QT'd Convicts

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Update: They never did breed. The kept digging pits but never did anything. They have now been moved back to the 75gal.

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Now that you have them back in the larger tank....it's probably only a matter of time.  Congrats on the future babies...LOL.  Somefishguy is right though.  If you take the babies, they will run around frantic looking for them for a little while but will soon get back to normal day to day life and make you a 100+ more.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Also, I'm worried about the catfish eating the babies...can the convicts keep the 2 cats away from their eggs/fry?? The cats are probably around 3-5" each...

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

They will do their best at keeping everything away.  It's when the lights go out that they have their issues.  The mass of fry will stay low but float away from the group.  The catfish are a serious threat though.  I have a few of the little Petricolas that are some baby finding machines......and peristent to boot.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

:aua: The lights are always off!!

That's how my 4 baby tiger barbs became dinner

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Guess I'll have to get another tank for my breeders  

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

No....just get another tank for the babies, a 10 gallon and a sponge filter.  I think there is just something about Tiger Barbs that Cichlids like.  My buddy had a few become dinner in the same fashion....and a few Praecox Rainbows that met the same demise.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I think it was the catfish that got the barbs, none of the cichlids are over 2"...I would think the barbs were too big for their mouths??? I know they'd easily fit in the catfish mouths though  8O

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Ok, how easy is it to get the babies out?? Please explain this "sponge filter".... 10gal would be alot easier to keep up :)

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

The babies are pretty easy to catch.....remove most of the decorations and use two nets.  Use one to herd and the other to catch.  The sponge filter is the safest way to filter the water with fry.  It's basically a sponge with a piece of pvc pipe stuck in it.  Then run an air hose from a pump into the pipe about 3/4 of the way down and there ya go.  The air pumped into the tube creates a suction through the pores of the sponge.  You have to do water changes a little more often but you need to do that with the fry anyway.  They tend to get sucked up the inlet pipe of a power filter unless you cover the end with something they can't get through but small particles can.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

What about a small HOB with pantyhose wrapped and rubberbanded around the inlet??

You think it would be better to leave the breeders in that big tank with threats instead of getting their own tank?

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Convicts will breed with threats or no threats.  The two that I had lived with a trio of Firemouths, 4" Green Terror, and a few other miscellaneous fish.  They bred for me once a month once they started and it didn't matter who messed with them.  They had their little spot behind some of the rockwork and they guarded it with all their might.  It really depends on what you plan to do with them.  Most of your LFS are flooded with babies so selling them doesn't really gain ya much.  You normally end up giving them away to anyone who will take them.  I just got tired of the agression and sold the pair to a friend.

Your idea with the pantyhose will work just fine.  I actually took a piece of sponge and cut a slit in the middle and made a sock to go over the end of one of mine because the strainer broke.  It works like a charm.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Hmmm..I don't know...I just think the babies are cute and I'd hate to see them get picked off. I guess I can leave them all in the 75 together and it'll be survival of the fittest!!

The LFS here don't have any babies or at least the several I've been to. But I know that petco/petsmart don't take trade-ins so they're out.

[Somefishguy]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Yea i agree... I got tired of trying to get rid of them that i found a home for my female and kept the male.


He seems lonely sometimes and i feel bad for him, but then again he is the king of the tank and noone dares mess with him

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Should I just keep the 2 males and get rid of all the females?? I also have 6 firemouths I was hoping would pair...don't know their sexes yet..still young. Oh what should I do now??!!