Convict Cichlids For Newbie Cichlid Keeper?

[bobcatman]

I've kept small freshwater community tanks with your typical livebearers and various tetras in the past. I'm interested in trying out cichlids. I've been researching on the 'net and see a pair of convicts could be a possiblity for me in a small 20 to 30 gallon tank. Their ease of breeding and parental care appeal to me. I have some questions for people who have kept convicts. My questions:

1) Would a pair or more fit in these small tanks?
2) Would any other fish be suitable to be kept in there with them? I'd like to see some of the protective behaviors.
3) Do I need dither fish with them or would the convicts hide all the time?
4) If babies are born, how long can they be kept with the parents before? Will the fry be eaten eventually if left with the parents? Does having babies present prevent the parents from spawning again?
5) What do people do with convict offspring? Sell them? Use as feeders?
6) Would you recommend convicts for a beginner?
7) If not recommended, what other cichlid species could a)live in these smallish tanks b)be somewhat easy to breed and c)be interesting?

Wow, more questions than I expected. Thanks in advance!

Ken

 

[Davo86]

I've kept small freshwater community tanks with your typical livebearers and various tetras in the past. I'm interested in trying out cichlids. I've been researching on the 'net and see a pair of convicts could be a possiblity for me in a small 20 to 30 gallon tank. Their ease of breeding and parental care appeal to me. I have some questions for people who have kept convicts. My questions:

1) Would a pair or more fit in these small tanks?
1 Pair would be ok in a 30g

2) Would any other fish be suitable to be kept in there with them? I'd like to see some of the protective behaviors.
Due to the size of the tank i think it would really depend on the particular convicts you go for, I tried keeping a 5"Bristlenose in with mine but due to the aggresion of the convicts when spawning they had to be removed, I did however successfully keep a few Giant Danios in with them, so it may be better to go for something that stays up top.

3) Do I need dither fish with them or would the convicts hide all the time?
I found the male to be out in the open a lot of the time, the female would seem to go to and fro from her 'nest'. As for Dither fish i would suggest either 3 Healthy Giant Danios or 6 Large Tiger Barbs

4) If babies are born, how long can they be kept with the parents before? Will the fry be eaten eventually if left with the parents? Does having babies present prevent the parents from spawning again?
The convicts will spawn as many times as they can, I would say the young can stay in with the parents until they spawn again.

5) What do people do with convict offspring? Sell them? Use as feeders?
gave mine to LFS, you can sell them but convicts are so common that people won't pay much for them.

6) Would you recommend convicts for a beginner?
If it is a medium sized fish that you want to try to breed, then Yes it couldn't be more easy, a 30 gallon tank with fine substrate and a few caves and a pair of convicts is all you need, they convicts will do the rest

7) If not recommended, what other cichlid species could a)live in these smallish tanks b)be somewhat easy to breed and c)be interesting?
Kribs could be an alternative, although they are smaller and IMO slightly harder to get to breed, but they are more colourful and possibly more easy to sell. Keyhole cichlids are another alternative

Wow, more questions than I expected. Thanks in advance!
No probs

Ken

 

[Tobigara]

IMHO, i think a 20 would be too small for a pair convicts. a 30 would be better i think and you can pretty much garantee that in a 20 or 30 a breeding pair of convicts would terrorize anything else in there. Rams are good fish for what your after too.

 

[jayjay]

If you have other fish you can use the fry for feeders too (awful grammar there....) then by all means get a pair of convicts, if can be hard to shift fry. Some sort of talking catfish could keep fry numbers down if you have a hiding place for it that the convicts can't get to.

I'd go with rainbow cichlids over convicts as they are more colourful, probably more easy to get rid of and less aggressive, so you could have some other fish to use as dithers with them. Or you could try Honduran red points, very similar to convicts but again fry are easier to get rid of and they are apparently less aggressive.

 

[bobcatman]

Thanks for all the replies. Convicts still appeal to me, but I will also research the other species that were suggested. Thanks again!

 

[Suicidal_AZN]

20-30 gal is great for convicts!!!
just one pair will be enough for 20-30 gal.
they breed like crazy!!!
and yes they still breed while they are still raising there frys.
the extra eggs with be vitemins for the frys.
my convicts bred like 6 times in one year.
but yes they are good fish for starter cichlids.

 

[Alistriwen]

I have successfully kept a pair of cons in a 20 gal for a while. I moved them out to a 55 gal with another pair but the tank is divided 60/40% so each pair only has roughly 25 gallons. The two females lay eggs within hours of each other like clockwork every few weeks by which time all of the fry have found their way into my fish's stomachs. Originally, we bred them to feed to our rams since live food was especially beneficial for them but now we don't have the rams so it is more just the fun of watching fish chase down and eat smaller fish. We know we can't sell them and we'd be overrun with them if we didnt feed them to our adult fish.