hey guys. i just bought two convict cichlids yesterday. i have them in a ten gallon tank for now, though i know ill probably have to get a bigger one (yes?) my main question is this... what is the easiest way to determine sex? im not aiming for breeding, but i read that these are known to breed like crazy, and i thought it might be fun if they do. i would like to know how to tell if i have two males/females or a mix ahead of time, so i can be prepared for eggs. also, what would be a good tank companion for them?
brand new convicts
- Thread starter The Bubbler
- Start date
how big are your convicts? you most definetly need a bigger tank... a much bigger tank. i would suggest no less than 55 gallons for a pair of convicts. convicts can be quite aggressive. good tankmates would be something larger and of equal temperment as they are. another cichlid would probably be your best bet, perhaps a jack dempsey.
Females will have bright orange on their bellies. If they do breed, they will kill most anything in the tank. I would make it species only if you plan to breed them. Only problem is, you will have a lot of baby fish to deal with. A lot of petstores wont even take them because you will be having tons of them every month. Its good if you have another tank and want some live food, but I hate seeing the tanks at the LFS with 100 convicts that never sell.
wow
really? 55 gallons? i read 25 per pair... ok, well i might have to settle for a 40 gallon (i know where i can get one for a reasonable price). when should i be able to see the orange on the bottom of the female (assuming i have a female)
really? 55 gallons? i read 25 per pair... ok, well i might have to settle for a 40 gallon (i know where i can get one for a reasonable price). when should i be able to see the orange on the bottom of the female (assuming i have a female)
the orange will be noticable at a really young age, even at less than one inch in a healthy one. A 40 breeder would be better than a standard tank because of its larger footprint. That should be fine IMO.
cyberbeer65
Scratch Glass!
mine
Mine are the regular, as far as I know. I'd say they are less than an inch, but I'm not positive. I can't see any orange yet, but I'll keep looking. Thank you very much! I also read that it may be important to give them many hiding places?
Mine are the regular, as far as I know. I'd say they are less than an inch, but I'm not positive. I can't see any orange yet, but I'll keep looking. Thank you very much! I also read that it may be important to give them many hiding places?
today
I'm buying a 30 gallon tank, in which I'm going to put the two convicts. Now, it seems to me that it might be pretty empty. At the store where I bought the Convicts, they have blue cichlids that are about 3 inches to 5 inches (depending on which one I buy). Would they be ok with the convicts? I know some convicts can co-habitate with oscars twice to three times their size... should I get one?
I'm buying a 30 gallon tank, in which I'm going to put the two convicts. Now, it seems to me that it might be pretty empty. At the store where I bought the Convicts, they have blue cichlids that are about 3 inches to 5 inches (depending on which one I buy). Would they be ok with the convicts? I know some convicts can co-habitate with oscars twice to three times their size... should I get one?