QT'd Convicts

[Somefishguy]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I guess it is up to you. If you have plans for the fry then keep them. But with 2 pairs you will have loads of fry. You can try it out and see what the agression level is like. If you dont like what you see you can rehome a couple and keep 1 sex.

Maybe you could find someone to trade a couple male pink convicts for you females and keep all males.

[Mzungu]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Get more tanks!  :wink:

Those are all great suggestions. Personally, I would get another smaller tank for the pair only (either convicts or firemouths) so I could watch them be parents without too much interference. I would like to get at least one chance to watch them raise some fry without the catfish. Then you can worry about whether or not you want more babies.  :)

[Hanson77]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Don't get me wrong....more tanks is always a great idea.  Optimum would be a tank devoted to a pair of the Convicts and one for the Firemouths.  Once you do that, then you end up with tanks on every open wall in your house or apartment....then you end up having to go to meetings for addiction issues.....then you join a website to find people like yourself......then...uh ohhhh!!!

No really though, watching the fish and their natural parenting skills is really cool.  Its really awesome to see how they take care of soooo many little ones at one time.

[Somefishguy]

Re: QT'd Convicts

HOB with pannyhose on the inlet will also do the trick

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Bit the bullet...got a 29gal last night That's where the pair of convicts will go when it's all setup. I was hoping to find a good schooler to put in with them??? Any suggestions?

As for the others in the 75gal...survival of the fittest is how they'll remain!

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

I would probably leave them by themselves since they could get pretty nasty when it comes time for the babies.....

But if you insist on it then get something that is cheap and wouldn't hurt the pocket book too much to replace.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

What about something that will stay at the middle or top of the tank?? It's a 29gal tall...so the con's would have the entire bottom to themselves???

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

They will make their way to the top.......



I bred convicts when I first started the hobby and throughout the years I would start another breeder pair just to bring back memories and they killed just about anything since the tank is a bit small. I also had a lot of bad luck with getting gorgeous males that would kill the female after the eggs hatched.
Also the stress brought upon the convicts will eventually kill the "dithers" too.....imagine being bullying and pushed around every waking minute and having to sleep with one eye open......wouldn't take long before you flip.  

Like I suggested...something relatively cheap to replace....probably something really fast....maybe rainbowfish.....Mike has Praecox which I think could stand up to it for awhile.

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Would it be better to move the babies in the 5gal to avoid the male killing the female??

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

What I did was remove the parents into the smaller tanks or leave one parent with the babies......most of the time my males were better caretaker then the mothers which would eat them which also leads me to believe is the reason why the male would kill them.

[Zulaab]

Re: QT'd Convicts

CFL - Setup the 29G with good cover (I use plastic plants because convicts will tear up real plants)  and you can try and introduce something else besides convicts into that tank.  I would prolly say that it will not last.  My breeding pair this week took on Mr Green Terror, and bit a wound into him.   He will survive, but they are starting to learn that the front corner of the tank is the convicts and they are not be messed with... and I have pink convicts, not the much more powerful black convicts.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

and I have pink convicts, not the much more powerful black convicts.

:mrgreen:    


I never noticed much difference in aggression between the two......kinda like stereotyping..

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Ok, lots of plants. What kind and how much rock should I put in there for them? Will they kill a pleco??

[CatFishLady]

Re: QT'd Convicts

and I have pink convicts, not the much more powerful black convicts.

:mrgreen:    


I never noticed much difference in aggression between the two......kinda like stereotyping..

Guess the blacks have more anger towards others    :eh:  :P  

[eklikewhoa]

Re: QT'd Convicts

Most plecos are worthless......just adds to the bio-load.


Are you wanting this tank to be a breeding tank? I usually kept the decorations/substrate to a minimal that way the water quality wouldn't go downhill as fast with the increase bio-load of all the babies and you overfeeding to try and keep the babies fed.

I always had a thin layer of fine gravel or sand with a upturned clay pot or even one on it's side.....in a 29g possible two or three of them.