View Full Version : Couple convict questions
A few questions, what would be good scavengers for a group of convicts? also the larger the group (about 10) the less aggrestion, right? Would a school of giant danios be good target fish? Tank size would be around 135 gallons. Thanks
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 6:48 PM
How about Clown Loaches and Tiger Barbs?
both would be dead in a couple of weeks.
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 8:52 PM
From what? Poor water conditions? :confused:
How big are your convicts? Put two Tiger Barbs in for every Convict and you should be fine..... unless your Convicts are already very large (for Convicts that is).
From what i read convicts will kill oscars so clown loches and tiger barbs would be toast.
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 8:58 PM
Convicts cannot touch the Tiger Barbs, they are too quick. The Convicts ignore the Loaches for the most part.
BTW... with 10 Convicts, they will be fighting each other. Why would you want so many Convicts?
convicts dont like tank mates, during spawning the loches would be dead for sure.
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:09 PM
Hmmm... Well my Clowns got lucky I guess. Heck, my full grown Midas cichlids have bred at least 20 times and not hurt the Clown Loaches. Nor did the Festaes when they were breeding.
BTW... Why would you want so many Convicts? They are the easiest cichlid to breed. One male and one female... a little water... and you have fry. Why not add some other cichlids into the mix?
Iam just wondering if convicts are as deadly as people make them out to be? Woun't they kill almost everything?
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:22 PM
Not in my experience. They are fiesty little fish, especially for their size, and can hold their own against bigger cichlids. But they are not quite the terrors you have been told they are.
Most cichlids get very aggressive when breeding. Back when the Midas were first breeding and about 3/4 grown they ruled the tank when they were breeding. All of the other fish (3 full-grown Oscars, a pair of Festaes, large male Jaguar, and a 22" black Pacu) were all at one end of the 180 gallon tank and the Midas pair protected the rest.
Isn't your 180 a bit crowded?
Tightdog1
12-09-2003, 9:35 PM
i would use between 10 and 20 giant danios.
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:38 PM
It was rather sparsely decorated back then. Here is a pic -
http://www.sayersweb.com/aquariums/images/fishtank01.jpg
You can kinda see the Pacu on the right side (under the Tiger Oscar). They got along just fine. It just required a little extra maintenance. I bought them all very small and they all survived to adulthood. (Which was a surprise to me) A few years back we had a power outage and I lost most of them.
Sorry to hear about the loss, that must of sucked. The tank looks small with all those tankbusters. I need Ideas on what to put in 135 gallon ?
Sayer...I think you will like MoJo's big pacu. He just moved his beast to his indoor pond.
135g tank and have more suggestion then just convict. why convict? it is so easy to breed. why not try your hand on other than convict? Heck! I'm trying to get rid of my convict. :rolleyes:
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:49 PM
Originally posted by peifc
Sayer...I think you will like MoJo's big pacu. He just moved his beast to his indoor pond. Really!!!!!! I need to see that! :)
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:53 PM
Originally posted by Dean
Sorry to hear about the loss, that must of sucked. The tank looks small with all thoese tankbusters. I need Ideas on what to put in 135 gallon ? You can do a lot with a 135! Are you most interested in breeding? Or do you just want big fish? When I had the Pacu and others, I was mostly interested in having big fish. These days I like the tank to be decorated a little better with less (but equally interesting) cichlids.
Originally posted by peifc
135g tank and have more suggestion then just convict. why convict? it is so easy to breed. why not try your hand on other than convict? Heck! I'm trying to get rid of my convict. :rolleyes:
What do you suggest ?
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 9:56 PM
Originally posted by Dean
What do you suggest ? A good place to start is here -
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/
Jeff has excellent cichlids. I got my Synspillums, Nics and several others from him.
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 10:04 PM
I wonder if he can ship to Canada.... Well, at least you can get some ideas from his site.
Iam looking more for cichlids that get no bigger than 8" or so. I dont like the look of huge fish even if the aquarium is large, and no just cichlids, maybe a school of sd's. Any other ideas on a medium-large community fish tank with all the fish from sa/ca ?
SayersWeb
12-09-2003, 10:28 PM
Do they need to be really aggressive? I'm setting up my 120 with Uaru, Severums, Chocolate Cichlids, Firemouths and maybe Festivums, along with Tiger Barbs and Clown Loaches.
I especially love the Uaru. They are so graceful. Here is a pic of a Chocolate, Uaru and a young Gold Severum in my 60 gallon tank -
http://www.sayersweb.com/aquariums/images/2003-12-07_60-14.jpg
The Chocolates and Uaru will eventually get a little over 8" (not much over). The Firemouths (great breeders), Severums, and Festivums will not.
