Convict Breeding Age?

[jason n]

at what age do convicts breed? i have had a pair in a 75 for a month the famale is a inch and a half male is 2 inches he chases her all over the tank but she wants nothing to do with him.

 

[KittyKat]

They *may* breed at that size, although it is better if they do not until they are larger. Also, just because you have a female and a male, that does not mean that they are a compatible pair.

 

[Hermithall]

While it's true that having several adult Convicts in an aquarium results in pairing off by natural selection, it's also the case that if you select a male and female and put them alone together, they will still very likely pair up and breed. Convicts are insanely easy to breed, and definitely at the size you've stated. Are you sure they're male and female?

 

[jason n]

While it's true that having several adult Convicts in an aquarium results in pairing off by natural selection, it's also the case that if you select a male and female and put them alone together, they will still very likely pair up and breed. Convicts are insanely easy to breed, and definitely at the size you've stated. Are you sure they're male and female?

yes im sure the male has longer dorsil and anal fins and a hump on the head the female had some orange on her when i put her in the tank but it faded out

 

[Blubble37]

They *may* breed at that size, although it is better if they do not until they are larger. Also, just because you have a female and a male, that does not mean that they are a compatible pair.

+1 some will get along and some will try and rip each other from fin to fin

 

[Hermithall]

They *may* breed at that size, although it is better if they do not until they are larger. Also, just because you have a female and a male, that does not mean that they are a compatible pair.

+1 some will get along and some will try and rip each other from fin to fin

A bit dramatic - the female probably just isn't ready to breed. When the orange patches return on the female's belly they will be ready to breed. It's actually rare for two convicts to kill each other, even two opposing males.

 

[KittyKat]

They *may* breed at that size, although it is better if they do not until they are larger. Also, just because you have a female and a male, that does not mean that they are a compatible pair.

+1 some will get along and some will try and rip each other from fin to fin

A bit dramatic - the female probably just isn't ready to breed. When the orange patches return on the female's belly they will be ready to breed. It's actually rare for two convicts to kill each other, even two opposing males.

Not really, for a general statement. The other person was only saying that they might or might not get on. I've come home to cichlids with chunks of flesh missing and no fins before, when the individuals in question had been living together peacefully for 3-5+ years. Cichlid behaviour is difficult to predict, there is no way to tell if Jason's convicts will breed or if the female will become more stressed with time, which may induce unusual aggression.

 

[Hermithall]

They *may* breed at that size, although it is better if they do not until they are larger. Also, just because you have a female and a male, that does not mean that they are a compatible pair.

+1 some will get along and some will try and rip each other from fin to fin

A bit dramatic - the female probably just isn't ready to breed. When the orange patches return on the female's belly they will be ready to breed. It's actually rare for two convicts to kill each other, even two opposing males.

Not really, for a general statement. The other person was only saying that they might or might not get on. I've come home to cichlids with chunks of flesh missing and no fins before, when the individuals in question had been living together peacefully for 3-5+ years. Cichlid behaviour is difficult to predict, there is no way to tell if Jason's convicts will breed or if the female will become more stressed with time, which may induce unusual aggression.

That's fine, I just think "general statements" about cichlid aggression aren't particularly helpful to the OP, nor are sweeping generalizations like "cichlid behaviour is diffult to predict" for that matter since there's over 900 species of cichlid and some are extremely peaceful.
We have a specific situation here of a newly introduced convict pair in a large 75g tank - I happen to think they'll probably breed because of the male's obvious interest, as soon as the female becomes egg bound. If the male's interests were manifested as aggression then the female would quickly become ragged and no doubt, in seeing this, Jason would split them up.
We can only talk from personal experience, I started my own 75g with convicts - found them insanely prolific and easy breeders.
I've kept a fair few cichlid species, and personally have never come across behaviour so spontaneous that it can't be spotted early enough to do something about. I'd love to hear more about the circumstances of your own extreme and spontaneous cichlid aggression after years of peaceful co-habitaion? It sounds very interesting with some valuable lessons to be learned.

 

[KittyKat]

That's fine, I just think "general statements" about cichlid aggression aren't particularly helpful to the OP, nor are sweeping generalizations like "cichlid behaviour is diffult to predict" for that matter since there's over 900 species of cichlid and some are extremely peaceful.

So what is not helpful about explaining that behaviour varies between individuals and things can go either way? Why does a fish's base aggression level make it easy to predict how it will react in a specific situation? I have seen some of the cichlids which are labelled as "extremely shy and placid" demonstrate the behaviour above.

We have a specific situation here of a newly introduced convict pair in a large 75g tank - I happen to think they'll probably breed because of the male's obvious interest, as soon as the female becomes egg bound. If the male's interests were manifested as aggression then the female would quickly become ragged and no doubt, in seeing this, Jason would split them up.

