37G Convict Tank

[Norske1028]

I am getting a 37g tank tomorrow and want to breed convict cichlids.
How many fish should I get (female? Male?)
And how should I decorate it.
Thanks

 

[mrp3]

Why did u post 3 of the exact same post?

 

[onidrase]

Only 1 male and 1 female. Make sure they're paired (don't just throw two random fish in a tank)

You will not be able to keep anything else in the tank. Not even a pleco. When they start breeding, they will kill anything else on site, in some cases they'll even go after your hand to protect their young.

Having more than one pair will cause major feuds between them.

I'd advise simply getting a 29 gallon, as a 37 is just a taller 29, and cichlids hang at the bottom of the tank.

 

[GShorty1981]

Convicts don't pair

I have kept tons of them in the past and never had a pair before, i have had multiple males and females in a big tank and they just breed with whatevers closest.

 

[Norske1028]

Thanks for the info this really saved me
And btw I posted 3 because it said it didn't post and to post again so sorry

 

[kribensis12]

I wouldn't say that they don't pair. They might be inclined to switch partners once in a while but they do pair off for breeding and usually stay with that mate unless they deem them not strong enough to breed anymore.

 

[GShorty1981]

I have never had one stay with a mate (after breeding), not saying it don't happen, but there was a debate about this on MFK about this a little while ago and nobody could say they had a devoted pair.

 

[onidrase]

But there are a lot of stories out there of two convicts just not liking each other and the male harassing the female to death. I would assume there has to be some sort of bond between a pair of convicts for that to not happen, even if it's not as strong as other cichlids.

 

[talisker]

i've kept and bred loads of convicts and have also never seen a true pair, i had a group of six and the dominant male mated with one of the females and then lost interest in that female and matted with another.