Others you may want to look at are Brasiliensis, Blue Acara, Nicaraguense, Centrarchus (great breeders), Jurupari.... hmmm there are many others.... I'll need to think about it.
peifc
12-09-2003, 11:11 PM
Archocentrus sp, Thorichthys sp, Cryptoheros sp., Laetacara sp., some Geophagaus sp., and Gymnogeophagus get around 6 or 7".
Since you are in canada, you can order from Oliver, www.belowwater.com He has great stocks. Alot of his cichlids are wild caught. You just need to let him know what you are looking for...he will look those cichlids up for you (let him what size of fish you are looking for). Order from him is better than getting fish from LFS. I'm sure many people will not agree on mail order. Since I got my first few cichlids from Jeff Rapps, now I only got fish from him and a few other people. I hardly get anything from LFS.
peifc
12-09-2003, 11:13 PM
Sayer...here is the thread where he told us him and his buddy moved the big pacu to the pond.
http://208.51.130.220/~mojo/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Photo;action=display;num=1069563164
i use giant danios successfully, tiger barbs also might work.
for scavengers, something like raphaels or pictus would be ok but might give you a little too much population control. i wouldn't try clown loaches personally.
algae control, some sort of pleco or maybe a farlowella.
good luck
What's wrong with Clown loaches? They are tough little guy. The only thing about clown loach is they grow very slow. Otherwise, having a school of clown loaches with cichlids are ok.
SayersWeb
12-10-2003, 9:07 AM
Originally posted by peifc
What's wrong with Clown loaches? They are tough little guy. The only thing about clown loach is they grow very slow. Otherwise, having a school of clown loaches with cichlids are ok. That's been my experience as well. They are such characters.... In about a year mine went from 2" to about 5".
If anyone wanna see how clown loaches fair...in a tankful of aggressive cichlids, should go to www.cichlidscene.com
Most loaches will do fine with big cichlids (possibly except for small loaches like yo-yo loach that can only live with dwarf cichlids).
All my tanks have loaches. Not once I've seen my cichlids going after the loaches. They all living in the same cave, logs, and every corner. The only problem with loaches is that they will clean out eggs and fry if you are planning to breed fish.
SayersWeb
12-10-2003, 10:00 AM
Which loaches (other than Clowns) do you have? Which do you recommend with cichlids?
peifc
12-10-2003, 10:57 AM
I have Botia berdmorei, Botia modesta, Botia Angeligus, Clown loach, and Botia rostrata.
B. Berdmorei is considered aggressive in Loach family. I have 2 right now living with my carpintis, GT, and JD. Their max size is between 6-7". When they chase each other...they make tsking sound. Pretty interesting to watch. They aren't shy either. I have seen them going after my Gourami, Giant Danios, and Bala shark. My pleco will not let them bully him. He bites them back. :D
B. modesta is living with the Berdmoreis. They get a long fine since both of them are almost equally aggressive.
Botia Angeligus and clown loaches are living with my severums and blue dempseys. Angeligus aren't a bit shy. They are out and swimming around even when the light is on. They get along very well with clown loach that is similar size. If the clown loach is too small, Angeligus will do harm to the little fella.
My 1.5" Botia rostratas are living in my grow out tank with other 1.5" small cichlids. They are peaceful and out going. Once they reach their 3 or 4" size, they are going into my dwarf cichlids tank.
As for what loaches that will go well with cichlids...most of them can. You just gotta know what to mix them with. If you have small aggressive cichlids, it is best using B. beauforti, berdmorei, hymenophysa, or other aggressive loaches. If you have big and aggressive cichlids, can try B. modesta. If you have big and semi-aggressive or peaceful cichlids, try clown loach. These 2 loaches get as big as 9-12". If you have small and peaceful cichlids, use yo-yo loache or any small and peaceful loaches.
Check out this site for loaches information.
www.loaches.com
SayersWeb
12-10-2003, 1:42 PM
I'll have to see if I can find some of the Angelicus or the Modesta... They look very cool. I'm guessing expensive also. ;)
Thanks for the info!
No...not really for modesta. Angelicus, yes...very expensive 'cause they were still very new to the hobbyist. I got mine from aquabid.
Here are a few websites that you can order loaches online.
www.liveaquaria.com
www.*****************
www.aquariumstuffers.com
Angelicus...
http://www.peifc.com/Our_fish/Oddballs/Loaches/135-3568_IMG.JPG
Modesta...
http://www.peifc.com/Our_fish/Oddballs/Loaches/129-2968_IMG.JPG
Originally posted by peifc
What's wrong with Clown loaches? They are tough little guy. The only thing about clown loach is they grow very slow. Otherwise, having a school of clown loaches with cichlids are ok.
