Convict cichlid fry

[Bruno2002]

So I have a breeding pair of convict cichlids in a 100 gallon tank along with a jack dempsey and a juvinile green terror they will be laying eggs soon and when the fry are born I dotn really want them to be eaten by the other fish as my local pet store wanted to buy some how quickly can I move the fry to a breeder box

 

[Guyb93]

You can move them soon as they are wigglers I know lot of people don’t agree with moving cichlid fry but convicts are aggressive during spawning and the jd and gt will surly fight back

 

[Bruno2002]

You can move them soon as they are wigglers I know lot of people don’t agree with moving cichlid fry but convicts are aggressive during spawning and the jd and gt will surly fight back

Ok I'll try that the jd is the calmer fish I've ever had hes around 6 or 7 inches and hes so docile wich is very different to other jds I've had but the green terror is fairy aggressive but hes much smaller than the convicts I'll leave it as long as possible but at then end of the day I'd rather seperate them early then watch them be eaten

 

[Guyb93]

Ok I'll try that the jd is the calmer fish I've ever had hes around 6 or 7 inches and hes so docile wich is very different to other jds I've had but the green terror is fairy aggressive but hes much smaller than the convicts I'll leave it as long as possible but at then end of the day I'd rather seperate them early then watch them be eaten

My electric blue acara try ever so hard to protect there fry and do a great job but the stress that comes with it and the rest of the tank it’s just best sometimes to move them and raise them yourself , it’s really fun and cheap to raise them well worth doing I’d say

 

[Colin_T]

Don't move the babies out. Just leave the parents to look after them. When cichlids are reared artificially instead of being left with their parents, they don't learn how to become good parents and regularly eat their own fry when they breed.

In addition to this, the convict cichlids will probably have 300+ babies and the shop will only take 10-20 from you. There is no point having hundreds of baby fish that you can't get rid of. Leaving the babies in the tank will let them be reared by their parents, and with any luck, the other fishes in the tank will reduce the number of fry you need to find homes for.

If you really want some for the shop, take out 20 or 30 babies when they start swimming around exploring the tank by themselves. They will be about 3-4 weeks old then and you can grow them up in a separate tank.

 

[Bruno2002]

Don't move the babies out. Just leave the parents to look after them. When cichlids are reared artificially instead of being left with their parents, they don't learn how to become good parents and regularly eat their own fry when they breed.

In addition to this, the convict cichlids will probably have 300+ babies and the shop will only take 10-20 from you. There is no point having hundreds of baby fish that you can't get rid of. Leaving the babies in the tank will let them be reared by their parents, and with any luck, the other fishes in the tank will reduce the number of fry you need to find homes for.

If you really want some for the shop, take out 20 or 30 babies when they start swimming around exploring the tank by themselves. They will be about 3-4 weeks old then and you can grow them up in a separate tank.

Thats a good idea I also have bought 3 new convicts they're obviously stressed because jts a new environment but when will they start showing colour to see them

 

[Colin_T]

Why would you buy 3 new convicts when you have a pr with babies?
The adults will fight with the new comers.

Convicts don't have a lot of colour, mostly black and white stripes. The females get a bit of orange on the belly when in breeding condition.

If you want cichlids that are similar to convicts, look for Cichlasoma sajica and C. spilurum. They are similar but more peaceful. All three species should be kept in separate aquariums because they hybridise.