QT'd Convicts

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Pinks and blacks are about even as aggressiveness comes, though the pinks tend to stay smaller and in a tank when you have a 8in black daddy cruising  around something about size matters.  My grown out pink is about 4in in size, with my green terrors now reaching into the 6in mark.  Dammit I am thinking its time for me to get another tank, and I havnt put fish in the two new ones yet :(

Back to your tank CFL - Use two or three over turned clay pots or DYI some slate caves, silicon glue together two pieces of slate (4 or 6in) slate together at a 90 degree angle and put it in tank like a roof top..

They will spawn within 4 weeks of being introduced into the tank.
I put in PLASTIC plants to give some decorations/allow the fry/Juvi's others places to hide after Mommy and Daddy has decided their part of the upbringing is over with.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I have had both pink and black convicts grow to be huge.......but if they are in the same tank I think it has more to do with dominance.


My cousin, ibitegirls, actually has some pinks I think and his male is pretty big.

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Cool :)  I have just never seen large pinks..
That is one of the things I like about my pinks.. they are staying in that 4-5in range.. my Green Terrors at 5+ are now just starting to show their colors...  The Female I though I had turned out to be a male.   I am having a hard time telling them apart.   Need to think about getting a some females soon, along with another big tank

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

any convict female will have the orange pearls on her side/stomach.

My last breeder pair was a mix...black male with pink female...some of the fry turned out really cool looking but they were the best I had putting out hundreds of fry at a time. When I first started breeding them I sold like 50+ to inwood tropical for $0.25 a piece and I thought I was something else!

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

8O 8in? All my blk's can't be more than 2.5"....are they even ready to breed??

overturned/upturned...meaning upside down or with the opening up? Or can I just lay them all on their sides??

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

The Pinks are easy...   I am talking about my Green Terrors...  they share tank with the pinks...  sorry for the misunderstanding.
Yeah I have heard of pink with black is suppose to give you some awesome looking Fry.  One of the traits I love about my male Pink Convict is the very Strong Blue lines he has in his dorsal and anal fins.  The fry he has had are looking awesome.  Now if any of the other breeding mom's just would not eat their eggs I would have more fry.  Right now only one of the three mom's he has been with has made fry.. the two others eat their eggs within 48 hours of laying the eggs.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I haven't seen ANY pink convicts at the 10+ lfs I've been to. I'm stuck with the blks for now!!

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Convicts like to spawn in a cave environment.
Take a clay pot.  Make a good size hole in the side, insert into tank upside down with large potting end down.  The opening on the side will allow access.

The easier way is just bury the pot on the side allowing for the large opening to be the access point.  Put some gravel inside of the pot so they will dig a little inside their chamber and this will also get the breeding process going quicker.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I have had tiny little 2" breed....they might not get it fully right the first time but eventually.

With the pots I always punched holes in the side and widened up the seep hole at the bottom for the convicts to swim through and they were set upside down....I have also done it where they are laying on their sides and both works equally the same.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Okie Dokie...is a 6" clay pot big enough for them?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Should be perfect!

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Plenty big.. make sure that you bury it down and let them "widen" it out.. by doing this, they will get in the mood quick.  Make sure if you lay it on its side that there is enough space to swim in.  It will not take them long to "rearrange" their living quarters

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I would have no idea how to "punch holes" in the sides of the pots...I figure I'll end up breaking them before I have an actual hole!!

And removing the mom after eggs laid is a good idea?? I can stick her in the 5gal for the time being...can I put her back in after the are free swimming or do I have to wait a period of time before putting her back in??

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I usually use a screwdriver and lightly tap it for awhile and eventually it will shatter a little hole, then I just work on it till it's wide enough....they are cheap so I don't worry about it and if they do break I just throw the large broken pieces in the tank anyways.

I would probably let them both stay in the tank to give them a chance at it and so that you can watch them and see if there is a culprit you should remove the next time.

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

There is no need to remove Mommy... she will guard the fry and do well.. if she does not do well the first time, not to worry... she will be ready to rock and roll with Daddy within 2-3 weeks again... and in my case, Daddy has 3 girls he can party with, so I am having a egg laying fest in my tank every 7-10 days right now.