If you have small aggressive cichlids, it is best using B. beauforti, berdmorei, hymenophysa, or other aggressive loaches. If you have big and aggressive cichlids, can try B. modesta. If you have big and semi-aggressive or peaceful cichlids, try clown loach.
you're sort of contradicting yourself to say the least. the cichlids in question are small, fast and aggressive as h#ll. clown loaches are what i would consider to be peacefull fish. they are also very susceptable to things such as ich. so to put them in an environment where they would more than likely be harassed and very stressed out...... you do the math.
it just seems like you would be wasting some very pretty fish for nothing. :shake:
i have seen, mine and others convicts, do some serious damage to other fish and i just wouldn't recommend putting anything in the tank with them that is not fast or hardy.
Uhmm....did you bother to look at cichlidscene website?
Don't talk about convict...I'm sure you know what is Midas and red devil. In cichlidscene website...you can see them interacting with clown loaches. They all live together in a big tank. And not once I've heard from cichlidscene that his clown loaches are killed.
Not only cichlidscene keep clown loaches with those big aggressive cichlids. Other people do the same thing. Like I said...only problem with clown loach is they grow slow. Otherwise, they do great with cichlids like Archocentrus sp., Cryptoheros sp., Thorichthys, Amphilophus sp. or some others.
Not once I've seen my convict going after loaches. Not once I have seen my Carpintis going after my clown loaches. And I do have a very small clown loach. That little guy was never ever pick by cichlids, but by his own kind, clown loach and other loaches. I have to put my little clown loach with my severums to grow out before he gets killed by other big loaches.
http://www.cichlidscene.com/img/loaches/lg/20010316loaches.jpg
Do you see that big cichlid right there? You can't miss that. That cichlid is aggressive. Loaches are living with him.
can you post some full tank pics please :D also what is the size of the cichild and largest clown loach. :D
Those aren't my fishes, Dean. Those belong to Cichlidscene. You can check out his website. He has all those information on his fishes.
www.cichlidscene.com
I've been watching the clown loach videos and they look great, but are they always as active as the video shows?
Clown loach videos (http://www.cichlidscene.com/video/20020720loachpair2.mpg)
Yes...as long as you have a school of them.
what is a good size school for them? do they grow slow?
Yes, they grow slow. And they are quite expensive for 3" clown loach. I've seen some that goes as high as $15 per fish.
My loach...well, took them half year to grow an inch or 2.
You can try to get them on www.aquabid.com
Get at least 5 or 6 of them will be good.
Where I live i can get them for around $9 cnd. for a 3". How big was the clown loaches aquarium. If i put 6 of them in a 135g will they grow faster? also in the videos the big ones look duller than the smaller ones, does this happen?
I've talked to a few other people in another forum. They told me that they have kept many clown loaches in their tanks with their aggressive cichlids.
I don't know how docile a full grown clown loach is. From what I've seen in cichlidscene website, big and small house with cichlid like Midas, red devil, N. Haitiensis, and others...I'll have to say the clown loaches can hold their own. If you look at one video that showed the clown loaches showing possibly breeding behavior...that a young midas was trying to break them up. And the big loach didn't even care.
Clown loaches grow slow no matter what tank. If you can get a bigger loach...great. If not..., then the cichlids have to be just as small.
Since clown loaches grow slow, would it be ok to ad an oscar. Oscars grow much faster and might get to big for a slow growing clown loach?
SayersWeb
12-10-2003, 9:22 PM
I have an Oscar that is almost 10 years old.... full-grown breeding Midas Cichlids, 12" synspillums, etc. Last year I added two 3" Clown Loaches to the tank. They are amost 6" now.
Don't worry about an Oscar outgrowing the Clown's.
BTW... I thought you hated big fish! Why are you looking at Oscars? Don't get me wrong... I love Oscars, they have more personality than any other cichlid. But, they will get bigger than 8" in a hurry.
I know, I just kinda like them because they're more like a pet thats why they call the water dogs. At the lfs they look more inteligent(sp.) than all the other fish. I just wish they would create a dwarf oscar that would max out at 6". It was just a thought, I change my mind very quickly.
peifc
12-10-2003, 11:39 PM
If you want personality fish...should try out Parachromis Managuense, Midas, or Red Devil. Yes, they all get bigger than 8", but they have great personality. Carpintis also has great personality. Mine love to attack his own reflection.
If you still wanna stick with smaller cichlids...Meeki (firemouth) is great too. Any cichlid like Archocentrus, Cryptoheros, or Thorichthys sp are less than 8" and have personality.
would they go well with clown loaches?
peifc
12-11-2003, 12:07 AM
Which species?