe 2.0", and the middle-sized one (also female) is about 1.5-1.75"
Here's a little update on what I've seen of their behavior, in case that gives any indication as to what I should do:
The two that we have confirmed are females seem to mostly be on an even footing. The middle-sized one does most of the chasing (relentless against the smallest con who is hiding up against the glass; jammed behind the heater ), but the largest female holds here ground. Both of them tend to flare their gills at one another, typically resulting in either the largest one just carrying about her business, or lightly pursuing the middle-sized one (the little terror she is) until the mid-sized one goes off and does whatever...
...usually ends up attacking the smallest one.
So you don't think I should add a larger convict who I know is definitely a male?
BV
The little fella who might be a female is maybe 1.25" (excluding the tail). The largest female is maybe 2.0", and the middle-sized one (also female) is about 1.5-1.75"
Here's a little update on what I've seen of their behavior, in case that gives any indication as to what I should do:
The two that we have confirmed are females seem to mostly be on an even footing. The middle-sized one does most of the chasing (relentless against the smallest con who is hiding up against the glass; jammed behind the heater
), but the largest female holds here ground. Both of them tend to flare their gills at one another, typically resulting in either the largest one just carrying about her business, or lightly pursuing the middle-sized one (the little terror she is) until the mid-sized one goes off and does whatever......usually ends up attacking the smallest one.
So you don't think I should add a larger convict who I know is definitely a male?
BV
Yeah, no kidding. It's gotten completely ridiculous.
If I knew it was gonna be this tricky to get a male convict that was less than about 4 inches in length, I'd have gone a completely different route on this tank.
So what do you convict experts think---time to get a larger male for the 2 or 3 females I've got in there?
Any thoughts on the behaviors I described in my previous post?
BV
If I knew it was gonna be this tricky to get a male convict that was less than about 4 inches in length, I'd have gone a completely different route on this tank.
So what do you convict experts think---time to get a larger male for the 2 or 3 females I've got in there?
Any thoughts on the behaviors I described in my previous post?
BV
The smallest convict (who I thought was a male) is hiding near the water's surface right in front of the heater. The middle-sized convict underneath of the filter intake tube is the one that keeps tormenting the smaller one. The largest of the convicts, which also happens to be a female, mostly minds her own business.
BV
BV
R.I.P. Little Guy/Gal
The smallest one that was hanging out by the heater kept getting picked on relentlessly; essentially being eaten alive. It's fins were so tattered as he/she kept desperately trying to hide and make itself look as small and submissive as it could in the corner...
I couldn't stand to watch him/her keep suffering and get picked at to death, so I removed him/her and administered a quick, painless euthanasia.
I find myself questioning...
Why would this one get picked on so relentlessly by only one of the two remaining cons (both female)?
Why don't the two remaining cons pick on each other?
My plan is to find a larger male tomorrow and add him to the tank.
Then hopefully he'll choose a mate from the remaining two females so that I can be over and done with this fiasco.
BV
The smallest one that was hanging out by the heater kept getting picked on relentlessly; essentially being eaten alive. It's fins were so tattered as he/she kept desperately trying to hide and make itself look as small and submissive as it could in the corner...
I couldn't stand to watch him/her keep suffering and get picked at to death, so I removed him/her and administered a quick, painless euthanasia.
I find myself questioning...
Why would this one get picked on so relentlessly by only one of the two remaining cons (both female)?
Why don't the two remaining cons pick on each other?
My plan is to find a larger male tomorrow and add him to the tank.
Then hopefully he'll choose a mate from the remaining two females so that I can be over and done with this fiasco.
BV
Thanks, Katie.
Now I'm going to teach that little terror of a female a lesson by sticking a bigger male in there. I don't care whether he pairs up with her or the bigger female with the more numerous orange specks. I like em' both.
You mean you like the stripes on the one that just died? lol
Yours look good too. Their stripes will probably darken as they get older.
BV
Now I'm going to teach that little terror of a female a lesson by sticking a bigger male in there. I don't care whether he pairs up with her or the bigger female with the more numerous orange specks. I like em' both.
You mean you like the stripes on the one that just died? lol
Yours look good too. Their stripes will probably darken as they get older.
BV
Too bad about the little one...I hate to even say it after the fact, but if you'd pulled it into a tank by itself and just added some salt or melafix, it probably would have healed up in a couple days.
As for why they picked on it...could be a couple reasons. It might have been sick or weak from the store - fish always go for the weak one. Or maybe it came into a new tank talking smack and needed to be taught a lesson
As for why they picked on it...could be a couple reasons. It might have been sick or weak from the store - fish always go for the weak one. Or maybe it came into a new tank talking smack and needed to be taught a lesson
this is what happened to my female after the 4th spawn. the male became ruthless protecting the eggs that never hatched and would tear her fins and scales off until i found her dead.
i dont think you need a bigger male. i think its because they have thier territories set and when the male came into the picture they didnt want to share.
my first two cons i picked up were a pair...for a bit. maybe you should get the biggest ones. and i agree that you should have tried to save the little guy
i dont think you need a bigger male. i think its because they have thier territories set and when the male came into the picture they didnt want to share.
my first two cons i picked up were a pair...for a bit. maybe you should get the biggest ones. and i agree that you should have tried to save the little guy