So… just because you think that that will happen, means that the OP does not need to be aware that things can potentially go wrong very quickly? Also, I never said that the male had aggressive interests in the female, all I implied was that there was the possibility that the female may not respond well to the interest the male is showing her. If she has no interest in him, is it a realistic possibility.

I've kept a fair few cichlid species, and personally have never come across behaviour so spontaneous that it can't be spotted early enough to do something about. I'd love to hear more about the circumstances of your own extreme and spontaneous cichlid aggression after years of peaceful co-habitaion? It sounds very interesting with some valuable lessons to be learned.

I, on the other hand, have had different experiences. I think it is valid to warn the OP that there is the potential for problems so that they can take action at the first sign of trouble.

I will be very happy to discuss my personal experiences with you, please PM me or email me if you really are interested. The lessons you will learn is that it always pays off to be prepared for anything, that the fish can and will surprise you in many different ways, and gather all the information you possibly can.

 

[Hermithall]

That's fine, I just think "general statements" about cichlid aggression aren't particularly helpful to the OP, nor are sweeping generalizations like "cichlid behaviour is diffult to predict" for that matter since there's over 900 species of cichlid and some are extremely peaceful.

So what is not helpful about explaining that behaviour varies between individuals and things can go either way? Why does a fish's base aggression level make it easy to predict how it will react in a specific situation? I have seen some of the cichlids which are labelled as "extremely shy and placid" demonstrate the behaviour above.

We have a specific situation here of a newly introduced convict pair in a large 75g tank - I happen to think they'll probably breed because of the male's obvious interest, as soon as the female becomes egg bound. If the male's interests were manifested as aggression then the female would quickly become ragged and no doubt, in seeing this, Jason would split them up.

So… just because you think that that will happen, means that the OP does not need to be aware that things can potentially go wrong very quickly? Also, I never said that the male had aggressive interests in the female, all I implied was that there was the possibility that the female may not respond well to the interest the male is showing her. If she has no interest in him, is it a realistic possibility.

I've kept a fair few cichlid species, and personally have never come across behaviour so spontaneous that it can't be spotted early enough to do something about. I'd love to hear more about the circumstances of your own extreme and spontaneous cichlid aggression after years of peaceful co-habitaion? It sounds very interesting with some valuable lessons to be learned.

I, on the other hand, have had different experiences. I think it is valid to warn the OP that there is the potential for problems so that they can take action at the first sign of trouble.

I will be very happy to discuss my personal experiences with you, please PM me or email me if you really are interested. The lessons you will learn is that it always pays off to be prepared for anything, that the fish can and will surprise you in many different ways, and gather all the information you possibly can.

I understand that individual fish vary in temperament and that there are exceptions and anomalies within any given species, I have no problem with that at all. What I can't understand is you putting forward possibilities and offering general advice of what might happen between his 2 convicts based almost upon exceptional circumstances alone - it's almost like a type of scaremongering! It may be true that they aren't a compatible pair and there's nothing wrong in pointing that out, but only when you balance the statement by saying they probably are compatible, not just *may* be. The next post: "some will get along and some will rip each other from fin to fin" is just not true to the 50/50 ratio which the statement implies and I couldn't understand you defending it, because while acknowledging that this could happen, it's actually very much more likely that it won't - and that's all I was pointing out, but honestly, you don't half make it hard for other people to have a voice on these threads sometimes.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in pointing out the unlikeliest dangers of any given situation, but only as long as the most likely outcomes are foremostly addressed, because if not then the statement is surely imbalanced?
Thanks for offering to teach me to be prepared for anything but I already monitor my tanks and act accordingly, I've never yet lost a fish to aggression - I was just interested to know the circumstances in which you've managed to lose cichlids to aggression.

 

[KittyKat]

Thanks for offering to teach me to be prepared for anything but I already monitor my tanks and act accordingly, I've never yet lost a fish to aggression - I was just interested to know the circumstances in which you've managed to lose cichlids to aggression.

You misunderstand me, I did not offer to teach you anything and I have never lost a single fish due to aggression. If you want to hear about any of my personal experiences, I will happily share them *not in this tread*.

 

[Hermithall]

Sorry, I thought the fish you came home to with chunks of flesh missing and no fins might have died, my mistake.

Edit: Jason - any luck with those Convicts?

 

[jason n]

Sorry, I thought the fish you came home to with chunks of flesh missing and no fins might have died, my mistake.

Edit: Jason - any luck with those Convicts?

not yet but im keeping an eye on them if he gets to rough i will split them up.i also gave her a few places to hide.